David Conroy celebrates victory at the national junior cyclocross championships; blitzing the field in bitingly cold conditions in Tollymore Forest Park, Co Down (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Brian Canty
Newly-crowned national junior cyclocross champion David Conroy hopes his emphatic win will result in Cycling Ireland sending him to the World Cyclocross Championships.
The SCOTT bikes-Eurocycles.com rider lived up to his pre-race favourite’s tag by demolishing the field in Co Down on Sunday.
And the Wicklow teenager believes he deserves a shot on the biggest stage now.
“I had a mechanical when I raced a World Cup in Koksijde last year and that was heart-breaking because the race was over before it started for me,” he said.
“To miss the peloton and not get back up into the race meant I couldn’t even learn from it.
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“I certainly think the World Champs; that’s what I want to do but Cycling Ireland have been a pain to talk to, it’s like talking to a wall.
“We haven’t got anywhere,” he continued.
“We’ve been emailing everyone we can, I’ve had my coach onto them, my team manager, Glenn (Kinning) and Monty (David Montgomery - An Post Chainreaction) have all been pushing but we’ve just gotten no response.
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Scott bikes-Eurocycles.com man Conroy is hopeful his win will encourage Cycling Ireland to send him to the World Championships in a couple of weeks. Runner-up today was Cameron McIntyre (NRPT-Magnet.ie) while bronze went to John Buller of Banbridge CC (Picture thanks to Aidan Kearns)
“A definite no would be better than what we’re getting at the moment. I know me and Monty have proved we can compete at the level.
“We’re not going to win the race but you have to start somewhere; no country ever sent a team and won the first time but we have to start somewhere.”
Today, Conroy was a class apart; forging clear of eventual runner-up Cameron McIntyre (NRPT-Magnet.ie) on the second lap and pressing on alone.
“I was feeling confident, not nervous like I’d normally be. But I’d done a good block of training and I was confident.
“It wasn’t about going as hard as I could but rather about getting a decent start, probably going around 70-80 per cent for the first lap.
“Cameron had dropped down a bit so I had 20 seconds at the end of the first lap and I knew I could keep going so I pushed on and got a bigger lead in the second lap.
“By the third lap it was bigger again. I really put a gap there and just kept pushing on.
“I’m relieved and excited and delighted to win because it’s been a big goal.
“I haven’t had much luck in previous years, I’ve been close but I made this weekend mine alright.”
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