Pre Ras & Nation's Cups...

Wow. May already!? Just over a week or so until the An Post Ras. Where has the time gone? Since my last update I’ve had some more bad luck, mishaps & even managed to sit on the tarmac again! However, shit happens - you live, you learn & you move on...

Being honest my season so far hasn’t been as good as I would have liked or wanted it to be & it’s really gutting after putting in so much hard graft this winter - however I still have shown a lot of positives, I’m feeling a lot stronger & I’m determined to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. My best is still far away...

Firstly, the Nations Cups! I was very happy and excited to get the call up for the u23 Irish national team for 3 u23 UCI Nations Cups events which between the 6th & 13th of April. We did the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Belgium, then La Cote Picardie in France & finally we travelled to Holland for the ZLM Tour. To prepare I did some kermesse’s just for race kilometres. No better way to build form in my opinion! As soon as I was called I made that period my big early season goal & worked towards that period fully.

I was pretty happy with how Flanders went for me - I wasn’t on a good day at all & although the race didn’t really get going until after 100km, I was still suffering. 

There was a bout of illness getting passed around our Terra team house in Zottegem a few days before I left & I am certain I had caught it, but only mildly. It was fantastic to use my local knowledge to negotiate my way through the peleton, to know most of the roads & bergs made things a lot easier. It was an advantage that eliminated a lot of stress.

Giving Conor a hand in u23 Flanders. Far left!

I did my best for our leader on the day, Conor Dunne, & helped keep him out of trouble before the Molenberg which was the crucial part of the race. That came after 109km & I then made it to the finishing circuits with the smaller front group of 50-60 guys from 140 starters, before getting dropped with 15-20km to go in the 170km race - on the monumental climb of the Eikenberg. I then decided to call it a day instead of riding the last lap solo, to try and limit my losses & recover properly for Picardie which started a few days later. In hindsight I would have ridden the last lap! Bloody hindsight...

Flanders Bentjes! 

De Ronde!

Not much to report on Picardie. I was super motivated & was given the protected rider role along with strong man Ryan Mullen. All I had to do was try and conserve as much energy as possible until the finishing circuits & do my best to be involved when the real race kicked off. 5km into the race, I was slightly concussed & sitting in the van. I had my second crash of the year. Still a bit of a mystery to me about how it actually happened - but it got really cosy in the middle of the peleton and after a the squeeze & sound of brakes screeching I suddenly felt a big push on my back, then I smashed into the kerb & face-planted into some gravel. Wouldn’t fancy it again. Race over. I was gutted! 

After a few days of stiffness & light training rides - I still wasn’t feeling the best. Crashing definitely does take it out of you both physically and mentally. Unfortuntely I then had to sit out of the ZLM Tour while the others tackled the race. I was so upset with how my campaign had went but it was time to move on. I had a great 10 days with a fantastic bunch of guys. Thanks again to Brian, Dave & Adrian for looking after us so well - also a big thanks to my team-mates Ryan, Conor, Conor, Jack, Cormac & Daniel. I had a fantastic time!

A few days after the Nations Cups, I went home for a few days to see family and have a mental break before coming back to my base in Belgium. It's always great to get home but I was also eager to get back & get racing again. Since then I have ridden 4 kermesse races & done some top quality training. I have no real results to brag about as of yet, unfortunately. In almost all of my races I have been between 30th-40th place on average. I still can’t quite crack the kermesse racing style. I am strong enough to be in the top end of the results but mostly it’s just a matter of luck. Something that hasn’t really been on my side this year. It’s a massive gamble in every race! Sometimes I feel as if I'd have a better chance at winning the lottery!
This year, however, I feel I am a lot stronger & more active so I’m sure it will all come good - still a long way to go. 

Next I plan to do my own mini-stage tour of kermesses to put the finishing touches on my An Post Ras preparations. It’s hard to tell how the form will be - but I won’t ever be fully satisfied either way! 

The weather in Belgium has been immense in the past weeks so let’s hope that hangs around until next Wednesday the 15th before I fly back home. I am over the moon to be finally lining up in the Ras. Growing up I always followed the race and now I finally get to be a part of it. 
Really looking forward to getting racing on Irish roads again and this time with the Visit Nenagh-DMG team. I am very grateful to be given the chance to ride for such a good group of guys & want to thank Rene van Dam for making it possible. Fingers crossed for good weather & a great 8 days of racing! 

