Siobhan Horgan blasts her way to the national TT title in Omagh last evening; her 7th road crown despite being "out injured" at present (Photo: J Rafferty)
New national time trial (TT) champion Siobhan Horgan is currently nursing a stress fracture to her leg and only returned to cycling six months ago “so I wouldn’t lose the head”.
But despite insisting she does not want to get drawn into serious bike racing again, Horgan won last night’s 37km TT in Omagh by 2mins 15secs from silver medalist Eve McCrystal (Garda CC).
Caroline Ryan, also of Garda CC, was in third some 2:40 down. She was the defending champion and represented Ireland in the time trial, her speciality event, at the European Games in Baku last week.
Aquablue rider Horgan, now 36 years old and with seven road national titles to her name, had been missing from the domestic peloton for a number of seasons.
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Having enjoyed a top flight career racing in Europe, for trade teams and for the national squad, Horgan called it a day after last representing her country at the World Road Championships in Valkenburg, Holland, in 2012.
“I went off to triathlon first and got a job and a normal life, you know,” she laughed of stepping into a life without bike racing.
Duathlon quickly became her focus and she has won two Irish titles since then – last year and the previous season – despite now working full time as an engineer with a firm in Ballincollig, Cork.
On her way to her first Irish duathlon title in 2013; a stress fracture has since forced her to stop running for now.
But a stress fracture in her leg diagnosed at the end of last year meant a forced break of up to 12 months from running.
She was very disappointed with that development, mainly because it prevented her targeting the world championships.
However, she said she felt compelled to keep her hand in the competitive arena. And with her injury not impacting her cycling; she took to her bike full-on once more.
“The head went for a while,” she said of the period immediately after her injury diagnosis.
“But then I said to myself I’ll at least try and maintain some bike fitness so when I can run again I can at least go back to duathlons again in reasonable shape; that was the plan.”
She began “training properly” on the bike again at around Christmas and into January.
“I did a good few of the early season races around Munster. I only raced with the men because I was only really interested in doing the races that (husband) John was going to; whatever was the handiest.
“I didn’t want the stress that I had before. Now, maybe it’s more for fun; I don’t want that pressure on me again.”
Riding the World Road Race Championships in Switzerland in 2009. She would "end" her cycling career in the same event in Holland three years later.
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Having now won an Irish title and comfortably beaten women who have formed the backbone of the women’s track and road national teams in the period since she last pulled on an Irish cycling jersey, Horgan is unsure if she will stick with cycling or return to duathlons.
Asked if she’d like to once again target international selection and ride another World Championships she said: “I need to get another scan on my leg and see the prognosis.... I really don’t know.
“I enjoy the cycling and I enjoy the craic of it; with the team and Timmy and all the lads,” she said in reference to her Aquablue team of which Timmy Barry is manager and her husband John Horgan is also a racing member.
“There’s a good atmosphere with the team. I can go to the races with my husband; it’s good like that. Whereas the duathlon is very individual.
“But at the same time I’ve been there, done that before,” she said of racing on the international stage. “I don’t want to take this as seriously as I did previously.”
Even though she was away from bike racing for only a couple of seasons, she feels the women’s scene has progressed hugely and was delighted with her victory last night.
Leading a pro field up a cobbled climb in Belgium in 2012 in her national road champion's colours when riding for Team GSD Gestion.
“It was an event I wanted to do well in so... I was surprised I won because nothing is guaranteed but at the same time I knew I could do a good ride if everything went right on the night.
“It was advertised like a World Championships course and I would say it was really like that.
“Often the TT champs here are out and back; very flat. But this was rolling up and down; just the way a Worlds course would be.
“It was great; I liked it anyway. I’m not sure it was for everyone but I liked it.
“We had a headwind at the start for the first 15k or 18k and it was mostly uphill so the headwind on that was tough.”
Horgan said despite her victory, which she adds to five road race crowns and a TT title from 11 years ago in Kerry; she was unsure if she would ride Saturday’s women’s road race.
And even if she did, she said would not regard herself as being in the running to be one of the strongest.
“Since the last time I raced the nationals, the women’s field has gotten massive and it’s great to see,” she said.
“I remember when started first, you’d be scratching around with numbers to get 20 to 25 to race. But now there’s 50 or 60 down to start. It’s terrific.”
Women’s Race (37km)
1 Horgan,Siobhan TTeam Aqua Blue 53’28.23″ (41.52kph)
2 McCrystal,Eve Garda CC @02’15.10
3 Ryan,Caroline Garda CC @02’40.74
4 Spath,Melanie U/A Leinster @03’07.01
5 Dillon,Olivia Visit Dallas @03’07.10
6 Burns,Eileen Ballymena RC @04’07.89
7 Meehan,Francine Team Aqua Blue @05’46.08
8 Russell,Judith Phoenix CC @06’45.37
9 Hull,Karen Phoenix CC @09’48.53
10 Bartley,Evan Lakeland CC @11’54.76
11 Regan,Joanne TermoneenyCC @12’06.24
12 Barry,Aishling Lucan CRC @12’54.47
13 White,Julie Team Aqua Blue @13’43.34
14 Cameron,Lisa Team Madigan CC @14’54.63
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