Gerard asks 20 questions |
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20
THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK ………… SEAMUS
KENNEDY. NAME ; SEAMUS KENNEDY 1. Age: 54 2. Club: Navan Avonmore 3.
GC: How did you get started in cycling? SK: Through a local sports board in my own parish. 4.
GC: What Was your first win?
SK: A
league race outside Leo Collins’ garage in Navan. 5.
GC: How often do you train?
SK: Three
times a week. 6.
GC: Favourite training spin?
SK:
Around the lakes in the winter. Myself,Cass , Tosh and Laurence Roche do
about 80 or 90 miles . 7.
GC: Best result / performance to date?
SK:
Winning the 1978 Ras 8.
GC: Ambition in cycling?
SK: To
enjoy myself and survive, without having a serious crash. 9.
GC: Favourite professional cyclist?
SK: I
have to say Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. I know Stephen a lot better than I
know Kelly but I have great admiration for both of them. 10.
GC: Pet hates?
SK: Fellahs
that moan and cry and whinge about conditions and about a race being hard.
It’s hard for everybody. I always say when the going gets tough, the tough get
going! 11.
GC: How do you relax?
SK: I
like to be on my own and read a good book. I don’t get the chance too often
but that’s what I enjoy most. 12.
GC: Do you think 3rd Cats should be re-introduced?
SK: I
do, yeah. I think it’s a good stepping-stone and it creates an interest for
the guys that are average riders. Not everybody can be a Cass or a Sean Kelly or
a Stephen Roche. Riders come out to just enjoy weekends and training and I think
it would help to increase the numbers in the Sunday races again. With just the A
and B categories now, the races are very hard. I think what’s happening is
that riders that aren’t going that well or feel that they don’t have a
chance are kinda throwing it in and
just going out training. I think we’re going to lose those riders. I think the
3rd cat racing would help to bring riders back in again, and from
that group riders will progress and eventually make the B and the A grades. 13.
GC: Apart from Ireland, where have you raced?
SK: All
over Europe and the Middle East 14.
GC: Who will be the next Irish rider to win a Tour De France stage?
SK: It’s
very difficult to say that. The only good rider that seems to be making progress
now is Ciaran Power. He finished the Tour of Italy in an enormous achievement
for him as a first year pro. If he continues to improve, there’s every
possibility that he can win a stage. I hope he does. 15.
GC: Favourite race?
SK: I
used to always enjoy the Meath Grand Prix and Ras Naomh Padraig in Stamullen,
but they’re not my favourite races now because they’re too hard! 16.
GC: Best rider you have raced against?
SK: In
modern day racing it would be Philip Cassidy. In my heydey it would be Paddy
Flanagan, but I think Cass would be the strongest rider I’ve ever raced
against inthis country. I’m excluding Stephen Roche now , because I didn’t
race too much against him. 17. GC. Have you tried mountainbiking?
SK; No. I was
going to get involved a few years ago, but I don’t have time now. 18.
GC:What makes you a good cyclist?
SK: You
have to be fairly dedicated, have a bit of courage and be prepared to suffer. I
think a lot of riders think that when they get it hard they’re no good.
Everybody gets it hard. That’s what makes a rider better, if you’re prepared
to suffer! 19.
GC: Would you let your kids take up the sport?
SK: My
youngest boy was fairly interested in the cycling. He went to the E.S.C.A trials
in Norwich two years ago and he crashed and broke both his wrists so the G.A.A
club got him back again. You can’t say… because I’m a cyclist, you should
be a cyclist too. They have to be hungry for it themselves. If they’re
interested or they show interest in the future, I’ll encourage them, but they
have to show interest themselves first. 20.
GC: Describe yourself in one sentence?
SK: I
suppose I’m a fairly contented person and I enjoy life to the full. |