Stay tuned!

Eoin

P.s. Think I may have jinxed the weather. It's now pissing it down with thunder & lightning. Oh well. 

Early Season Belgium!

My first month or so in Belgium has passed & it's safe to say - there is a lot to report on! Unfortunately for me I've had more low's than high's. Destroyed personal belongings, cancelled race days & not too many results to brag about - but my condition is coming along nicely, I'm feeling strong, & the next few weeks look to be some of the most exciting of my career to date. You got to take the bad with the good I guess! Let the good times roll...

Vollezele Kermesse

It was fantastic to get that "race" feeling back in my legs. My first few races were so fun, to get stuck back into some proper competitive racing to blow out the cobwebs after (what felt like) the longest winter without that adrenaline rush!

I've clocked up 7 race days. On the kermesse scene I've raced at Vollezele, Brugge-Sint Kruis, Bellegem, Anzegem & Pollare. Then I rode the Kattekoers UCI 1.2 & the Pro Kermesse at Wanzele. All the kermesse races have gone good. No real results for me as of yet unfortunately, mostly just top 50's - but made some impact on pretty much every race I've done which is promising. Once the fields get smaller, the weather picks up & winter warriors start to prepare for 2014 again - the results should start to flow, I hope! In particular, the 165km pro kermesse at Wanzele is the race I enjoyed the most so far this season. I placed 53rd out of 240 starters.

On the non-racing front things haven't gone so smoothly for me since getting here. On the drive home after I crashed at the Kattekoers my car broke down. The gearbox and engine decided to pack up & it will cost too much to fix. That was a big blow! Thanks for the good times, and thanks for (just about!) getting us home that evening Astra! The next morning things weren't looking up either. Examining and cleaning the muck from my bike after the crash - I realised that the frame was cracked, and just to top it all off - due to the snow, the roof in my room started to leak. It really was a "character building" few days! I really have to thank my house/team mates & team management for helping me out with my car and bike. Thanks guys - much appreciated! Tough times don't last, but tough people do...

Some shots from the Brugge-Sint Kruis kermesse. Big field!

Since my run of bad luck in the past weeks, I've been taking less risks in the kermesse races & just using them primarily to train and prepare for the next few weeks.

I am very happy & excited to announce I will be lining up to start the biggest race of my career to date this Saturday (6th of April) at the UCI u23 Nation's Cups event - The Tour of Flanders.

I will be taking part in the grueling 180km race as part of the Irish u23 National Team and will also ride 2 more Nation's Cup events in the following days - La Cote de Picardie in France (10th) & the ZLM Tour (13th) in Holland. I am really chuffed to be able to ride races of such a caliber and I am sure it will be a fantastic experience.

After my spell with the National team I plan to pop home for a few days before coming back to Belgium & build towards some Stage Races I have coming up in May. 

Thanks to Paul at the Fermoy Bike Shop for his HIGH5 & Herbalife nutritional support & Glenn at the Kilworth Wellness Centre for helping with the use of his knowledge in nutrition & how to use the Herbalife range to get the most out of my body. 

A BIG thank you to FFWD Wheels for providing my with a sweet set of their F4R's for the upcoming season and in particular the u23 Ronde van Vlaanderen.  

Stay tuned for an update after the Nation's Cups.

Thanks for reading!

E

Touched Down In Belgium!

Goedendag! 

It's that time again. Optimistic for the year ahead - I have touched down in Belgium for the 2013 race season! 

It’s been a whirlwind week but I am finally getting comfortable here at my new base just outside Zottegem; the home of my team - “Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line”. 

The journey was a killer. I had to catch a 17 hour boat from Rosslare to Cherbourg which was full of overseas truckers and French students. With no internet and only a cookbook for company - it got pretty tedious. The boat trip was then followed by a very “costly” 6 hour trek through France and into Belgium. Must have spent close to 40 euro on toll’s. I was raging! 

Warm welcome in France!

I eventually got here, starving and tired, completing a journey that felt like it was never going to end, to meet the very friendly and welcoming team management and team/house mates at Terra HQ. It took a few days to get over the fatigue of the journey and to find my way around the new house and get my routine back. With some new kit and toys, I got out on a few rides and I’m starting to feel somewhat normal again. Just about!  

