Eoin McCarthy
Is the first time you have had support from the Dave Rayner Fund?
A: I am honoured that 2015 will be my second year getting support from the Dave Rayner Fund.
What is your cycling history ?
A: I started cycling when I was 9 years old. I was introduced to the sport by my uncle Noel. I still remember learning how to ride without stabilisers in his garden! At the time, the sport was nothing but fun. Every weekend I would travel to races all around Ireland with my friends, squeezed into into a bus with all of our bikes. It was then I really fell in love with cycling! I was a very consistent youth rider, always in the prizes and picking up a numerous wins. The highlight of my years in underage was being shortlisted for the European Youth Olympics. It was as a Junior that I realised I could be quite a decent rider if I put my mind to it. I worked hard and picked up a lot of nice results in Ireland which got me selected for the first time to ride for my country. I have been a member of the National set-up ever since. I first experienced Belgium for 7 weeks in 2011, as a 2nd year junior. I gained valuable experiences which brought me to 2012. After I finished my exams I spent 4 months of the summer living in Oudenaarde. I spent both 2011 & 2012 with ASFRA Racing Team.
In 2013, my first year as a full-time cyclist, I joined the Belgian team Terra Footwear-Bicycle Line. I was pleased with my progress through 2013, so rejoined Terra for 2014 where I had a better year. I rode with the Irish National Team for the U23 Coupe de Nations both years. I learnt a lot in my few years as an amateur in Belgium and came very close to winning - the experiences I’ve gained will be invaluable for the coming years.
What team are you joining in 2015? Tell us a bit about your team.
A: For 2015 I am joining UCI Continental Team An Post-Chain Reaction. It is an Irish-registered UCI team run by Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly and Kurt Bogaerts.
They have a website we can link to?
What is your race programme looking like?
A: The race programme is awesome! It consists of mostly UCI Europe Tour races (1.1, 2.1 and 1.2 events), as well as the U23 Nations Cups with the Irish National Team. A busy year ahead, racing with some of the top pro’s in the world!
Are you going on a training camp with the team?
A: I have already been on the team training camps. We had one in December for a week, and another in January for 12 days - both were held in Calpe, Spain.
When are you heading out to Europe/USA?
A: I start racing on February 1st at GP Marseille UCI 1.1, then 2 days later at Etoille de Besseges - a 5 day UCI 2.1. An earlier start to previous years, but exciting!
Twitter handle and any blogs or website links:
A:
Twitter : @Eoin_McCarthy
Jan 29, 2015 | Category: 2015 Riders, Riders | Comments: none