Details

Published on Thursday, 25 September 2014 22:26

An Interview with David McCarthy

What a year it has been for David McCarthy. When he sat down at the start of the season he could not in his wildest dreams have foreseen what lay ahead of him this year. From achieving world-wide noteriety for his selfie with Marcel Kittel, to finishing the season racing against the likes of Arnaud Démare and André Greipel, it has been an incredible year in every sense. 

David turned 19 this year and after two good years as a junior hit the senior ranks as an A2 rider. After some strong performances in Ireland, including his debut ride in the Rás (unfortunately cut short due to a stomach bug) and the Suir Valley 3-day, where he won the A2 classification, he hit the amateur Kermesse scene in late summer in Belgium to try and make a name for himself. Then the dream opportunity came along when Kurt Bogaerts invited him to join An Post-Chain Reaction as a stagiaire for the rest of the season, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. 

As a fellow Corkman I've followed his career closely this year as he looked like a young man with a big future ahead of him. I've gotten to know David this year and we've chatted a lot about pro racing, the Kittel aftermath and so on and he kindly agreed to an interview with me on his year and his experiences so far with An Post in Belgium.

IAN: David, tell me about your background and how you got in to cycling. Is there a family history in cycling and what age did you first get in to it?

DMC: I started when I was eight years old with Fermoy cycling club. My uncle Noel McCarthy got me and my cousin Robert into it first and started an underage club in Fermoy. After a while he got a mini-bus and used to take us all to races. That was really good fun going away every Sunday with about 12 or 13 of us having the craic and just enjoying it.

IAN: When did you start getting some good results and start thinking this could be for me?

DMC: I was always a massive fan of the sport and I've always wanted to do it even from a young age, but it wasnt until I was under-16/junior when I started doing something, picking up small results. Once I was a junior I always knew I'd take a few years out after school and give it my all and hopefully some day go pro.

IAN: You rode with the Nicolas Roche Performance Team in Ireland, tell me a little about that and what it was like having Nicholas as a mentor?

DMC: The team was great. I do think the racing and support I got from the NRPT really helped me develop as a rider, especially this year. I knew it was going to be a key year that would show what I could do. Nicholas is a really nice guy and a good friend. He's given me a lot of advice over the last two years and has been in touch with me a lot since I got my stagiaire, so I really appreciate everything the team and Nicholas has done for me.

IAN: This year has been an incredible one for you. In May you achieved worldwide fame for your selfie with Marcel Kittel at the Giro finish in Dublin. Tell me about that and how it affected you, both the abuse you got and the support from the likes of Nico and Greg Henderson?

DMC: Yeah, it was a pretty rough time to be honest, I was so close to giving up then. It was the week before the Rás and a week that should have been really good for me. I should have been looking forward to my first Rás, but I didn't even ride the bike to be honest, only just the day before it.. I was really close to giving up. The abuse I got was crazy - people wanting to beat me up and said pretty cruel things, but I got great support from all my friends and family and they helped me get through it. The support from Greg and Nicholas was really nice too and lifted me a lot.

IAN: Did Marcel ever contact you since or was it just that 'social media can be mean' message?

DMC: No, not at all, but a few of his team mates messaged me just saying he didn't care and that it was only a storm in a tea cup.

IAN: Since then you've had some good results, including a fine performance at the Suir Valley and you're season finished with an opportunity to ride as a stagiaire with An Post-Chain Reaction - how did that come about?

DMC: I came over racing amature Kermesses in Belgium and I was staying at the team accomodation and Kurt gave me the opportunity, which I couldn't refuse!

IAN: So you've been taken on as a stagiaire with them until the end of the season, how did you feel about this opportunity?

DMC: I was really happy when i got the opportunity. It's special to ride for a team like An Post and I was really excited.

IAN: What's it been like so far, have you enjoyed it? Has it been what you expected or if not, what's the big thing that stands out for you that has surprised you about life as a stagiaire?

