Road Commission Development Camp Report

The Cycling Ireland Road andTrack/ Commissions Development Training Camp took place last weekend. Charged by Cycling Ireland under the High Performance Director Phil Leigh, the Commissions led by Dan Curtin and Liam Walker chose the Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, Co. Mayo as the location for the second training camp. The aim of this training camp was to assess riders capabilities and gather information towards selection for Development National Teams and eventually to progress onto the High Performance Squad.

Following on from a successful first training camp in Charleville, Co. Cork, over 80 riders took part in the Westport Camp, by far the largest number seen at any such camp in many years, such was the interest in representing Ireland on teams both at home and abroad.

Due to icy weather conditions, Saturdays program had to be altered from two sessions to one. A tough and testing 80 kilometer course was used, replicating a stage from the M. Donnelly Junior Tour from Westport to Louisburgh, along the stunning Doo Lough Pass, Delphi to Aasleagh Falls and back into Westport again.
The groups were given a mixture of tasks from high tempo endurance group riding to sprints, all of which were conducted under the guidance of Cycling Ireland and Commission Coaches.
Although there was a wide gap in experience present, from current top flight competitors to first year juniors who had just started cycling before Christmas, everybody completed the course and thoroughly enjoyed it.

After the training session all the riders completed one on one interviews with the Cycling Ireland and Commission Coaches, detailing their current training programs and what their ambitions would be over the coming season.

On Sunday morning thankfully the frost kept away and the groups were back on the roads again replicating another Junior Tour Stage. The groups were taken on a 110km cycle from Westport to Newport, out onto Achill Island where they were greeted by the Atlantic and some breathtaking scenery. Although not many of the riders would have had the time to enjoy the scenery on the island with plenty of hills to climb and a strong wind off the Atlantic to contend with.The weekend was ended by a buffet lunch at the Clew Bay Hotel before everybody set off home to the four corners of the country.

The Cycling Ireland’s High Performance Director Phil Leigh, Development Coach Bev Chamberlain along with the Road andTrack Commissions would like to thank the riders for expressing their interest in the Development Program, the parents who took the time to come along and supervise, the coaches for sharing their knowledge with the riders, the Mayo men Brendan Quigley, Joe Maguire, Martin McNally and Mick Reidy for getting all the riders around the courses safely and finally and most importantly to the management and staff of the Clew Bay Hotel, Westport, for their accommodating and extremely friendly service. As most would know, accommodating 100 cyclists and support staff is no easy task.