Gareth McKee shows off the national colours in Roscrea where he was crowned Irish XC MTB champion from Graham Boyd (XMTB McConvey Cycles) and Peter Buggle (Photo courtesy of Chain Reaction powered by Vitus. Homepage photo by Sean Rowe)
Gareth McKee has cited the influence of his club Banbridge CC on his development as a key factor in his winning the elite title at the XC MTB Championships; the 27 year-old blitzing a strong field by almost seven minutes.
His highest placing prior to claiming the title in Roscrea was runner-up to Robin Seymour two years ago while last year he had to pull out because of a knee injury.
However, a concerted effort over the winter and a strong early season on the road where he won a stage of the Tour of the North had him in good stead for the title decider.
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“I took it easy up the first climb but I led it out,” he explained of his tactics on the day.
“I knew what pace I could ride at so I just rode steady and everyone else sat behind.
“I flattened out for a wee bit then but I put in an attack and pulled about a 10-metre gap before the last bit of the climb on the 5k course.
“I knew once I got onto the downhill I’d be able to pull out more time so the goal was to get into the single track first and then really make them work on the uphills,” he added.
The new champion riding away from the field the weekend before last (Photo: Sean Rowe)
The plan worked to perfection with McKee stringing it out behind.
“If I was gaining 30 seconds going down they would really have to push hard to get back onto me again so I just kept riding from there and I had one minute on the rest by the end of the first lap.
“Then it was two minutes, three minutes and I had four minutes by the very end.
“I just kept riding hard but when I got a gap I backed it off a wee bit on the climbs; I didn’t have to push. I just backed off a bit, maybe five per cent.
“It just gave me a bit of recovery so if anybody did come back I’d have had something (in reserve). But I was still pulling away even when I was riding steady.”
McKee forces the pace early on the climb and strings out the bunch. He would eventually pull clear on the first lap and not be seen again before the finish (Photo: Sean Rowe)
It was a remarkable show of strength, not least because of who he beat, with national senior and U23 cyclocross champion turned road pro David Montgomery as well as Ryan Sherlock among those unable to last his searing pace.
“Obviously he (David) is on the professional road scene and he should be beating me; he’s out doing spins every day and I’m working.
“So, yeah, that did surprise me. And Ryan Sherlock too; I thought they would’ve at least stayed with me or pulled some time back.
“And Lyndsey Watson, my training partner; he would have been up there but he fell off and hurt his wrist on one of the laps.”
So to win, understandably, gave him immense pleasure.
“There was a whole load of emotions going through my head; just excitement. But it was more so for the Banbridge club; they support you so much you just want to do it for them.
“Even on Sunday, there was maybe four or five of them doing bottles for me. It was for them more than anything else.”
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As well as being a downhill racer turned mountain biker, McKee has also ridden very well on the road, including taking this win on the opening stage of the Tour of the North this year (Photo: Marian Lamb - Cycling Ulster)
McKee, it must be pointed out, is no novice and had been racing downhill for years which armed him with the skills to tackle some pretty hairy descents at the championships the weekend before last.
“I started off in downhill when I was about 17. I raced that for a few years; I think I was 4th three times in the downhill championships," he said.
“I took up cross country (MTB) and road as training for downhill and then I ended up quitting downhill and got 4th and 2nd in the elite cross country (MTB championships).”
The course in Roscrea was 28 kilometres in total but with 3,700 feet of climbing it was anything but easy.
“I wasn’t pushing myself down the hills, I was just riding steady," said McKee.
"But I was still gaining time. I worked hard on my fitness the last couple of years and I knew I was climbing the best I’ve ever been.
“The training I do is all on the bike; I’d only go out on the mountain bike once every two or three weeks and then races on top of that.
“It’s all exactly the same as training for road; you have threshold intervals and sprint intervals and so.
“Some riders are just mountain bikers and that’s all they do, whereas I do both.”
McKee had oceans of time to celebrate what he called the biggest win of his career. He had to withdraw last year after two laps due to injury and he was beaten only by robin Seymour in 2013 (Photo: Sean Rowe)
A dairy farmer by profession, McKee is part of a proud Banbridge club who seem to churn out riders every year.
He's a product of their talent factory and he gave an insight into why the club is so successful.
“Everyone in the club would do anything for you; it’s just the way it is. There’s a real family atmosphere.
“Even at the championships at the weekend, the Buller family were down for the racing and they asked us over to the house they’d rented.
“They brought us in for dinner; cooked a really nice meal on Saturday night. And whenever you go out on the mountain bike; it’s a family day out.
“They organise a barbeque and you have a slow group for training and a medium group; it’s just well organised in a great family atmosphere and that really brings all of the riders on.”
Now placed 6th overall in the National Points Series in Britain, and having taken 3rd in the last round, McKee said his immediate plan is to tackle one final race in that series.
But for now, he’s enjoying savouring his new status as Irish champion.
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