|
|
|
Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
Robin Seymour, gold medal:
On the last lap, the crunch point was going into the single track. I was little bit cleaner through it than on previous laps, I had jumped Roger into it. He knew he had to get there first, so this is where the real big fight was going to be. It was the same last year, just before the run up then.
I bunny-hopped the boards on the last lap, it was a risky thing to do on the last lap but it was try or bust. I got a gap, he got back on to me and then he came around the outside. But I had the inside line on the corner just before getting onto the single track. We had a bit of a tangle coming into that corner, and because I was on the inside, we bumped and we went out wide. I had a bit of a gap going into the forest and as soon as I had that, I put my head down and rode as hard as I could.
I held that a bit of a gap all the way through it, and was getting the corners a bit cleaner than I had on previous laps. I rode it well on the last lap, which is the beauty of cross - it is about pinning it under extreme pressure.
I had a gap on the run up and I think when he saw that I was the full length of the run up ahead of him, he conceded it then. But nevertheless, I had to ride at 110% until the line.
SS: When you mentioned the boards, which ones do you mean?
RS: The ones after the finish line, before the forest. It was the first time that I had jumped them, it was something I saved for the last lap.
SS: Can you give me your reaction to taking your 14th title?
RS: I am over the moon, it is just fantastic. There is such pressure building up to this for the last five months, the last 13 months, even. I have been thinking about it and I really wanted to win it again. I think that today Roger is probably as strong as he has been before, but I feel that the nature of the course means that things were going to stay together. It is not something that I did deliberately, it is just where we are.
SS: Looking at the course, it seems to be something that would actually favour a guy who does a lot of racing on the road…
RS: That is right, it wasn't very technical. But although I designed the course, I wouldn't want to do that (make it technical) because when you see six guys in a chain at the front of the race starting the third lap, it is fantastic. That is the first thing. The second thing is that I wouldn't want it said… you know, I could design a course that is ridiculously hard to ride and I would win that, but I wouldn't do that. It should be on this course, this is cyclocross.
SS: You talked about the battle to be into the forest ahead of Roger the last time round. On previous laps, had you tended to be in there first?
RS: It was half and half, on the laps that I did I tried to put the pressure on and I had got a bit of a gap. This is what made it so important to actually be there, to be in front of him.
SS: Lewis Ferguson and Niall Davis were coming back to you during the race and, indeed, were with yourself and Roger starting the final lap. Were the two of you easing back after the forest/run up sections?
RS: Well, on one of the laps I put my head down after that section but Roger came up to me relatively easily, although I didn't throw everything out onto the table. If you're caught in that situation, then you are really leaving yourself open. But we were backing off (during the race). The whole race was just cat and mouse, we were riding at 75 per cent for most of it.
SS: You lost your title last year, after having a remarkable run of successes. Now you have got it back. Does this victory mean more to you than some of the other ones?
RS: Yes, in some ways I think it does. In reflection, it probably will be. It is certainly great to be able to do it again.
SS: What is the plan ahead?
RS: I am going to hang the bike up. That’s it, now I am finished (laughs).
SS: Seriously, have you looked at possibly continuing for the next Olympics?
RS: Eh…(pauses)… I don't know. I think that qualifying is going to be an important part to the programme, we have to do that over two years now, in 2006 and 2007, and that really depends on Sports Council funding and whether we have the money to do it. Unless the funding is there, there really is no point… we are just not going to do it. Numerically, it would be impossible.
But if we get funding, then yes, I think it is possible… I will certainly try and qualify, anyway. Whether or not I go… I think that the criteria for selection for the riders is going to change anyway, I think that it is going to be based around races in 2008. So you would have to be riding well, as you would want to be, though, to go to the Olympic Games.
Roger Aiken, silver medal:
SS: That was an interesting race. At some points you were ahead, then Robin was ahead…
RA: There was one part where he was stronger than me, on the technical part through the forest and on the banks. I knew that it was going to be the deciding part of the race and I wanted to get into that first. It was more like a race to get to that point first. Robin did it, and got a gap on me.
