Horgan has been one of the best female riders Ireland has ever produced (Photo: Karen M Dunne)
By Brian Canty
Former multiple Irish national champion, Siobhan Horgan (nee Dervan) has decided to hang up her wheels after six years riding professionally.
The Ballinasloe-born rider, who has been based in Cork for much of her career, had made up her mind at the end of last year that this would be her final season. And following a frustrating World Championships in Holland last month, it soon became apparent that she had ridden her last race.
The 33-year-old leaves the sport with few regrets.
“I have to say I’ve had a brilliant career and one that I’m proud of when I look back on it,” she said.
“I was lucky enough to be part of some great teams. I rode all the great women's races including the Giro Donne, the Women's Tour de France and the Classics like Het Volk and Tour of Flanders. And of course I made some great friends who will stay my friends for life. But I think it was the right time to retire and try to pursue something else.”
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Horgan is now living in Belgium with her husband John, who moved there this year to start a new job. She quashes any suggestion that she’d still race at home if she lived here.
“No, absolutely not. My mind was made up and I’m happy with my decision. I’m a qualified chemical engineer and I have a bit of French so that might help me hopefully in looking for a job. I’m also thinking of maybe going into something for women’s cycling, perhaps coaching but that’s just a thought for the time being. We’ll see.”
Horgan won the Irish national championships six times; five on the road and once in the TT. It was her first road race title that she says was one of her big highlights.
“Yeah, that would definitely have to be up there,” she smiles.
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“I won that after a long solo breakaway so that is certainly one I won’t forget in a hurry.”
Following a series of wins at home she started a pro career in 2006 with the Lotto-Belisol team in Belgium and stayed there for two years, finding the going tough originally but gradually finding her way. Following that she moved to the Italian Fenix team before ending with the French-based GSD Gestion squad.
Her 2012 season has been pockmarked with some outstanding results, not least her highly credible performance down in Kerry over the Easter weekend in the ‘Kerry Group Rás Mumhan’ where she had the distinction of beating many of her male opponents. But her biggest disappointment was last month’s World Championships.
“That was so, so sad,” she said.
“I came into the race in good shape and was really looking forward to going out on a high but to have it ended by getting clung to the barriers in a crash and then to have mechanical trouble over and over was such a shame.”
Though she’s retiring from the sport, she is moving to the spiritual heartland of it, meaning getting away from the bike entirely will be difficult.
“Yes, we’re not far from where the An Post team are based and John is continuing the racing so it will always run in the family I think.”
Horgan said there were many people she would like to thank for making her career such a successful and enjoyable one and chief among them were her coach Paddy Doran, her husband John, Cycling Ireland and of course the Women's Commission, especially Valerie Considine and Orla Hendron.
A great rider who did the green jersey proud and occasionally blogged for stickybottle, we wish her all the best for the future and hopefully we’ll have some contributions from her again.
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