On his way to winning the final stage of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan at Easter, Bryan McCrystal believes he and other county riders can compete in the Rás but must be realistic about their goals (Photo: George Doyle)
By Brian Canty
Bryan McCrystal believes his Cork-based Aquablue team are contenders for the team prize at the An Post Rás next week, and he himself will target a county rider prize.
But the former international triathlete and professional soccer player from Co Louth refuted any suggestions that he can do any more than that.
Despite taking some marvellous wins this year, including the Des Hanlon Memorial and stages of Rás Mumhan and Tour of Ulster, he said the An Post Rás was too hard to countenance winning a stage.
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“You have to remember what the competition is going to be like," he said.
"With respect to the races I’ve done here this year so far, this is up another couple of levels. I have to give it the respect it needs and not get carried away with myself.
“We’re just looking forward to it now, it’s something we’ve been looking forward to all year.”
He added his approach to the race, which begins in Dunboyne, Co Meath, on Sunday would be to take it day by day and see what happens.
“I’ve no plan, I’m not looking at any day in particular to attack or get up the road. Any bike race I’ve done this year, it has never worked out how I thought it would on the start line.
“So anyone who does a race and says ‘that’s what’s going to happen’ are liars. I’m just looking forward to it and taking it day by day and trying to adopt my usual attitude of giving a good account of myself.”
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The two-man move that won McCrystal (left) the final stage of the Tour of Ulster and captured overall victory for his team mate Damien Shaw (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
The county rider prize, therefore will be his main personal target.
“That’s more realistic, it’s a nice incentive for us,” he said of the target for county men for whom winning stages has become very difficult.
“It’ll keep things competitive, just once we don’t have a race within a race with the other county men.
“Like, if you’re up there come the end (of a stage) and you get it that’s fine. But (county riders) need to treat the race as it should be treated, and whatever county rider gets a jersey then fair play.
“I don’t want a situation if there’s a couple of county riders there with a couple of kilometres to go, it’s important that we don’t just look at that, we must race for the actual stage itself.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he continued.
“At the end of the day, sometimes we can talk ourselves out of it. There are good lads here in Ireland and we should acknowledge that a wee bit more.
“Our place on the start line is deserved and we should credit ourselves well with that because we can mix it.”
Aquablue won the team prize last year and McCrystal wants to replicate that.
“We won the team prize in Ulster so we definitely can (win it here). I’m not going to shy away from it, we definitely think we can get it and we’ll try.”
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