I start my 2013 campaign tomorrow (3rd March) at “Vollezele” and I will take to the line in my first “Pro Kermesse” next Wednesday at “Wanzele-Lede”. Straight into the gutter then! 

No messing about. Here we go!

Stay tuned for regular updates,

Eoin

Gran Canaria Camp Pt.2

Brrr... It’s over. I am back in the land where the shiny thing in the sky known as “The Sun” does not exist... Ireland! 

There’s only one word I can only describe the last month in Gran Canaria with - amazing! I guess it’s the last time for a while that I’ll get to wear shorts & jersey on my training rides. Every bit of cycling kit I have will be pulled on in Ireland and early season Belgium! 

Again, I was staying in Puerto Mogan with my Grandfather I am truly blessed to have such facilities. The 4 weeks training-wise were of real quality, all went smoothly and efficiently and will hopefully set the foundations for a successful and happy 2013 racing season. I got to train on the same roads as and even with some of the top professionals in the world, in, arguably, the best place in the world for training. 

I spent one of my bigger training days with Team “Saxo-Tinkoff”, rode with the likes of Bjarne Riis, Nicolas Roche, Roman Kreuziger, Michael Rogers, etc. etc. (See pics).

Fabian Cancellara also spent a lot of his winter training on the same roads as myself. I am certainly no “wieler-tourist” but it was still pretty cool to see training as a pro from an outside view. I’ve taken a lot from just riding with these guys, especially from Bjarne Riis. Always love learning! 

I am back in Ireland now putting in the final touches on my training and spending precious time with family at home before I depart for Belgium on February 23rd to start my season with “Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line”. This year I will be based in Zottegem, a mere 20km from my first Belgian home of Oudenaarde. So I can easily pop “home” whenever I feel the need of a coffee at the Ronde van Vlaanderen Museum or the Adrien Brouwer. 

Really optimistic for 2013 and can’t wait to get stuck in. Everything has gone to plan thus far (touch wood), so let’s hope I can keep the ball rolling and have a fantastic season. 

For anyone interested here is a link to my Strava account where I upload and analyze my training files - all my training done in Gran Canaria in January are uploaded: http://app.strava.com/athletes/1480753

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Eoin

Gran Canaria Camp Pt. 1

I have been here in Puerto Mogan, Gran Canaria for almost 5 weeks now & return home to Ireland Friday for the Christmas & New Year period to see family. I can’t wait! Apart from the weather of course - that could wait...

The past few weeks have been great, mixed, but great. This meaning that almost half of my time was spent nursing an injury while the last 3 weeks have been of more quality. I am still to get a proper diagnosis to what happened my knee. I was told it was tendon inflammation (mild tendinitis.. again!) by both a physiotherapist & a GP, but these were mere educated guesses as they didn’t or should I say couldn’t source the problem. Therefore I rested it, iced it, did exercises for it, took anti-inflammatory tablets & rubbed in the gel, the works. I did everything a man can do & everything the doc told me to do! Fortunately for me it worked! It started to feel stronger after a few days of care & before I knew it I was able to swim & get back on my bike again. It felt like it took forever to get into a “normal” routine again but I was so relieved when I did.

Morning Swim!

Gran Canaria is a fantastic place for training, although I’ve learnt that it takes a bit of getting used to. This little story has to do with my love/hate relationship with climbing.

S, S, S, S....

Growing up in Ireland where it’s pretty lumpy I never had a problem with my climbing ability - I’d always consider myself a decent enough climber, though when I go to Belgium for a big period of time then come home to my normal training roads I can’t seem to climb out of bed! At least it feels that way. Then comes the big anti-climax. Here in Gran Canaria it is impossible to go in any direction & get a flat bit of road. On my first spin here after a few k’s I thought - “Oh this is hilly, maybe it will flatten out in a minute” - then 30 mins later I recall thinking - “fuck, this is getting annoying..” - climbing, climbing, climbing, climbing. My HR & speeds were all over the place at first but to my surprise that “annoyed” feeling faded. I am enjoying it now! It all depends on how your legs are feeling!

