Ryan Sherlock on the attack and on his way to a first podium placing of the season in Belgium at the weekend.
By Gerard Cromwell
Having moved to Belgium at the start of the season, Ryan Sherlock took his first podium placing of the year when he finished third in the Geluwe Kermesse on Sunday.
Despite suffering through the opening laps, Sherlock came good in the final hour and infiltrated a four man move in the final 20km to finish behind Kenzie Boutte (Doclotini Flanders) and Sven Francoys of Capino Geldhof in the sprint to the line.
“It takes a little getting used to, racing in a 200 strong peloton on narrow lanes again,” said Sherlock today.
“But I was happy that it all started to click on Saturday. Midway through the race I made a small selection in the crosswinds and from there, small groups came across."
Advertisement
"Riders came and left but I stayed at the front. When my teammate, Taylor Johnstone, came across I knew it was a good move.
"With a few laps to go, I attacked with three others and we were gone for the day. I tried to leave them before the sprint but it didn’t work out and I took third.”
As a software developer with Identity Mind, an e-commerce fraud protection provider, Sherlock has the flexibility to be able to work from home, so decided to move to Belgium this year after his former Continental team, the Asian based Polygon Sweet Nice outfit, fell apart at the end of last season.
“I had a great connection with the Tomacc Cycling Team guys in Belgium and when they reached out to me," he said.
"It was an easy decision to come over and spend some time racing here. I have a great house to stay in, wifi for working, and I’m close to a lot of racing so it was an easy choice."
"The mix between cycling and working has been going really well. I don’t have much distraction apart from work, racing and training. But I like it.”
Related News
“It’s a Belgian team but consists of mostly native English speakers and I knew from last year that the organisation was great. I love to race and the racing here is as hard and competitive as you can get, unless you are on a much bigger team.
"As any of the Irish who have raced here know, when you get results here, they really matter. There is never an easy placing.”
Due to be joined at Tomacc CT by Marc Potts, after the Omagh Wheelers' U23 rider finishes his exams in the summer, Sherlock hopes to come home to ride the An Post Rás, the road race nationals and the European Mountain Bike Marathon Championships.
“I think racing in Belgium before it will help me out a lot in the An Post Rás," he said.
"The style of racing is similar, at least for the first few days. I'll obviously race regularly with Tomacc in Belgium. But because they’re not a Continental team I'll probably guest with a few other teams in stage races.”
“The European Marathon Championships come to Ireland two weeks after the Rás finishes, and the road championships is on the following weekend so that’s obviously an important time of the year for me.
"I know the mountain bike champs course pretty well, and although I won’t have spent too much time training on the mountain bike, I hope to be able to ride a good race.”
Sunday, March 9th: Geluwe Kermesse - 115km
1. BOUTTÉ Kenzie DOLTCINI-FLANDERS
2. FRANÇOYS Sven CAPINO - GELDHOF CYCLING TEAM
3. SHERLOCK Ryan CT TOMACC
4. GELDHOF David WIELERTEAM DECOCK-WONINGBOUW VANDEKERCKH
5. VANDENBUSSCHE Tom CAPINO - GELDHOF CYCLING TEAM
6. VANTHOURNOUT Brecht DOUCHY-THALASSA CYCLING TEAM OOSTENDE/LA
Topics
