Joe Fenlon is one of a number of riders in his 40s to win some of the best races on the elite domestic circuit in recent years. They go to the line on Saturday week to battle to become Irish vets' champion (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
By Brian Canty
Joe Fenlon believes the veterans’ race at the National Road and TT Championships in Mullingar the weekend after next could be the best of all the title events down for decision.
And while he will go to the line himself as one of the hot favourites, he believes UCD CC’s Greg Swinand is the man to beat.
However, the Aquablue rider, whose season was interrupted by illness following the Tour of Ulster, also feels his teammate Keith Gater has a very good chance of taking gold, as have plenty of others.
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“It’s going to be hard to beat Swinand; very hard,” Fenlon said.
“He’s going to be a big threat. Greg is one of those riders who can ride very hard for a long length of time.
“It will be down to the last two laps; whoever has the staying power, the last kick out of the village.
“There’s a few nice little drags after it, it’s a nice little kick and then it’s a drag for a kilometre or two after and he’d be very strong and stuff like that.”
Fenlon, from Laois, pipped Carrick’s Martin O’Loughlin to the title in Clonmel in 2012 and said he would do his very best on Saturday week to repeat that.
Leading the breakaway in last year's title race during an excellent championships weekend promoted by Cuchulainn CC in Carlingford. Just behind leader Fenlon here is eventual winner Hugh Mulhearne. The defending champion and Carrick team mates Martin O'Loughlin and Rory Wyley will be a powerful combination (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
“I’m not going to say I fancy myself but maybe if I get to the line with a group I’ll have a chance. I think it’ll be something like last year; a break going very early with a bunch of around 12 or so.
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“Then it will wear down and Greg will start his attacks with two laps to go and try to destroy lads. So whoever can stay with him will have a chance."
“We need to get two in the break, it will play into our hands,” said of how his own Aquablue squad would approach the race.
“Tactically we should have the upper hand but you can’t discard Greg. If he gets up the road at all he’ll be gone; this is something I’ve learned.
“Give him 100 yards and it’s hard to bring him back. He is going to be at the front.
“I’m in great shape myself so it won’t be for the want of trying. After Ulster I was starting to get a great pair of legs and I got a ferocious dose after it,” he said of the Tour of Ulster, a race he won last year.
“I was off the bike for three or four weeks but I got back on it there a few weeks ago and put the head down, raced in Navan. I started dieting again, stopped eating shit and lost a bit of weight and started feeling good again. So I think I’ll do okay.
“It will be a very interesting championships. I think it’s going to be a great race; there’s plenty of fellas in there with a shout.
“I’ll guarantee there’ll be lads show up and cause problems, it will take a good lad to beat Greg but he won’t have it all his own way.”
In yellow at the Tour of Ulster last year, on his way to winning the race outright. Fenlon also took a great stage win and while he has been a force in Irish cycling for very man years, he and Swinand have bagged some of their best results in their veteran years.
It's team work like this - three men on the front and two sitting just ahead of yellow jersey Fenlon slightly back the line - that has helped deliver so many wins in recent years for Aquablue. While only a small number of the Cork-based squad is over 40 years and so eligible for Saturday week's vets' title race in Mullingar, they will have one of the strongest line-ups in the race.
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