International road rider Toby Sweetman (18) will always remember 2025. It was a breakthrough season; national team selection for the Junior Tour of Ireland, winning a stage there, and also making the cut for the medal-winning Irish team at the Europeans.
But the Co Meath teenager also faced his darkest day when his father, former international Craig Sweetman, died suddenly in July. A much loved figure in Irish cycling, he was just 52-years-old.
Sweetman Jnr had always hoped to get to the Worlds or Europeans on the Irish team this year. That was the big plan, the dream. Him and his dad had spoken about it many times, as they had winning a stage at the Junior Tour.
But a week after that win on 'The JT', Craig passed. And suddenly making the team for the Europeans - even cycling itself - wasn't the centre of the universe any more.
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"I was heartbroken and I had no motivation to do anything I just wanted to grieve, to be honest," Sweetman tells stickybottle. "Coming after the highest point I'd probably ever been in life… That stage win at the Junior Tour and representing Ireland, it was unbelievable. And then to hit such a low a week later, really…."
There was an outpouring of shock and grief when Craig passed. Toby said that he, his mam Gill and brother Tyler, were all overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people paying tribute to his dad. But, very quickly, he then had to make a decision. Did he want to get back to the bike and try and make that Europeans team? Or maybe he wanted to take some time for himself?
At that moment, in stepped Paul Butler, a former top road rider in his day who just happened to be best friends with Craig. Frankie Campbell, a manager of top domestic teams, and the national teams at times, was also there for Sweetman.
"Paul and my dad… they were the two people who were looking after me. Paul told me he'd been speaking to Frank and the Europeans team selection was coming up, that I needed to get my name down, put in my expression of interest.
"He was asking me did I want to do it… 'are you going to be able to do it, mentally?' And, of course, I wanted to do it, to get to the European Championships, because I knew it would be unbelievable."
That was that, then. He was going to go for it, with his mam's support, while his close circle of friends were also at his side. Just a few weeks after his dad had passed, though devastated, he got back to serious training. And he soon got confirmation he'd been selected for the Euros in France.
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"When I got the word, that was probably the first time I felt good again. I was happy, I had a smile on my face. And Paul was the first person I rang. Usually I'd have rang dad straight away. But Paul was just there for me. And as soon as we found out, Paul was organising with Frank to get me over to Sierra Nevada to start training with Kevin McCambridge."
At the Europeans, the Irish junior men's team took two medals - Conor Murphy claiming silver in the TT and David Gaffney scoring road race bronze.
Sweetman said it was all an "incredible experience", with the morale sky high from the start and the atmosphere akin to a family rather than a national team. Manager Stuart Balfour instilled confidence in the team they could get a medal from the road race and he was right, Sweetman said.
The teenager, riding for VC Glendale, has been mixing his cycling with working full time for a couple of years. The plan was always to go to France next year; to relocate for the season to race. He had a team and other plans lined up, all aided by his dad, Butler, Campbell, Balfour and Ciaran McKenna. But he's decided to put that on hold for now, to give himself some time and stay at home.
"The plan now is to focus on the Rás, that would be the big goal for me next season," he explains. "I'll ride Rás Mumhan as well and then, hopefully, towards the end of the season I might get away and get some international experience. And then in the 2027 season I'll go back to that original plan and go abroad and give it a lash."
As a first year junior he won a stage of the Newry Three Day, Boyne GP and at the Tour of the Mournes on the Spelga Dam finish. This year he claimed the Seamus Kennedy Memorial and the Junior Tour stage, as well as 6th overall in that race.
He was especially pleased with the Junior Tour win, saying his dad had given him very specific advice about the climb of Castle Hill the day he won. He told junior the race would split there and that it would probably decide the general classification.
"Dad told me I needed to be in the first four at the start of that climb, then I'd have a bit of sliding space, and to use that on the climb," he said. "I was never getting up that climb as fast as the smaller lads, so I needed to be smart.
"And then when our group went away and it came to the finish, I gave it everything with about 300m to go, and nearly crashed with about 50m to go. But when I saw by wheel crossing the line first I got off the bike and put the hands in the air. And it was probably the best feeling I've ever had."
Though next season brings a new, somewhat cruel, challenge without his dad as chief adviser and encourager, others have already stepped up to help. It will all take a long time to get used to. But the dream is still there for Toby Sweetman.
