The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Killarney cyclist is no stranger to world games
FRESH from claiming the National Scratch Championship last week, Killarney’s, John Blackwell is set to represent Ireland at the World Championships in Manchester next month. Impressively, the event will mark John’s 11th appearance in the world games
Currently an unattached rider, John is tasked with completing 80 laps of 250m of the indoor track. As the event takes place within an indoor velodrome – of which there are none in Ireland – John’s preparatory training is done on the roads.
For the duration of the race, he will be travelling at an average speed of 75km and with no breaks on the bike, the 46 year old states that bringing the bike to a halt at the race’s end can take around 125m.
John came out of retirement four years ago and in the earlier part of his career, raced in the peloton with cycling superstars such as Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish. Six time Olympic Gold medallist Chris Howe was another who did battle with John.
At that point Wiggins was laying the foundations for a career that would see him etch him name into the history books. Of Cavendish, he says, “he always had the arrogance required to make it to the top”. Cavendish himself rode the youth tour of Kerry on four occasions in the 90’s – never winning a stage.
Having made the final of last year’s World Championship, John has been following a 12 month plan implemented with Coach, Mark Kiely. His on road training routine, together with the effective utilisation of the turbo trainer, in tandem with a structured diet has left him in prime condition going into the race.
“I am faster, stronger and fitter than I was last year and I think a top ten finish is realistic. Marginal gains are needed to achieve that and possibly more”
Having ridden in the professional ranks with a team in Brittany in the early part of his career, John is well aware of the financial implications associated with chasing the cycling dream.
Thus, the support he receives from Dave O’Sullivan of O’Sullivan Cycles, Killarney.
“Dave was a school friend of mine and has been a very good to me. I am truly grateful for the support.