Born in Cambridge, Massachussetts, Gavin is the 15 year-old son of former Tuam cyclist Tommy Mannion, himself a double Irish junior champion - and grandson of the late Jimmy Mannion, a multiple Irish grass track champion.
When the declining Irish economy coincided with his father Tommy winning a lottery Green Card (Morrison Visa) in 1988, he and his wife Maria and newborn son Cormac moved stateside to Boston. Last weekend, Gavin, who arrived three years later, made good use of the family's cycling genes to claim a national title in one of the most competitive cycling environments in the world, the USA.
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Riding for the CCB/Volkswagon team, Gavin outsprinted a 94-strong peleton to win the US national criterium championship in the 15/16 year old category and, having finished fifth in the road race and ninth in the time trial championships the same weekend, brought himself to the attention of some of the biggest teams in the states. The average speed of the 25kms criterium, by the way, which finished in a torrential downpour, was 29.7mph!
While underage racing is struggling here in Ireland, in America the success of Lance Armstrong and the US Postal team among others has seen numbers soar and made cycling one of the most competitive sports around. "The junior scene here in the States is a bit different from Ireland as all races are run as 15-18 years, except the National Championships, said his father Tommy yesterday. "There,they break them up into two year age groups. Most good juniors like Gavin don't ride many junior races locally as there are not enough junior riders around. Instead they ride with the senior riders, but they are still restricted in their gear ratio. The Nationals though, are a totally different affair as they are ridden by the best riders from all over the country. And this is a BIG country! Gavin is a very promising little rider,?He has won seven or eight races this year and competes regularly against the senior and pro riders. He is getting a lot of attention over here at the moment. I just have to be careful to hold him back a bit.
Normally based in New England, the Mannions put in a nine and a half hour drive to the championships, which were held in Seven Springs, Philadelphia. "These races are really impressive," says Tommy. "It's hard to believe that they are 15/16 year olds. Most are over six feet tall and riding at an average speed of 29mph in a rain storm." Next year, Mannion will join the top U/18 team in America, Hot Tubes and - as well as a stint riding on the continent - hopes to get back to Ireland for the M. Donnelly Junior Tour of Ireland in July. He is hoping to ride the Junior Tour next year with Hot Tubes. They do it every year, but this year it clashed with the US national championships.?
When asked which country he would be declaring for, Tommy admitted it may be the USA, although that is a couple of years off yet. Meanwhile the youngster, who also took a bronze medal at the US cyclo-cross championships, is hoping to be selected for the cyclo-cross world championships in Italy at the end of the year. Maybe we could see him in a green jersey yet!
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