With a huge engine that has made him one of the best time trial riders in the country, Marcus Christie (centre) is determined to make the most of his opportunity with An Post-Chainreaction this year. Seen here with David O'Loughlin (left) and Matt Brammeier (right) as part of the Irish team pursuit line-up before injury struck in 2010.
By Brian Canty
Just the fourth race in his fledgling career with An Post-Chainreaction, Marcus Christie does not look back fondly at his entry into the deep end of pro cycling; the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Belgian semi-classic last weekend.
Going into the 197km early season event against some of the best riders in the world, Christie said he was expecting a day-long fight and was not disappointed in that regard.
“The first hour was just one long line, 57kph average,” he said at the An Post-Chainreaction team launch in Belgium this week.
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“It was very hard to get in the break because you had to be in the front going out of the neutralized section. We knew from training on the roads that once it goes into the climbs it goes into one long path and it was just carnage.
“You have to ride a lot to get back up. And the same thing happens again, again and again until you just can’t anymore. It’s slightly different from the Suir Valley.”
He said while he knew it was going to be tough, he had aspirations of doing something early in the race.
“Initially I was thinking I could get in the break but I knew I needed to be in the front for that,” he said.
“Thank God it went piano after an hour. I tried to move up, I was going to try to get into the front group but it was almost impossible to move up. These guys give you absolutely no respect. So I was out the back; back in the cars.
“I did a 10-minute flat out effort to get back on but there was a crash up ahead. Then I had to start another climb after it and the legs were gone. So I rode to the finish with a few stragglers.”
The 23-year-old debutant at Continental level endured an injury plagued career before last year that wiped out much of his time at espoir level. He bagged a place with the Sean Kelly outfit this year on the back of some great rides in 2013, mainly in time trials. Now he is determined to make the most of it.
“I know I’m out of the U23 age category but I see this as almost a second chance for me,” he says.
“It seems like an eternity ago that I was in Switzerland on the track (at the UCI centre of excellence) and on the Irish track squad with Martyn Irvine, Matt Brammeier and Davy O’Loughlin. But this is a fresh start for me and I really want to give a good account of myself.”
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The former Foyle CC rider got off to a dream start when he made the break on the opening day of Etoile de Besseges last month; finishing sixth on that first stage and wearing the young riders’ classification leader’s jersey.
He would lose that after one day and slip down the standings as the week progressed. But it gave him that priceless commodity so few riders have; belief.
“I know what my strengths are so I just have to take beatings like Sunday on the chin. It was my first big one-day race so I need to build on it.
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“Before and after Besseges, I was motivated because I did a few good training camps and knew I was going well. It’s just a matter of getting in the move.
“I was unlucky the day I had the young rider jersey; with crashes and stuff. But I knew I was at the back too much. But for my first race it was good.
“The one-day races are different. If you’re not in the position for the climbs it’s goodnight. Time trials are my strength. It’s good to have TT ability as a string to your bow; it shows you have an engine.
“I want to improve that and hopefully the smarts in the road racing will come. But I’m probably going to be relying on someone to pick me up for my TT ability,” he said of perhaps moving to a bigger team in time.
“I don’t feel pressure to do well. I put pressure on myself because I want to do well for me. There’s no pressure from Kurt (Bogaerts, manager). He’ll tell me to not beat myself up, it’s a long process and Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know?
“It’s going to take a while to become a good road rider. We’re just taking it week by week; once we’ve the full squad it’s going to be very competitive for places.”
Christie got back to his best last year after a great fight back from injury and was rewarded with a place on the Irish team for the U23 time trial at the World Championships in Florence (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Though he didn’t set himself any specific targets, one race Christie says he’d dearly love to ride is the An Post Rás.
“I’ve never rode one and it sounds aggressive and that’s what I like. I’d like to think I could win a stage there. It’s definitely not beyond me.
“But I just want to stay at a decent level all year, do a good Nationals and hopefully get to ride in the Commonwealth Games as well. The time trial in that is a big goal. So I’m just going to try and build for that.”
For now though, he’ll focus on keeping fit, healthy and most importantly, moving up to the front when he spots half a gap.
“This life is hard. It’s not for everybody. You’re mentally fried after races from just concentrating so hard for so long. But it brings you closer to reaching your goals.
“It’s been pretty full on since I started here because it’s race, race, race. But that’s good, what else would you be doing?
“We’ve seen a few countries already; France, Slovenia and Belgium. I’m not used to it but that’s the life of a cyclist, isn’t it? If you want to make it to the top you have to do it.
“In some ways it feels like my second year espoir with some of the lads in the team at that age. But then I realise I missed it all through injury, but you can’t dwell on it. I just have to give it my best shot.”
Last month he held the young rider classification leader’s jersey in the Etoile de Bessege stage race in France.
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