THIS Sunday Bellaghy cyclist Chris McCann will once again embrace that adrenaline rush, the pre race nerves and demonstrate that competitive edge.
At the age of 51 most people are involved in sport to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps like many others, enrol at a local gym as keep fit becomes the new ‘cool’ thing to do. Not McCann.
Since Sunday he has been in Australia finalising his preparations for this weekend’s UCI World Masters Road race in Perth.
When I caught up with him at his home recently, over a welcoming cup of tea, you could sense the excitement. This was a second coming in his career. As the saying goes, ‘age is only a number’ and McCann is testament to that.
“Sport is more than a game,” admits McCann, “even at our age it becomes deadly serious again which is a wonderful thing because for so long you think your career is over. Now because masters racing is such a big thing, there is something to go for.”
THE BEGINNING
When you scratch the surface, it’s hardly a surprise. At the age of 14, clad in jeans and on an old bike from the garage, McCann entered a cycle race in Bellaghy as part of the Mad May festival. He finished second. The seeds were sown.
The spark had been ignited earlier than that. Why cycling? McCann explains. “I remember as a boy watching a show on television about a guy cycling around the world and I was intrigued by it.
“And there was always five minutes of action from the Tour De France, with the likes of Eddie Merckx. It was so appealing”
So appealing that he signed up for the East Tyrone CC and seven short years after crossing the line in his first ever race, McCann was heading for France – the home of cycling.
“I had the opportunity to ride during 1986 with French Team CS Dammarie, a team based in the suburbs of Melun, 30 kilometres south of Paris. I was set up with this team by a French cycling scout Jean Beaufes.”
CS Danmarie was one of the top clubs in France and it was hard to make the breakthrough. McCann regrets not opting for a ‘smaller club’, as it may have been easier to break into.
After one season McCann returned home but the adventure was to change his career and lifestyle forever – one still dominated by life in the saddle.
NEXT CHAPTER
Working in the properly development sector, McCann kept cycling and on the side used his experience by fitting bikes for people. The odd one here and there at the start.
It spiralled and gathered momentum until six years ago he went full time, with the birth of Inspired Cycling – a bike fitting company. It was always going to be cycling.
Chris’s son Conor is no slouch either having won silver medal in the National Junior Road Race Championships held in Cong Co Mayo earlier this month.
For the past two seasons his father has provided the helping hand, passing on years of experience –a terrific source of wisdom on their own doorstep.
SECOND WIND
But at the back of it all Chris had a burning ambition. Since turning 40 he had entered the ‘masters’ category. Yes, he was still able to race in the local races but the Masters World events was what he really wanted.
After a couple of seasons toying with the idea, along with colleague Des Woods (from Newry), they bit the bullet and last June they embarked on a training programme, which this Sunday, on the other side of the world, comes to fruition.
“It’s a 95 mile race for our age group so it is quite long. It’s a one off road race which is kind of what I am used to riding anyway,” McCann points out.
The course starts in Perth and follows a relatively flat circuit before the field head off for two loops of a mountain circuit before a mountain top finish at Kalamunda.
When Woods and McCann set their sights on Perth, there was the small matter of qualification and what turned out to be a memorable trip to Cambridgeshire back in June.
“There are 15 qualifying rounds of the UCI world series dotted across the globe and you have to ride in one of these rounds and finish in the top 20%. I picked the Tour of Cambridgeshire as it was the local one for me.”
McCann had the ‘let’s just qualify’ as his target, but on arrival that all changed. “Then you see the whole buildup. You see the jerseys on offer, the medals and the podium and you’re going ‘this would be nice to do well in.’”
So much for older people not being as competitive. It happens all the time, there are no half measures in the psyche of a competitor.
“I wasn’t too sure of the level of competition in this race because I still ride with the young fellas in Ireland. Most of the races at home are not divided into age groups.”
McCann had to be cautious. He didn’t know his level of competition on the 87 mile circuit but the duo arrived a few days ahead of the race to scout the circuit and suss out the finishing area. McCann knew it was going to be his passport to Perth – so preparation was vital.
“We went over on the Friday and the race was on a Sunday and we rode part of the course on the Saturday as we wanted to check the finishing areas as it was quite technical.
“There were two roundabouts, barriers (for the crowd) and a lot of tight 90 degree bends to the finish line. We had to positon ourselves so that if we were in contention to be in with a shout, especially if it came to a sprint finish.”
With the homework done it was time for judgment but Woods had to survive a hiccup.
“The race went really well for me but during an extremely fast part of the course I saw Des pull over with a puncture.”
It’s not like the pros where there is a team car, Woods had to fix it himself and McCann just had to power on.
