Stephen O'Shea is race director for the National Road Championships this weekend and was has also been one of the main men behind the Irish Corner 10 concept. Above, with Stephen Roche on Irish Corner 10 when the Tour de France scaled Alpe d'Huez a few years ago.
By Brian Canty
National championships race organiser Stephen O’Shea has hailed the efforts of everyone that has helped pull this year’s event together after the location for the showpiece event on the cycling calendar was moved twice in recent weeks.
The Orwell Wheelers man joked that running the Tour de France would be easier while also admitting it was diffuclt to stomach seeing US-vice president and his cavalcade in the Phoenix Park this afternoon.
That’s where the championships were originally set for, only for Biden’s visit to scupper those plans, meaning O’Shea had to seek an alternative location.
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Wicklow was then agreed upon but there was opposition to that too.
Finally, after a few long nights around coffee tables, Kilcullen took on the job of hosting the event and O’Shea cannot wait to get things underway tomorrow night.
“It evolved into a bigger event, it was like running a stage race,” he said of the work he and his team have had to do.
“Every time the event changed we had to re-do the event management plans, we had to re-do council plans, the Gardai plans.
"So at this stage we’ve actually planned for three events and within each of those we have six or seven (races), so running the Tour might have been easier.
“Time was the biggest problem and we were on the back-foot from the start.
“You need a year for this thing and we took on something and we felt it was achievable and then Joe Biden turned up.
“Seeing his cavalcade in the Phoenix Park today... this is where we were supposed to be and that was difficult to take on board.
"Our plans to have it in the park were big and bold and were very achievable at the time.”
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At the start of the Rás last month when he was working with Orwell's team on the race; most would not envy O'Shea's workload in recent months but he and his team have put huge effort in and they've kept the show on the road (Photo: Sean Rowe)
He said without the work of a tireless crew of willing helpers the event would never have happened.
“It’d be impossible to name everyone but everyone knows themselves who they are.
“Ronan Fox has been with me since we started cycling but we had a huge committee helping us out.
"Garry Nugent (Cycling Ireland, events manager) had to rearrange things, he deserves immense credit.
"Ciaran McKenna (Cycling Ireland president) did an awful lot of work as well, as did the Gardai and the councils.”
On the issue of the feast of racing ahead and the fact neither Dan Martin, Philip Deignan nor Sam Bennett will be there, O'Shea was philosophical.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them in the Tour.
“We’re looking for a worthy champion who is available and if that’s the way it is that’s the way it is. It’s understandable.
“We have Nico and though it’d be nice to have him, Deignan and Sam and Dan and anyone else I’m forgetting; they are under contract from their team and I understand.
“These guys have to make a decision based on their own personal situations so I accept if they’re not available they’re not available, we’ll get a winner.
“It would be fantastic to see Nico in the white and green and likewise Ryan Mullen and Eddie Dunbar and I’d be very hopeful of them performing.”
O’Shea also expressed his hope that spectators would come and support the race and indeed the host venue, given how accommodating they’ve been.
“It’s been difficult to make arrangements and we appreciate if people come on the day and respect Kilcullen for what it is and we look forward to a big crowd.”
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