I feel I am now living life here without the full on distractions of my “normal” life - things have been brought back to basics. For example when I am racing & having constant access social media sites such as facebook and twitter. I now realise - theses websites are not important. I’d spend hours on my computer when at home just flicking through the web, almost an addiction but I never wanted to admit it. Shhh! 

Sometimes I would spend hours on end just refreshing my news feed on facebook or scrolling through my twitter feed when that time could have been spent doing something a lot more productive. In saying this, I have only been here just over a month - but it seems like a long time! Very relaxing though... 

Don’t get me wrong I can get internet access here, only in restaurants & cafe’s so therefore I wait until I really need to check my emails or similarly skype my family or coach. I am passing the hours by reading. Yes, reading. Before I came here its safe to say I hadn’t read a book, cover to cover, in roughly 10 years! Of course my reading is still cycling related. Tyler Hamilton’s book “The Secret Race” being the real stand out!

My mind is clear, my training is benefiting from this, almost, “loneliness”. I have no distractions. I train, do everything that I have to do in that respect, then I eat what I need to  & just relax. I have the time now to think. 

At times when at home & in Belgium you lose sight of what you need to do to get to where you want to be and what direction you need to go to get there. You can’t always get everything right due to the demands of life and racing your bicycle - it’s very easy to lose sight & track of things. Don’t get me wrong I still have to do all of these things while I am here, shopping, cleaning, & so on. The big difference is - I am in my own company. Something I enjoy! My mind is now set in my own mode. 

I will be Gran Canaria bound again in the New Year for another month or so before my racing season in Belgium kicks off - I can’t wait! 

Lastly, merry christmas and a happy new year. Thanks for reading!

Eoin

Check Out My Guest Blog!

Please have a look at my guest blog on Fermoy Swimmer - Owen O' Keefe's website. In it I write about my journey so far, my goals, what helps keep me motivated and more...

Here's the link: http://fermoyfish.com/2012/11/28/guest-eoin-mccarthy/

Thanks,

Eoin

My Views, My Opinions.

As I sit here in Belgium writing this blog, I am saddened. I am typing on a subject which I never wanted to even touch on, let alone write a blog on. The reason I sit here and the reason I am living here for the majority of the cycling season is to chase my childhood dream of being a professional cyclist. I am chasing a dream lifestyle in which for such a long time, I thought was a fairytale. These are my views, my opinions...

For the 9 years I have been involved in competitive cycling I have had this problem of "doping" arise very frequently and right now with all the news in the media etc. I've as of late realised how present doping was in cycling throughout the years. It certainly is shocking and heart breaking for me as these guys, such as Lance, were childhood heroes of mine and inspired me to be where I am today. It was that period where I really fell in love with the sport hence why I took so long to finally accept the truth.

It really gets to me when people label cycling as this "corrupt" sport which is "full of cheats". Well NO, no it's not! I for one do not cheat, and everyone I know on a personal level who is involved is the same. I am not going to mention any names but in the past I have been told by people who I thought were "friends" of mine, that the sport I do, is "corrupt" and "all cyclist are doped". This really does upset me and I have lost respect for such people - respect they will find very hard to gain again (you know who you are). The reason it gets to me so much is because I do have a great love for the sport and continuously try to protect it and looking more importantly to protect my dream - but it's very hard. The good guys suffer from the bad guys actions. I don't want to be painted with the same brush...

I am here in Belgium (arguably the hardest place to race your bike on the planet) trying my best, working extremely hard, training and suffering in the gutter for maybe 10 euros prize money at the end of a 3 hour kermesse race and most importantly I am doing it all CLEAN. Yet these "uneducated" individuals make rude insulting comments and label something which they have no idea about.. When push comes to shove - If I ever got approached to start taking performance enhancing drugs, that is the day I will give up, I'll walk away from the sport. Fact!

Spent plenty of time suffering this year...

Fact of the matter is, there is always going to be someone who is willing to cheat.  Anywhere there's money to be gained people are going to cheat. Not just in cycling but in every aspect of life - and I think this is what Nicolas Roche tried so hard to express on RTE's Prime Time a few weeks back and he had a lot of abuse for it. It's the world, it's life. People cheat in business, in entertainment, in the classroom, in every other sport, in games, video games etc etc.. In making this statement I am not saying that every single person cheats but unfortunately its always going to be part of life. It happens! Are people so naive that they think cycling is the only sport with a hidden past of cheating? Maybe it's the only sport where a hidden past's come out?

