St Colman’s ‘golden boy’ wins junior title at the Cyclocross Championships

Member of Fermoy Cycling Club and sixth-year student of St Colman’s College in Fermoy, Liam O’Brien, won gold after a dominant display in Armagh last weekend in the National Cyclocross Championships.

Speaking with TheAvondhu, Fermoy Cycling Club secretary Michael O’Connor said members of the club are all ‘very proud’ and ‘delighted’ for Liam with his win.

“We’re very proud of him. We’re all delighted of course. He’s had a very good season,” Mr O’Connor said.

Joining the club at a young age, Mr O’Connor noted that Liam has always had a keen interest in the sport and has been very determined since he took it up.

“He started very young and has been working his way up all the time, competing regularly,” he said.

Cycling is a popular sport in Liam’s family too, as his father was also involved with the sport, while his younger brother Shane is a promising racer at U14.

In September 2019, Liam got involved in cyclocross to help improve his strength for road racing. Cyclocross is a winter sport held between September and January which culminates with Championship and National titles in January.

Slightly adapted road racing bikes are used, and races are held in anything from agricultural land to closedoff landfill sites. Anything goes when it comes to racecourses, steep banks, steps, open drains, forestry and more besides.

That 2019/2020 season which finished in January 2020, saw Liam taking the U16 bronze medal at the Nationals held in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo.

Liam admitted that he was delighted. “It had to be the toughest course I have raced up to that date. Unfortunately, due to Covid, we had very little road racing in 2021 and only one cyclocross race, like most other sports. I just had to train away myself and with my club members in Fermoy Cycling Club whenever restrictions allowed,” he said at the time.

The 2021/2022 season was his first season as a Junior/U19 rider, meaning bigger and better races.

Liam travelled to the UK every two to three weeks to race in the British National Trophy Series from September to early December.

He also got the opportunity to race for Ireland in the European Cyclocross Championships held in the Netherlands in late October. Finishing nineteenth, after having to start at the back of the field, was a huge achievement as Liam marked the highest placing of an Irish rider to date at a cyclocross event at European level.

LEAVING CERT BECKONS

The local cyclist was delighted in qualifying to race a second time in the Netherlands, again at the start of December and to be able to compete in the World Cup races in Belgium.

“These events were in the build-up to the Irish National Cyclocross Championships so, to take gold at these same championships is the result of all the hard training and time spent travelling to these big races abroad.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the dedication of my parents to get to this point,” Liam said.

Pointing to the future, Liam said he is now looking forward to his first season on the road as a junior rider.

“I’m hoping to take part in the Junior Tour of Ireland in late July and the Junior Tour of Wales in late August. I can’t wait. I have one big hurdle which I need to focus on first though, my Leaving Certificate, in June!” he added.