Irish internationals Dean Harvey and Seán Nolan have spoken to their tough day out at the World Cyclocross Championships in the US, but said they enjoyed the experienced.
Nolan was 40th
and Harvey 41st in the U23 race yesterday in Fayetteville, Arkansas,
and while they both had to endure problems during the title race, they said it
was a great experience.
Harvey, a
stand-out junior on the road last year and in his first season at U23 level,
punctured and had to run with his bike for half a lap before getting a bike change
at the pits.
"I got a good start, I
was second last row but I think I was 25th early on,” Harvey said. “And then
with the heat it was hard with breathing. I started dropping back a bit.
Advertisement
Related News
“I started to feel good again
and then I got the puncture and had to run half a lap which wasn't great and
that was pretty much it. I'm happy that I just kept going and made the most of
it."
Nolan, who was 2nd in the elite men’s
race at the National Championships earlier this month, said it was a “slightly disappointing day overall”.
“But the atmosphere was brilliant, the crowd was very energetic and
there was a lot of support for the Irish,” he explained. “At the start after
about ten pedal strokes unfortunately my foot came out of the pedal and then early
on the first lap I (dropped) my chain so that put me on the back foot a little
bit.
“I worked on trying to make up a few places after losing a lap and then
the dry air unfortunately played havoc with my lungs and my asthma so I lost a
few places again. It was a fantastic experience and I'm really happy to be here
and honoured to represent my country."