I can't say I know for fact, but as far as my common knowledge goes regardless of everything that has happened, I believe that cycling - right now - is one of the cleanest if not the cleanest sport there is. WHY? Because we are the only sport really doing something about it. You got to open your mind to the fact that we as a unity are not afraid to tarnish the sports name by introducing all the doping test's and giving ban's. This shows that we are constantly trying to have a clean fair sport. By making an example of these people is doing something a lot of sports could learn from. It's because of what happened in the past - cycling doesn't want that to happen again.

The UCI are actively trying to catch the cheats by introducing systems such as "whereabouts". This is a scheme which allows them to know where every athlete on the system is once every week. E.g. I'll be at home from 7.30am-10am Tuesday. Do the public hear this? Do RTE ever have a piece on the news where this is mentioned? No!

I believe that every cyclist should give some bit of blame to the media for tarnishing the name of our sport. Notice that all they do is talk about the bad news and never the good? I don't think these people believe that some of the stuff we can do and pro's can do is possible without the use of performance enhancing drugs!? That's bullsh*t, of course it is!
That's the way the world is unfortunately, and people will always try and tell you that you can't do something if they can't do it themselves...
To all the cynics and people who dont believe in cycling, I feel sorry for you because it's a beautiful sport which requires sacrifice, dedication, commitment and a lot of hard work. To think that the top pro's can ride their bikes in a 3 week stage races, riding 5-6hours a day for 21 days is mind blowing. It exceeds physical capabilities of a "normal" human being. We are not "normal"! Then for people who know very little about how hard cycling actually is, on the body and mind, to make such comments is just sickening.

How about all the other sports? No doping in other sports? Of course there is, I am 100% sure of it. Other sports just don't get this same treatment through such mediums. Perhaps other athlete's around the globe are cheating? Perhaps they are getting away with it too? And why? Because their sport isn't doing anything to get them caught, or they certainly aren't doing enough. They are more worried about the franchise of the sport. Money.

Mark Cavendish, the fastest sprinter (possibly) of all time - was tested over 60 times every year in the past 4 years. In 2011 he was tested 3 times in one day at the Tour de France and in 2009-2010 he was the most tested athlete on the planet, ATHLETE on the planet! If that doesn't show a now-cleaner sport I don't know what will...

Cavendish

Now, to the Lance Armstrong scenario...

I am not standing up for Lance and I certainly do not look at him in the same light as I used to, and I do not believe what him and his team did was right at all, but all in all, this coming out is a good step forward for the sport.

At that time, unfortunately, doping was in the culture of the sport. It was the thing they had to do to be competitive so I don't believe it's right to leave Lance take 100% of the abuse and to be seen as the scapegoat. That generation are to blame as a unit! The rest of his team, competitors, management and staff were all involved too. Lance is now being made out to be the big villain, but what we really have to ask ourselves is - Was Lance just the best at doing it? If you think about it, at that time was it a level playing field? Were they all taking EPO? Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso (Lance's acquaintances on the podium in 2005) were also banned for doping!?

What people are forgetting is that Lance still rode and won them "7" Tour de France's - he didn't just sit on his couch at home drinking coffee and push a button and the results came. There was still a lot of work involved. Are you telling me if everyone in that generation was clean that Lance wouldn't have still won? I think he would have. He's an incredible athlete. A pro triathlete at the age of 15? You cant tell me he doped then. At 15? With his charity - LIVESTRONG, he inspired millions and saved lives. Drugs or no drugs, the work he has and continues to do for cancer is more important than any bike race.

In saying all of this don't get me wrong - I don't agree with what he has done. I don't look up to the fact that he has continuously and continues to lie and denies ever taking performance enhancing drugs. Is his legacy getting destroyed over word of mouth evidence though? Who knows the truth? I'll tell you who knows. Lance.

This is going to change cycling... Onwards and upwards as one might say! I am however going to keep battling on, keep suffering in the gutter and keep riding my bike CLEAN - because I truly love cycling.

Thanks for reading! I hope I've made some sense. I've certainly voiced my opinion.

Regards,

Eoin.