NAME ;      MICK LAWLESS

1. Age: 50

2. Club: Usher Insulations Irish Road club

3. GC: How did you get started in cycling?

    ML: There was a fellah who used to cycle into work and he used to keep passing me out. Eventually I was able to stay with him and he asked me why didn’t I take up cycling and join a club. So I went off and joined Dublin Wheelers.

4. GC:  What was your first win?

    ML: A club race, I didn’t win very much.

5. GC: How often did you train?

    ML:  Well I would call it now ‘wasting rubber’ rather than training, because the education in those days wasn’t there. The people who knew things kept it to themselves.

6. GC: Favourite training spin?

    ML:  Well, I lived in Ballyfermot and in those days we had plenty of countryside out around Tallaght and Blessington. There wasn’t as much traffic.

7. GC: Best result / performance to date?

    ML:  I think my best performance was when I lead out a fellah called paddy Duffy to win a race in the Pheonix Park. I didn’t win myself but I got great enjoyment out of that day.

8. GC: Ambition in cycling?

    ML:  To get Irish cycling back to the way it was and to get more cyclists out on the road and hopefully get more people involved so they can bring more young people out.

9. GC: Favourite professional cyclist?

    ML:  I don’t really have any, they’re all excellent

10. GC: Pet hates?

      ML:  I’d have to think about that..

11. GC: How do you relax?

      ML:  How do I relax? I’m nearly always relaxed.

12. GC: Do you think 3^rd Cats should be re-introduced?

      ML:  Eh, yes and no. That’s a tough question because there’s a lot of good and bad to be considered.

13. GC: Apart from Ireland, where have you raced?

      ML: Oh, nowhere.

14. GC: Who will be the next Irish rider to win a Tour De France stage?

      ML: I suppose Ciaran Power or David McCann, maybe Mark.

15. GC: Favourite race?

      ML:  I don’t know, going back to when I looked after the women. They were great races and they really put a lot of effort into it. Very enjoyable.

16. GC: Best rider you have raced against?

      ML: Well I raced against a lot of good guys, like Peter Doyle, Liam Horner, Sean Kelly Well I was in the same races as them, it wouldn’t be fair to say I raced against them.

17. GC. Have you tried mountainbiking?

      ML; Yes.

18. GC: What makes you a good cyclist?

      ML:  I suppose determination and bottle. If you have determination then you’ll go on and do the training and you’ll become good then.

19. GC: Would you let your kids take up the sport?

      ML;   Yeah.

20. GC: Describe yourself in one sentence?

      ML:  Happy-go lucky and enjoys life.