IrishCycling asks 20 questions |
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20 THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK ……… MARTIN O'LOUGHLIN
I am 35, and was born on 15/11/67 2. Club: Cidona Carrick Wheelers 3. How did you get started in cycling? What do you like about the sport? My first cousin Eamonn Hartley was an All-Ireland schoolboy champion in the 70's for Waterford C.C. Another first cousin David O' Loughlin started about 1978 and I followed him two years later. I first retired after finishing the Ras in 1987 (to study and chase women). I completed the Ras in 1992 but had terrible back trouble. So I rested it for 7 and a half years and came back in 2000. My main attraction for the sport is that if you train hard enough, you will get results, which may not happen in team sports or golf, etc. 4. What was your first win? What was your best, and why? An Under 14 race in Kilmallock in 1980. All wins are special. My first win after my comeback in 2000 was Stage 1 of Ras Mumhan. That was a great relief after a savage winter training. I won 5 races by attacking and coming in alone last year, I enjoyed those. Best win: 20 mile solo breakaway to win in Clonmel by 2 minutes. Hardest win: dangling 5-10secs in front of the break for the last 12 miles in Fermoy. Won by 6 bike lengths. Easiest win: Cycleways Cup 2002. I rode the last kilometre twiddling 39x21, just to prolong the enjoyment! 5. How often do you train? 3-4 times a week in November and December. Daily from January onwards. 300-600 miles per week depending on what I'm training for. 6. Where/what is your favourite training spin? What we call in Carrick the 'Ballymac' spin. 100km from Carrick to Clonmel, Ballymacarbry and Dungarvan - it's got a bit of everything and the road surface is good. 7. What is your best result / performance to date? Losing 20 kilos over the winter of 99-00. 8. What is your ambition in cycling? How do you plan to work towards that goal? To get up on the turbo trainer for 20 minutes when my broken elbow and collarbone heal. 9. Who is your favourite professional cyclist, and why? Ciaran Power. He makes my heart beat faster! (averaging about 145 bpm for 100 hours in December and January) 10. Who is the biggest influence in your life, and why? My wife Elma. Ego massager, soigneur, laundry person, chef, soulmate... and…lone parent of our kids Michael and Niamh. 11. How do you relax? Listening to Timmy Barry on my mobile phone. 12. What is your favourite film/tv show/book/cd? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid / The Sopranos / The Beautiful South 13. Apart from Ireland, where have you raced? England, France, Belgium, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Kerry. 14. Who do you think will be the next Irish rider to win a Tour De France stage? Mark Scanlon 15. What is your favourite race? The next one that I win. 16. Who is the best rider you have competed against? What impresses you about him? Sean Kelly. What a legend. 17. Have you tried mountainbiking? If so, how did you get on? No! Haven’t tried it yet. 18. What qualities makes you a good cyclist ? Miles! 19. When the time comes, would you encourage your kids take up the sport, and if so, why? Yes, I would. I've enough spare equipment to run a small team. Anyway, life wouldn't be the same without 6 hours in the car on Sundays… 20. Describe yourself in one sentence? Down but not out. |
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