By Shane Stokes
When Dylan Corkery raced across the finish line at the end of the Rás Tailteann on Sunday, his expressions and body language were of elation and disbelief. He was visibly shocked by what he had done, snatching victory in Ireland’s top bike race on what is normally a processional final stage.
The Corkman rolled up the road and came to a halt approximately 100 metres up the road. He was immediately surrounded by well-wishers, with hugs and handshakes adding to the enormity of the moment. At one point he blessed himself and discretely pointed skywards. The reason for that became clear when he gave his first post-race interview.
“Look, I’ll be honest with you,” he told stickybottle. “The only thing that was going through my head throughout that whole stage was my uncle, my uncle John Mulcahy. And I’d just like dedicate this win to him. It means the world to me and my family. He passed away in February. He was a big fan of my racing and always came to all of my races. It just hasn’t been the same without him. So I think he was waiting for this one for me.”
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Corkery had spoken about his uncle before the Rás start, mentioning his illness with motor neurone disease and talking about being one of his carers.
The thoughts of honouring his uncle spurred him on during Sunday’s stage. So too the pep talk and game plan formulated with team manager Martyn Irvine before the stage. That helped Corkery believe ‘100%’ that it was still possible to win the race, despite the firm grip stage one winner Conor McGoldrick (UK: Richardsons Trek DAS) appeared to have on it.
“We spoke about it in the hotel this morning,” Corkery said. “We knew we could do it and yeah, we took the plan on board and we went for it.”
So what did it mean to him to win the Rás? “I can’t put it into words. I really can’t…” he said.
"We knew what we needed to do"
An hour or so later the initial shock of the win had worn off slightly. Corkery had strolled from where he wheeled to a halt down to the podium area, receiving more handshakes and embraces along the way. His Ireland teammates were amongst those to celebrate what he had done, but so too his family members, other competitors from the race, spectators and Rás volunteers.
His winning of the race was a big part of those congratulations, but so too the manner in which it had occurred. Corkery and teammate Aaron Wade had made it into the day’s 13 man breakaway and when it gained over three minutes it meant that yellow-jersey wearer McGoldrick was in real danger of losing out.
And so it proved; the peloton would end up finishing over two minutes behind. Corkery had started the day just 19 seconds back overall, and so any time gain could translate into Rás Tailteann victory.
There was however a complication: he wasn’t actually the best placed rider in the break. That was instead the US-based Irish rider Cormack McGeough, who had been fourth overall on Sunday morning, just 14 seconds off yellow. Wade was sixth overall, 18 seconds back, while Corkery was one place and one second behind that.
Winning yellow necessitated dropping McGeough, and that’s what happened. Corkery attacked inside the final 25 kilometres and went clear with four other riders. They swiftly gained time and went on to fight it out for the stage, while McGeough and the others from the break were recaptured by the peloton.
Corkery went onto the podium and was given the race winner’s yellow jersey. He had photos taken with the George Plant trophy and then, having had time to think about what he had achieved, was a bit more detailed than before in voicing his reaction.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said, laughing. “I think maybe later on during the week when I’m heading back to France, I might have actually realized what I’ve done. What I’ve achieved for Ireland. I think as a nation…it’s been incredible to take the yellow jersey here at the Rás Tailteann and have another Irish winner.”
So what about the pre-race game plan? How exactly had they mapped out the road to victory?
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“We knew what we needed to do. Our focus was to keep Aaron in the white jersey and once we got into that breakaway with that 10 or 12 guys, we knew we were safe,” he explained. “And we had accomplished that. So I was able to…I had free rein, I was able to play around. Both me and Aaron were both on the same time on GC, so we were a major threat to anybody else. So the minute we went up the road, we were able to play the game.
“And we were just lucky enough that the tactic we had planned this morning worked out. It was pitch perfect, really.”
One complication was a mechanical issue which hit him once he was clear in the move. It saw him call for a new bike but, as things turned out, he was able to keep going rather than risk a delay.
“Once I hit the circuits actually I had no gears left,” he revealed. “My Di2 [derailleur] died so I was stuck with one gear for the for the last 35 kilometres. But look, the circuit was quite flat so I used it to my advantage. I pressed on where I could and, on the faster bits I left the guys do the pushing on. So yeah, it worked out perfect. I got really lucky.”
Emotions were strong for those at the finish line as the kilometres counted down. The time gap back to the bunch wasn’t being eroded, making it increasingly clear that Corkery was racing to Rás victory. He drove the move on and didn’t dispute the sprint. Instead, he rolled in three seconds behind a sprint won by Finn Crockett (Derry: Foyle CC), fully savouring the moment.
“With a lap to go I got a bit of a chill down my spine, to be honest,” he said. “Things were kind of starting to get real once everything just went to plan. I stayed upright. I knew I had the yellow jersey coming into the finish. I couldn’t speak. I didn’t really know what had happened. I knew I was in yellow, but I wasn’t 100% sure until everybody came up and all the cameras were around me. I knew I had it done.
“And it was a job well done,” he said, laughing.
And now, what next?
Clad in the final yellow jersey, Corkery lingered around the finish area for quite some time afterwards. He was standing just behind the presentation podium with the sea as a backdrop and birds wheeling around overhead. His immediate and extended family were there, a closely-bonded unit celebrating a hard-fought win. They laughed and joked, soaking up the atmosphere and savouring the success.
Watching them, it was clear how strong the familial bonds are within the Corkery clan. His grandmothers had been at Saturday’s finish in Monaghan, beaming with pride after his stage win, and those sentiments were only stronger when he became Rás champion on Sunday.
“I don’t think I can actually put into words what it means for my family,” he said. “My uncle was a big part of cycling and a big part of me. And yeah, a massive part of our family. Obviously we’re all close knit. So 100% I’d like to dedicate this win to him. It means everything to us.”
At some point someone handed Corkery a beer, which he began to drink. There was talk of celebration in a city-centre venue later that evening, a night out which was fully earned.
And then, as time passed, things in Blackrock, Co. Louth began to return to normal. The Rás entourage packed up and started to move on, with roadside barriers being removed, officials and volunteers dispersing, and a sense of calm gradually returning to the seaside town.
Corkery was still very much in the moment, but his thoughts were also turning to what comes next in his career.
Before the Rás he was second overall in the Tour de la Manche in France. This week the CC Etupes rider will head back to that country and will contest the 1.2-ranked Paris-Troyes race next Monday. He was fifth there last year, one place behind Matthew Teggart, and is psyched to build on that. At 24 years of age, he is determined to make the most of his new momentum.
Obvious question, but will this Rás victory spur on his career?
“Yeah, absolutely,” he answered. “It’s given me a massive boost of confidence. Even last week in France I had a great result again so the legs are obviously good. I think if I can continue like this for the rest of the season things should definitely look up for me. It’s been a hard couple of years, so I’m looking forward to it.”
