Seth Dunwoody has the world at his feet and, though big time pro road racing is beckoning, he has a place fixed in his mind involving Team Ireland and the Olympics in two years time (Photo: Caroline Kerley)
A first elite Irish road race title, an U23 European track crown and smashing the Irish 10 mile TT record. It's been a busy few weeks for Irish cycling's rising star, Seth Dunwoody.
He told stickybotte he believes he could break his own newly ratified 10 mile TT record, as early as this week. But, that record aside - after doing close to 60kmph average on the return leg - the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles is the plan now, certainly one of the plans.
And that's why he has suddenly popped up on the track again after a brief attempt at it when he was a junior.
"That's kinda 99 per cent of the reason for doing the track, get to the Olympics, hopefully, in two years time," he said. "I am not hiding that; the Olympics is the Olympics. That's the main goal."
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In other countries, many riders qualify for the Games via the team pursuit. Or they have several riders competing in the same events and picking up Olympic qualification points.
But Dunwoody will have to qualify as Ireland's former world champion Martyn Irvine did; traveling to major meetings and getting the qualification points himself. That doesn't deter him.
Seth Dunwoody celebrates his European title win in the U23 men's points race at his first track meeting in two years (Photo: Tommaso Pelagalli-Sprint Cycling Agency)
“I think I could do that as an individual, to be honest," he told stickybottle. "I think you could chip away at it on your own, you'd be able to get into those bunch races."
And what about forming an Irish men's team pursuit line-up? Dunwoody said he hadn't spoken to Cycling Ireland about the prospect.
"Given the calibre of riders that Ireland has, the depth, we definitely have the firepower to create one," he said. "But it's about getting everyone with the commitment and, really, getting everyone in the same place."
Olympic Games, Los Angeles 2028
Team pursuit aside, anyone who watched Dunwoody's performances at the Europeans in Germany would have confidence he could qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics as an individual.
Not only did he win the U23 points race title in his first track racing for two years, he was 5th in qualifying in the individual pursuit, having never ridden that event before.
Granted, the senior racing will be a lot harder, especially when Olympic qualification points are on offer. But the Armagh man is right to fancy his chances of qualifying for LA, especially when he gets more track racing, and a few camps, into his legs.
This year he has had a number of stand-out results riding for Bahrain Victorious Devo, finishing 2nd in the U23 versions of Paris-Roubaix in France and Belgian race Gent Wevelgem.
But he has also ridden for the Bahrain Victorious World Tour team and been last man in the lead-out at times.
Dunwoody is already a big deal on the road and his results so far this year, including 2nd at U23 Paris-Roubaix, mean he is already well on his way, but he sees the track as his best chance of winning major titles (Photo: Laure Boutiot)
So given his growing status on the road, will it be hard to combine road and track?
"It's very hard, especially with modern-day cycling, it's very hard to balance the two. But it's something I don't want to close the door on," he said.
"And that's because I enjoy track racing. I wouldn't say it's something I'm naturally gifted with, especially having no velodrome at home, you have to work at it yourself.
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"But I enjoy the atmosphere around the track. And all the trips I've had away with Ireland, I've had a pretty good experience. Everyone is good craic and good fun to be around.
"So I enjoy going to those races, and the racing... it's a good high level. And percentage wise, it's tough to become a (cycling) world champion or a European champion. You've a better chance on the track."
European title from nowhere
Dunwoody said he went into the recent Europeans "with no expectations" given his last track meeting was two years ago, at the junior Europeans, where he crashed hard.
However, he knew he had good form from the road and he said he really had confidence in Irvine and the rest of the Cycling Ireland crew.
He was also "really grateful" to Cycling Ireland and his own team for ensuring he was able to race the Europeans, and to win gold, getting the tactics right, was "the cherry on top".
Though Ireland was not a major cycling country, Dunwoody had watched Lara Gillespie win all around her as an U23 and a senior on the track at the Europeans and Worlds. And that was inspiring for him, he said.
"And I hope the jersey, me wearing it, can also inspire the next generation, hopefully, to jump up on the track and give it a go," Dunwoody added of the European champion's jersey.
Though it would have been easy to come home to Ireland and put his feet up after the Euros, certainly chill out a bit for a week or two, he knew he was in good form and he wanted to capitalise on that.
"I went for the record, to be honest"
And so just four days after the Europeans concluded, he took himself to Ballymena for the latest round of the Ernie Magwood Series of 10 mile TTs. He won, in a time of 17:25.
That took 17 seconds of the Irish record, of 17:42, set by Ryan Mullen (NSN Cycling Team) in 2014 and equalled last year by then junior, Conor Murphy (Decathlon CMA CGM Development Team).
Dunwoody said when he did an 18:11 at the Ernie Magwood Series two weeks ago, he was encouraged by that time and decided to go again last Thursday.
Seth Dunwoody said he was aiming for the Irish record in the 'Ernie Magwood' and he achieved it, with bells on (Photo: Sean Rowe)
"I felt like I had a lot, lot more in the tank," he said. "So I was pretty keen to go back after the track Euros. I wanted to go sub-18 but I also knew the record, on a really good night, was possible. I went for the record, to be honest.
"I'm really, really happy to take it. I was going to say it was a 'small win' but actually it's a big win on the time trial scene and I'm super happy to have won it."
And with the 66 chainring on the front, he said he "really needed it" with the cross-tailwind on the return stretch to the finish.
"My average on the way back was up near 60 kilometres an hour, so you really needed that big chainring. It's a nice building process after a really poor Nationals TT," he said of winning bronze in the U23 TT in Mayo at the end of last month.
"I was super motivated to show myself, show my team and show everyone in the country that 3rd place didn't really reflect my TT skills."
He also said the recent races against the watch were part of a plan to "keep the TT sharp for the future."
"There's another (Ernie Magwood 10 mile TT) on Thursday. So we might be back, who knows, I'll see what the coach says, maybe try and break our own record."
