Curtis McKee (Spellman Dublin Port) has enjoyed a very strong start to the cyclocross season, including winning the junior men's race at UCI-ranked Verge Sport Clonmel, and was rewarded with a Team Ireland debut last weekend.
He was part of the Irish national team that took on the best in the world at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin and told stickybottle it was challenging but very enjoyable.
"It was a proud moment when I was lining up at the start, I was really happy to be there," he said. "It's a great opportunity to get from Cycling Ireland."
The teenager finished in 20th position after starting out a little too hard but then notably coming good and moving up through the field.
"It was good, but I took off too hard," he said. "Then I got a bit of heartburn and I couldn't get away from that. So I was struggling the whole race but everyone I caught, I passed. I was gaining positions. So I was happy enough with that.
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"But at the start I just followed too many wheels, pushed too many out of the way, got up too hard, and everyone was coming around me. I needed to hold the wheel but I just couldn't."
However, once that over-excited start was out of the way, McKee said he gathered himself and managed his effort.
"I started to recover and then started taking positions. And then I struggled a bit towards the end, but that's how I'm supposed to feel, I guess."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, McKee said he would continue to race until the national championships in the New Year. After that it would depend on whether an Irish team was going to the Worlds, and whether he might be picked.
"Then I'll hit the start of the road season in full swing and see where we can go from there. I'll race at home and then see can I get out to Belgium during the summer and see what I could do out there. But you can't take anything as promised, I'll keep working hard towards my goals."