DMC: So far, it's been great. I've really enjoyed it. The racing's been very tough but I'm suprised how I've managed. I thought I'd get a kicking, but I've done ok so far. I've finished a few pro kermesses which isn't easy and I finished my first 1.2 which was 200 kms, a distance I've never ridden before, so I'm really happy with how I'm going.

IAN: You're staying with Sam Bennett, the former An Post man, now of course making a big name for himself on the pro scene with Netapp Endura. What has that been like? It must help a lot to have someone like Sam who has come through a similar route as yourself to talk to and get advice from?

DMC: It's been great. Sam has helped me a lot, giving me advice for the pro kermesses and the other races I've done and if I ever made a mistake in a race he would always tell me the next day so I wouldn't make the same mistake in the next race! Sam's been very helpful to me since I got here and so have the other lads in the house. Sean Downey, Jack Wilson and my cousin Robert, they've all been very nice to me and it's something I really appreciate. They're all really nice lads. They especially helped the day of my first race as I was very nervous and they were really good help, just giving me advice and support.

IAN: You're first experience of a pro Kermesse happened to be the biggest Kermesse of the year in Gerardsbergen, racing up the famous Mur against the likes of Born Leukemans and Johnny Hoogerland. What was that like?

DMC: That was one of the best experiences ever! It was a great race, great atmosphere and a hard race. It was 16 laps of a 12km course and it went half ways up the Mur every lap. It was full-on from the start. I lasted 15 laps in the bunch and the 2nd last time up the Mur, after about 170 kms, I blew up..  If you fall a minute or more behind the bunch you get pulled out, so I didnt get to finish which was dissapointing, but I was happy that I lasted that long.

IAN: When does your time as a stagiaire come to a close with An Post and when would you get to find out if you've been offered a pro contract?

DMC: My last race was Sunday in Breda, Holland - a 1.2 cat race. 5 laps of a 40km course, with 600 meters of cobbles every lap.. It ended prematurely for me when a big pile-up split the race after only 80kms.. Only 90 out of 210 starters finished the race! My stagiaire ends in October so the plan is to take it easy for 2 or 3 weeks, just do some easy spins and then mid/late October I'll start building up towards 2015. Where I'll be for 2015 I don't know yet, but I'm just focusing on being the best I can next season, whether I'll be racing domestically in Ireland or on the continent. But I'm realistic too - I'm quite young still and if I was to just get another shot at being a stagiaire next year I'd be very happy with that. 

IAN: If the offer doesn't come through from an Post, what are your plans for the off season and next year?

DMC: I haven't thought about that really. I'm just focusing on what I'm doing at the moment and fully focused in trying to do as much as I can to make sure I have a good preparation for 2015 and hopefully another shot with An-Post next year. 

IAN: What have you found to be the biggest difference between the training and the racing as a 'pro' than what you were used to?

You need a lot more recovery training wise.. I found the racing with An Post a lot harder - you race 2 to 3 times a week which is very hard on the body. In Ireland I was racing once a week so I had proper training in between and a lot less recovery. I just found personally on recovery days you need to make the most out of them and recover best you can. The racing really was hard, especially because all year I was racing 120-150 kms races, then all of a sudden I was doing 180-200 kms, so by the end of a race I really was empty!

IAN: What part of it do you hate the most? And what part do you love?

Cooking and cleaning for myself definitely haha! That's the biggest downside!

I loved racing in Belgium - the atmosphere at the races and the fans really added a good buzz. I always looked forward to the races there compared to racing in Holland, I think the Belgians are just passionate about the sport and always add a good vibe to the racing.

IAN: Is it good to be back home and did your mam feed you a big Irish breakfast on your first day back?

Yeah it's great being back home.. the roads back here are way better for training than in Belgium and its nice to spend time with family. There was no Irish breakfast but anything she makes is great!

IAN: If you were to set one target for yourself for next year, what would it be?

To just become a better rider. This year has been a great experience there's been plenty of ups and downs but this winter I'm just going to do pretty much the same as last year and keep the head down and work really hard. I'll work hard with my coach, give 100 percent and hopefully I'll be on for a good year! 

Let's hope it is David, I wish you every success in 2015!