It has been over seven months since professional Ciarán Power last competed with his Navigators Insurance team. He’s been battling a leg problem for quite some time, a blood-flow issue with his illac artery causing symptoms of numbness and a lack of power, and severely inhibiting his performances in competition.

The problem is not unknown in cycling, with riders such as Stuart O’Grady also undergoing treatment to correct the issue. Earlier this year Power underwent an operation to remove the blockage and has now returned to proper road training. He’s been building things up gradually but reports that he is very satisfied with his progress. The 29 year old is also very enthusiastic about getting back to big American and international races.

“I can't even remember feeling like this,” he told Irishcycling.com this week. “It is unbelievable. When I go out training now, I try to look for every hill I can find, whereas this time last year I would have been avoiding them all. It is fantastic. Even on the flat, everywhere - it is totally different.”


This weekend Power makes his return to competition with a ride in the Tour of Ulster. He’s planning on using it as training, but is excited to get back into a race and to see how he feels. The plan is to build form with Irish competition, and then to aim for strong rides with the Navigators Insurance team later in the year.

To mark his return, we did a short interview with him on Thursday. He sounded in great form, clearly enthusiastic about the sensations he was feeling in training and looking forward to getting back to top form.

Shane Stokes: Ciarán, it’s now a couple of months since your operation. How are things going for you?

Ciarán Power: I am feeling fantastic, the leg works absolutely brilliant now. The last three weeks I have built up my training - the first week I did 12 hours, and then the second week I did 16 hours and then last week I did 25 hours. The same this week, I did two, 4, and five hours, building it up until yesterday, and then I took today easy. Hopefully my legs will be somewhat decent so I can stick with somebody in the Tour of Ulster!

SS: Do you feel a different sensation when you're on the bike now?

CP: Yes, I can't even remember feeling like this. It is unbelievable. When I go out training now, I try to look for every hill I can find, whereas this time last year I would have been avoiding them all. It is fantastic. Even on the flat, everywhere - it is totally different.

SS: How long do you think it was affecting you?

CP: I don't know. I know it was affecting me in time trials for years, but it didn't bother me. In road races I have really no idea, but I really haven't felt like this in a long time. I can't even remember my legs feeling like this.

SS: So it must give you a lot of encouragement?

CP: Yes it does, but I am glad that I have plenty of time to train and to get right for racing. I don't want to rush it. The programme I have now is great, I will do the Tour of Ulster, then build up from that. So it will give me loads of time to adapt and get ready to do the bigger races in America.

SS: Do you have any idea when the first international races will take place?

CP: I race the Thursday after the Rás in America, and then the Philadelphia Week comes up after that. My programme depends on how I get on; I have asked the Navigators guys to put me into the race on that Thursday, which is quite hard. The idea is that I can show them that I am going well. When I was telling him [Ed Beamon, Navigators Insurance directeur sportif] that, he said I will either sink or swim. And I know I won't be sinking...

SS: Can you give me an outline of what the operation entailed?

CP: Well, they took me in the night before it and I was just fasting from that point. I woke up the next morning at six and went down to the theatre and they put me to sleep then. They took a vein from my ankle and then they made an incision in my stomach, where the iliac artery is. They opened up the artery, and scraped out the layers… there was a buildup of layers, he said it was like an onion, it was pretty hard. So the surgeon scraped those out and then made the artery bigger with the vein from my ankle. When I started my operation the artery started skinny at the top and then got wider; when I finished the operation, it was actually wider at the top to allow it to heal. By now it should be the same size all over.

SS: So the bloodflow problem originated in the stomach area, rather than further down in the leg itself?

CP: Yeah. It was in my lower stomach. I have a good old scar there now, and everything. I think the operation took 2 and a half or three hours, so it was quite a big operation. But it is fantastic, is amazing how I feel now so hopefully when I get a bit of fitness, I should be going all right.

SS: That is great, because when you look back at your career you had some very good rides, such as that performance in the Olympics, etc.

CP: Yes, I just want to feel like a cyclist again. Last year I didn't feel like a cyclist, I was just going through the motions and it was so depressing. Right now, I just feel so good. Even after a five hour ride, I feel great. I can't wait to get going and train again tomorrow. Every day I just want to train. I am trying not to push it to hard, though.

SS: What are you looking for from the Tour of Ulster? What are your expectations?

CP: I just want to get around, and maybe one of the days I can get around in the front group. I can't be expecting much with three weeks training. I just want to go up and have a laugh and enjoy the race and not feel any problems from my leg.

SS: Navigators now have a European programme towards the end of the season. That gives you a good opportunity…

CP: Yeah. That is the thing. I was supposed to start racing again at the start of May in America, but I wouldn't have been ready for it. So we had a chat, myself and Ed, and worked out that it would be better to have a low-key programme to start back. He said if I am not ready for Philadelphia, the second half of the season is very important for me so hopefully I'll get plenty of opportunity then, providing my leg is working, to ride for myself.

There is a lot of pressure on me to prove to him that I am back, and just to keep my job. But I am looking forward to the challenge.

SS: Have the team been good for you during all of this?

CP: Yes, I haven't raced since, I think, the fifth of September last year but they are still paying me. I can't ask for anything more than that. Navigators have been great in telling me to take my time, to make sure I come back right; after all, it is better to have a good second half of the season than a terrible full season!

SS: Looking back, you were highly placed on stages in the Tour of Italy, rode very well in the last Olympics and got some other good results as a pro. Does that give you encouragement that there are some good results ahead, now that you have got two legs that working properly?

CP: Yeah, but I don't want to look back on things. I am actually fed up talking about what I might have done years ago [without this problem]. I want to focus on the future. God knows how long I have had this problem, but I know I can be strong now and I have no excuses. As I said to Lisa that the other day, I am just taking it month-by-month at the moment. I will hopefully get stronger each month and then I can do some good races at the end of the season in Europe. And be part of a good setup next year with Navigators. So I'm not looking back at the past, I just want to focus on what is ahead and what I can achieve.

It is amazing, every day I come in from training and it is just fantastic how I feel. I can't wait to try things out. Even in Ulster - it is not that I will be going strong or anything, but to see how I can climb, even to get a race in my legs is going to be good.

SS: It is great to hear you so motivated, you can hear the enthusiasm in your voice…

CP: It is unbelievable, now, it really is. As I said, I can't even remember feeling that my two legs were working this well. It is great, I can't wait to go up to Ulster and start racing!