Evan Keane's victory in Co Down this weekend wasn't his first victory in a road race, but it was his best. He beat many of the top riders in the country to the finish line at the end of the Noel Teggart Memorial; his first big C1 win in a national level event.
But the most significant - indeed, incredible - part of Keane's story is the fact he is in the peloton at all. Cycling is the Orwell Wheeler's second sporting career. He was a latecomer, in circumstances that would have finished off many people.
A former top middle distance runner - from Bunmahon in Co Waterford - who won medals at national championship level. When he suffered a number of fractures to his legs, and then his toes, the medical specialists became increasingly worried and wondered what was going on with him. Further exploration threw up a difficult diagnosis that was, to say the least, hard to digest.
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Then aged 22 years, he had osteoporosis and it had developed to a level only usually seen in very elderly people. It was caused by a steroid inhaler. "When the doctor initially saw my scan, she wanted a further scan on my spine to see if I had any fractures just from walking around. That will give you an idea how bad I was," he told stickybottle.
It seems the steroid inhaler he had been on since he was a child had done a serious number on his body.
"I got injured in 2021 and I had to take some time away from sport and I was given the all clear in 2023," said Keane, adding he raced in Colorado that summer, on the criterium scene, not long after taking up cycling.
"I ran at national level, I'd a couple of national U23 silver medals on the track over 1,500 and 800. My older brother, Barry, is a professional runner, so there's a lot of sport in the family." Keane was studying physics and astrophysics in UCC in 2021 and had hoped to transfer to the US, to train and compete there. "I was on the cusp," he says.
But then the wheels came off the wagon. "My running career was fraught with injuries, I kept getting stress fractures. I got a stress fracture in my fibula, tibia and then in two of my metatarsals and cuboid. It happened in the two leg bones first, then in my feet. And I thought 'there must be something wrong here'".
A series of scans revealed osteoporosis in his spine. "So that was a complete shock, the rug pulled from under my feet and doctor saying 'you're toast, you're done with running'". He went on a course of medication for two years designed for elderly people to increase bone density.
He was also advised to stop sport and to instead put on some weight in the gym. "The doctor wanted me to have muscle to support my bones," said Keane, who took that advice and the 70kg middle distance runner became a 90kg gym bunny.
After the two-year course of medication his bone density returned to normal. It is believed the problems were caused by a particular steroid he had been prescribed, via inhaler, to treat asthma.
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Though he was on that steroid since he was a young teenager, it was a drug that should have only been prescribed for short periods. Medics believe long-term use from such a young age had essentially degrading Keane's bones. Now long off the inhaler, he was allowed to return to sport just over two years ago but was advised against running.
And so the choice came down to cycling or rowing. Having cycled at times when he was injured during his running career, and finding rowing a "closed off" sport, he opted for two wheels in February, 2023, and hasn't looked back.
"I've had crashes (off the bike) and I haven't broken bones, so we assume everything is going OK," he said of the osteoporosis, and the shocks his bed is now able to withstand.
Taking wins against the best
Last Saturday week, Keane came to the finish of the Sean Lynch Memorial in Co Meath, promoted by Drogheda Wheelers, Keane got away in a late breakaway with Jason Kenny (UCD Cycling Club) and Cian Keogh (Team Skyline). He beat them in a sprint to win after 90km of racing.
On Sunday, at the Noel Teggart Memorial by Banbridge CC, Keane again made the breakaway. And when that group split, with six forging clear, he was among the leaders once more.
With him were: Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), Odhrán Doogan (Caldwell Cycles), Gareth O’Neill (Athlete Nutrition Coach HD), Ruairi Byrne (UCD Cycling Club) and Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles). That's a bingo card featuring the names of the most of the best riders in Ulster, indeed a good chunk of the top tier nationally.
But, once again, Keane went to the line in a sprint and prevailed for by far the biggest win of his fledgling career to date. Having completed a two-year Masters in UCD - in medical physics - he is now in his first year of a two-year Medical Physics Residency with the St Luke's Radiation Oncology Network.
"It's like you're still in college but you're expected to do some work as well," he says with a smile.
With that taking up much of his time, he believes increasing his commitment to cycling would be difficult at present. However, he is self-coached so far and feels if he got a coach, that in itself would help him to further improve.
Having completed Rás Tailteann last month, he placed 20th in the final stage when the race split to pieces; a very solid showing for rider in his third season having started from scratch aged 22 and coming off serious health issues. And now with a big C1 win in the bag, against the best, the Keane roadshow is gathering pace.
