Disappointed but not disgraced Martin Ayres DAVID O’Loughlin’s Olympic dream failed to survive the qualifying round of the track pursuit in Beijing last Friday. The Mayo man’s time of 4 minutes 26.084 seconds left him 11th in a field of 18 and out of the competition.
O’Loughlin started the 4000-metre test in promising style but faltered in the closing laps and missed the cut by over two seconds.
Pursuiters aim to ride at a consistent pace throughout the 16 laps of the track, but O’Loughlin’s kilometre times reveal his helter-skelter progress. Matched against 2004 Olympic gold medallist
Brad McGee of Australia, O’Loughlin roared out of the starting gate and into the lead with a fast opening kilometre of 1-8.9. His second kilo’ was a sensational 1-3.9, and he looked to be heading for a place in the last eight. The TV commentators were impressed. Four-times world champion Hugh Porter praised ‘the smooth pedalling Irishman’, while Australian coach Gary Sutton was ‘very impressed’.
It was too good to last: O’Loughlin slowed to a time of 1-5.5 for kilometre three.
All was not lost, but a desperate final kilometre of 1-7.7 finally put paid to any hopes of survival.
A few minutes later, defending champion Bradley Wiggins (GB) smashed the Olympic record with a ride of 4 mins 15.031 en route to the final, where he scored a facile victory over New Zealand’s Hayden Roulston.
Given the quality of the field, O’Loughlin was justified in pointing out that with only two years’ track experience under his belt, sixth place in this year’s world championships and 11th in the Olympics was a good performance.
Having firmly established himself as Ireland’s only world-class track rider, 30-year-old O’Loughlin plans to persevere with the pursuit through the coming winter season and compete at the world championships in Poland next March.
Big weekend for Westport SATURDAY night, August 23, sees the return of the annual town centre race around the streets of Westport. This type of event – called a ‘criterium’ in cycling circles – is popular in France and Belgium.
High-speed action around the tight circuit ensures great free entertainment for spectators. Recent editions have generated a continental atmosphere, with patrons of the many hostelries in Bridge Street turning out to cheer the riders.
Last year’s race was the best yet, with young stars Philip Lavery and Charles Prendergast scrapping all the way to the finish, where Lavery took the honours.
The circuit is just less than one kilometre round, and starts in Bridge Street before swinging left into Mill Street followed by a tricky descent past the Garda Station, a left turn into South Mall and left again into Bridge Street.
The race starts at 7pm and runs for one hour.
A one-way system will be in operation in Mill Street from 6pm, while South Mall and Bridge Street will be closed to all traffic..
Turning the town centre into a race circuit calls for a big organisational effort by the promoting club, Mayo Wheelers, who are also organising the Westport Grand Prix on Sunday. The road race starts from Westport at 11am and takes in Louisburgh, Aasleagh Falls and Aughagower before finishing in Mill Street, Westport.
Sign on for the criterium and grand prix is at the Clew Bay Hotel. Further details from Joe McGuire on 086 8702062.
Top teams sign up for Tour of Ireland LEADING professional teams from around the world will home in on Dublin for the 900-kilometre Professional Tour of Ireland, which starts in the capital on Wednesday, August 27.
There will be a chance for the Mayo public to see the stars close up on Friday morning, August 29, when Ballinrobe hosts the start of stage three, which also takes in Cong, Westport and Louisburgh.
Sixteen squads have signed up for the five-day race, including Columbia Sports Wear (USA), Garmin (USA) and Rabobank (Netherlands), who were all prominent in this year’s Tour de France.
Home interest will centre on Pezula Racing – whose line-up includes Olympian David O’Loughlin and Ciaran Power, also the An Post-Seán Kelly squad and the Irish national team.
The stage route is: Ballinrobe-Cong-Finny-Tourmakeady-Killawalla-Westport-Louisburgh-Leenane-Maam Cross-Oughterard and Galway (Salthill). A full preview will appear in next week’s Mayo News.
CYCLING David O’Loughlin’s Olympic dream failed to survive the qualifying round of the track pursuit in Beijing last Friday. The Cong man’s time left him 11th out of 18 and out of the competition.
