Good cyclo-cross finish for GB’s Rory
Goes from back row to 23rd in world champs
Ellie-May Cowie nets to pull Saints back into the game. Pictures: Stuart Cowper He’s making his mark on the global circuit and the wheels are fully in motion towards a promising career in the sport. Rory McGuire during the junior men’s race at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Picture: SWPix
“I would like to think I could be competitive nearer the front of the race as I will be in my second year in the junior category.
“But I know that will take a lot of hard work and a bit of luck. I will need to get some decent results at international cyclo-cross races in the early season to get some points to be gridded nearer the front of the field.
“I love cyclo-cross. It’s a great mixture of technical skill and full-on effort and the atmosphere at races is brilliant.
“I think it’s the fastest growing cycle discipline in the UK and there are quite a few UK riders doing great things at a world level.”
Rory’s cycling isn’t confined to the
cyclo-cross circuit and that makes for a busy schedule throughout the year.
“My results on the road and mountain bike were not bad last season,” Rory explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“I raced for Scotland at the European MTB Championships in Italy which was great fun.
“My best results were in cyclocross though - Scottish junior champion, fourth in UK series and fifth in the UK championships.
“Perhaps 23rd in the worlds and being the second placed British rider was in fact my best ride, even if it doesn’t sound amazing.
“I’ll rest now as I have been racing or training without much of a break
for the whole year and then start full training in the next week or two.
“I am off to Spain soon for a week -long MTB training camp with Scottish Cycling, which includes the first race of the season in a Junior World Series event.
“I plan to race all the UK national MTB races this season as well as some international races and perhaps some road races.”
Long-term there is a plan with cycling but Rory was quick to highlight the importance of his studies.
He concluded: “I need to work hard to get some exam results.
“Ultimately, I would love to race my bike full-time, perhaps racing cyclo-cross and living in Belgium.”