He jumped the planks on the last lap, taking a flyer. That surprised me a bit, but I managed to get back to him and passed him. But he managed to get by me on the corner and get into the forest first.
SS: On previous laps, had you been going into the forest ahead?
RA: On three or four laps I got in first, but when he did it was a struggle to stay with him each lap. I needed to get in there first…things just opened up on the last lap.
Riding around, it wasn't particularly a hard race…
SS: It seems peculiar, all right, because the other two guys (Ferguson and Davis) were coming back up to you both after being left behind.
RA: Yes, we would open a gap through the forest and then they were coming back to us on the run-up to the finish as we weren't riding that hard. You can't sit on people here and get a good draft.
SS: Do you think that being sick in the run-up to this affected you today?
RA: I felt okay. I think that it was the lack of racing, it is the 18th of December since I last raced. That makes it a bit harder.
SS: What is your plan now?
RA: I leave for the Tour of Siam on Thursday. I will be racing the Commonwealth Games after that, and riding with the Sean Kelly team. So I am looking forward to that.
SS: Who is going to Siam?
RA: It is a Northern Ireland team…me, Lewis Ferguson, Tommy Evans, Ryan Connor and Martin Irvine. David McCann and Stephen Gallagher are riding it for Giant Asia.
SS: As regards the Sean Kelly team, do you know if they will be going to the Tour of California?
RA: No, we are not going to it now, or Langkawi. The team will start racing in late February or March, probably in Belgium.
Lewis Ferguson, bronze medal:
SS: How did you find it out there?
LF: It was a class race. I haven't really ridden any cross races this season, this is only my second and it is the first one that I finished. I have been training for the Commonwealth Games so everything is miles, miles, miles. I haven't really had a chance to get out racing, so it is good to come down, do that, get a result. I am chuffed with that.
It was a brilliant race, brilliant course. Coming onto the last lap and everyone together was just great. Then me and Niall had a good tussle for the sprint. It was just a brilliant race.
SS: It seems that you were closing up at times during the race…
LF: Yes, most laps we were coming back together, and then with about three laps to go Roger and Robin got away. Then, all of a sudden, coming onto the last lap, myself and Niall found ourselves back up with them.
SS: As regards your fight with Niall for the bronze medal, were you trying to get clear on the last lap or were you content to leave it to a sprint?
LF: Well, I was just sort of leaving it to see what Roger and Robin would do, to be honest. I was going to take it from there. It kind of stayed together until about half a lap to go. I knew that Niall was a bit stronger than me in the running section, so I needed to get in there ahead of them. Then I attacked a little bit too early, realised that and then sat up. He got up to me again and then we had a good sprint for the finish. It was close, but I got it.
SS: What is your previous record like?
LF: I was third two years ago and then fourth last year, so it is nice to get back on the podium.
SS: What is your plan from this point?
LF: It is to focus on the Commonwealth Games. I am going off on Thursday to ride the Tour of Siam in Thailand. I will come back from there, be home for a few weeks, then head off to New Zealand to do a couple of Mountain bike races in preparation for the Commonwealth Games. From Auckland we will fly back to Melbourne for the Games.
Philip Roche, member of winning team and fifth:
SS: Well done, you got the team prize…
PR: Yes, the team prize for us, again (smiles).
SS: How did you find the course?
PR: It was great, it was fast in places and then the lads (Seymour and Aiken) were sitting up in places. They were dropping us in the twisting bits but then we would get back on when they eased back. That was it for the first couple of laps, but then they just talk off.
It was the same for Niall and Lewis, they got dropped but then they got back on with a lap to go. Then Robin went again and that was it.
SS: What was your expectation beforehand?
PR: Top five, with maybe an outside chance of a medal. So I got the first of those, plus the team prize.
--------
(All quotes strictly copyright Irishcycling.com. No unauthorised use permitted).
|
|
|
|