“Des was well capable of getting back into the race and our agreement was that if anything happens, we look after ourselves until we get to the line.”
McCann was right, Woods beat the odds, got back on track and made the cut. An overall average speed of 26.4mph was impressive and would ensure qualification. It was all about staying safe up at the front.
“330 riders is a big field and when I saw the start and the number of riders, I decided there was only one place to be and that is right at the front. My plan on that day was to stay in the top 20 or 30 riders.
“Drifting too far back in the bunch would be dangerous as a small group could break off the front. Not knowing the other riders’ strengths you basically have to follow everything.”
There were no shortage of attacks and like he promised, McCann followed them. It was all about concentration. Half way around the race the field was cut to around 100 riders.
“I was able to stay in the lead group all day,” McCann said, but it was no sightseeing trip. It was about making the cut.
“Yeah it was about staying focussed, I didn’t see any of the countryside. I needed to be in the top ten riders and if anybody slips off the front I will be going with them and closing the gap.’”
As McCann settled into the race he felt qualification was within grasp. The technical nature of the finish would suit him. Could he finish on the podium? With 30 miles to go he felt he could actually win the race.
It was a long way from the Mad May festival but the ground covered in the interim years had prepared him for this.
“I was just looking around me and seeing who was doing what. At that stage I knew I had a group of riders and I knew they were the strongest in the race.”
Team GB had a strong contingent. McCann was aware of a few Russian and Belgian riders. “It sort of came down to the same faces and I knew there was about 10 riders that I needed to watch carefully.”
It was going to come down to the sprint finish on the same route himself and Woods had ridden the previous day.
“I knew the final 20km to the finish line. There was a climb on it and we decided we had to be at the front of this climb because this is very dangerous and sure enough it split. There was a group of about seven riders and they had a gap of about 15 seconds.
“I then took it upon myself and off I went in pursuit of the leaders. I just had to go for it and empty the tank. I actually caught them with 5km to go but as soon as I caught them I thought ‘well it’s over now’ because the remainder of the field had also bridged the gap and I had spent so much energy getting across to this group.
The sprint finish was on. This was bonus territory but McCann could visualise the podium and the medals. It was time for one final push.
“When I got through the roundabouts I was still in a top six place. Going into the last corner and everybody started to open up the sprint. Thankfully there was enough in the legs to really give it a ‘what for’.
“I could see I was making ground in the last 300 metres to the line and I could see myself making the podium. Then I realised if I keep going I could win this and it actually came down to a photo finish.”
McCann was confident he had won and the photo proved he had edged out second placed Malcom Smith, who won last year’s Masters Tour of Majorca.
Did McCann feel this victory was the pinnacle?
“It’s hard to say because it feels like a different era for me now. I could go back to when I was in my 20s riding in France, trying to make it as a pro. I rode in the national team and I have had good results,” McCann explains, “but it rates up there.”
This week McCann’s friend Stephen Gallagher (Dig Deep Coaching), will look after them. There is a huge Irish contingent in Perth and as McCann explains - they have offered the hand of friendship.
“The Irish cycling community realise we are coming and the support we are getting is amazing. Emails and messages to see if we need anything, the offer of a team car and if we need anything at all.”
On my arrival McCann is on the phone. It was good news. Another vote of confidence.
“Cycling Ireland are backing us as we are representing the national team, they are supplying us with kit and all our nutrition.
“Generally high performance cycling only really concentrates on U23 and Olympics riders but now the masters scene in Ireland is very strong. If you go to any weekend racing the masters are always getting results.”
Cycling Ireland are starting to take notice. Woods and McCann have been the pioneers and this Sunday will fly the flag for Ireland.
“At World level we can do very well and Cycling Ireland realise we are up there with any nation. They see that we can get results at world level and that’s always good for any federation.”
Since our conversation, McCann gained another confidence boost by winning a stage at the recent Tour of Wexford. The final piece in the jigsaw perhaps.
Of the 180 riders starting off on Sunday, Woods and McCann will be there. Back home on the Killberry Road, Chris’ family will be waiting on the phone call and scouring the internet for updates.
Killyberry isn’t far from where a young Chris McCann rolled across the finished line wearing a pair of jeans years ago some 37 years ago.
A journey that went via Melun on the outskirts of Paris on the pursuit of a professional cycling career.
Ten years after being diagnosed with Angina and having two stents implanted, McCann has fully recovered. A healthy lifestyle and dedication to a meticulous training programme. Cycling is part of his DNA.
As McCann pedals around the slopes of Kalahuna on Sunday he will carry the hopes of a nation and is living the dream. Age really is only a number. We can learn a lot from McCann as he ‘digs deep’ one more time.
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