Adam Stenson leads the field at the Errigal Youth Tour at the weekend, with FBD Talent Team 2020 team mate Jake Grey in third and two other members of the team - Conor McCann and Ronan Tuomey - a little further back the field. All four are among the party now arriving in Belgium for a training and racing trip, where learning to fend for themselves if, and when, they race on the Continent is the key goal (Photo with thanks to Maura Lynch Moriarty)
By Gerard Cromwell
Having competed at the Errigal Youth Tour last week, the FBD Talent Team 2020 arrived in Belgium today looking forward to a week of training and racing, with a little bit of home economics thrown in.
The eight-strong squad, made up of two U14s, two U15s and four U16s will be based in Lomel, in the province of Limburg, for the next week.
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As well as giving them experience of racing in bigger bunches and riding different types of races, the aim of the camp is very much on preparing the riders for the move to continental racing later in their careers, if that should happen.
“The big thing is teaching them how to be self sufficient,” says team manager Martin O’Loughlin.
In schooling the young guns, O'Loughlin is working alongside well known Irish soigneur Stacey Kelly of the An Post-Chainreaction squad. She will impart what she has learned during her career to date working on many of the major European races.
Jake Gray is one of the more experienced riders on the youth development national squad, having raced in the green jersey at home and abroad several times.
“They cook, they clean and they basically look after themselves, which was one of the things that lads of my generation really fell down on," continues O'Loughlin.
“I was in the airport when the juniors were going out to the Trofeo Carlsberg in Germany a few weeks ago. At 4.45am in the morning, I was the only parent there.
“All of the other young lads had actually made their own way up, stayed in the hotel overnight and got a shuttle bus over. There’s no way a 17-year-old would have done that 10 years ago.
“We have this squad divided into two teams of four so we’ll have a dinner crew and a lunch crew. Stacey Kelly has them inside making dinner now and she’ll have them cleaning and shopping later on.
“Lidl is probably the cyclist’s best friend because it’s ubiquitous. Last year I went to LIDL four days in a row in four different countries. Once they can shop in one of them they can shop anywhere.”
For some of the riders, this will be their third year racing in Belgium with the FBD talent Team, while for others it’s a whole new experience.
PJ Doogan from Donegal is one of two U14 riders away with the FBD Talent Team at present; Castlebar's Conor Gallagher the other.
“Jake Gray, Dion McCarthy and Adam Stenson would be the most experienced of the group,” says O’Loughlin.
“We then have Conor McCann, who was playing football this time last year. He’s made a big impact on the U16 scene.
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“At U15s we have Ronan Twomey and Dylan Corkery and at U14 we have Conor Gallagher from Castlebar and PJ Doogan from Donegal.
“We’re lucky now that we’re living in the internet age. The young lads nowadays have big advantages compared to some of the lads who were coming out here in the 80s.
“Back then you could only afford to make a phone call every fortnight for instance. Nowadays with facebook messenger or viber or whatever, they’re in constant contact.
“At the same time, a lot of these lads’ daddies would have packed their bike boxes and they’re opening them up now, looking in at their bikes going ‘how am I going to put this back together?’
“We help them if they need it but we try to stand back and let them do the majority of the stuff themselves.”
Adam Stenson, who rides for Lucan CRC, has developed very nicely in recent seasons and is building up some great experience both at home and abroad (Photo with thanks to Tommy Heaney)
As well as cooking, cleaning, training and racing, the squad have mechanic Derek Stenson on hand at all times while current Shimano neutral service squad member Tom Van Teeffelen will hold a mechanics workshop during the week.
“Derek is a mechanical wizard. Tom does neutral service for all the major championships and used to work for Vaconsoleil.
They will assess the young riders for mechanical proficiency and concentrate on those needing extra attention, says O'Loughlin.
"For example, U14s have to ride lower gears here. Where they can ride a 49X16 at home, they have to ride a 49X18 here. So we'll show them how to change sprockets and things like that.”
A trip to ride some of the Amstel Gold course is on the cards on Wednesday and the team will race on Saturday, Sunday and Monday next.
“It’s a different type of racing here,” admits O’Loughlin.
“They have bigger bunches which is one of the things they don’t have the experience of at home. When they hit junior and get to A3 races young lads can find the bunches intimidating.
“But the lads are well able to mix it with anyone over here. We won all three races last year but while results are nice, it’s all about learning.
“This just gives them that bit of support and confidence. Education is the main thing.”
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