Liam pedals his way onto Monaco team
AN Arklow road cycling sensation has been snapped up by a professional team.
Nineteen-year-old Liam Curley has been signed by intercontinenal team, UC Monaco. He will be heading off this week to take part in the team’s pre-season training camp in Monaco as they get ready for the 2020 season. While he will back home for a break over Christmas, Liam is set to move to Monaco in January before the 2020 season starts in February. Next year, he will be competing at U23 level in races in Belgium and France.
Speaking to this newspaper, Liam described the move to Monaco as an ‘opportunity’ to advance and develop his career.
‘Looking at how other guys [signed to the UC Monaco] have progressed, it’s an opportunity and a huge achievement.’
Currently training around 25 hours each week, Liam has been cycling for eight years.
‘ This year, I really focusd on it and took a year out of school,’ he said.
His varied training routes can take him across the Wicklow Mountains and south to Co Wexford. Introduced to cycling at a young age by his dad Tom, Liam later joined the South East Road Club.
‘Dad started doing it and I wanted to do it too. Once I joined the local cycling club, I got more into racing and I was good at it. It just snowballed from there.’
In 2016, Liam was called onto Team Ireland’s Junior Team, competing in races in Ireland and Europe. In 2018, he was signed up by Nicolas Roche
Performance Team. His family are ‘proud and very supportive’ of his achievements.
While Liam says he would ‘ love to do the Tour de France’, he admits that one of his goals is to compete in international racing, particularly at events in Belgium.
‘I’m an all-rounder, but I love colder weather conditions like you’d get here in Ireland. The Belgian conditions are similar,’ he said.