Interview Michelle Geoghegan

Cycling is passion and and Michelle Geogheghan is clearly a rider has combines both words. The Irish cyclocross vice-champion spends her summer on the road and her winters in mud and grass. She took part in six races so far in this 'lite-version' of the current cyclocross season. Despite the smaller calendar, you'll see her often at the start grid in the coming months. Let's have a nice chat about the nice sport that we all love!

 

 

 

You're one of the few Irish racers in the big cyclocross races. How did you discover the sport?

Well I initially came across it during my earlier years of roadracing in Europe but it was only when I returned to home to Ireland a few years ago that I first threw my leg over a cyclocross bike. A group of friends had started doing longer offroad spins during the winter and I wanted to improve my bike handling so I joined them. We did 3 to 4 hour spins linking up different woods. We would take in mostly fire roads and easy mountain bike trails. Every weekend was like a mini adventure and oftentimes misadventure!!!! We were led by Beth McCluskey, a former international mountain biker and multiple national cyclocross champion. I was an out and out roadie at the time - rolling over gravel made me uneasy!!! I was really nervous before those spins but the gang we had made it so much fun I just kept coming back every weekend. The following year Beth dragged us all to a cyclocross race and thus it began!!!!

 

Would you like to represent Ireland at the worldchampionships one day?

Yes. this is very much one of my goals. It would be an amazing honour and experience.

 

You also took part in road races. Do you enjoy the mix of road cycling and cyclocross? 

Road racing was my first love and I love to race on the road. I’m the kind of person who becomes completely obsessed by whatever has my focus at any given time. When I’m in the middle of the road season I have complete tunnel vision and vice versa for cyclocross.I have been guilty of trying to be full-on for both!! The off season for cyclocross is a critical period in terms of preparation for the season. This is especially true for a relative newcomer and latecomer to the sport like myself. The interval training that you do is quite different from the road as the demands of a cyclocross race are quite different. It’s also a time to do more running and work on skills. In one way the coronavirus pandemic made this balancing act of road racing versus preparing for a cyclocross season much easier for me this year and I think I can really see how a “proper” off-season has benefited my cyclocross. I hope that this experience lets me achieve a better balancing of the 2 in the future. I still have goals and ambitions on the road but I think I can work to achieve both.

 

How do your cyclocross trainings look like?

 

Well all of my interval work is done on my road bike. This summer I did a lot of longer endurance rides as off-road spins taking in a mixture of gravel roads and forest riding. Now cyclocross specific days involve either going to recce the course that I will race at the weekend or a local woods. I just do lots of microlapping taking in a number of technical difficulties. My teammate, Corey Coogan Cisek, is here at the moment so we train together. We go elbows out but it’s all good fun!!!!

 

What are your ambitions for the current season?

 

I want to make a sizeable step up. I don't want to feel like a roadie trying to do cyclocross. I want to feel like I belong at these races. I think my skill level has improved a lot since last year and I am now in a position to be able to put some power down and not simply navigate a course. I want to be routinely finishing lead lap at UCI races. This year the level at every race is really high because Belgium is where the racing is at!!!!! I also want to fight for a national championships jersey, that would be huge.

 

What is your most beautiful memory from cycling?

I don't think I can pick just one. I’ve met some really amazing people and had some crazy experiences because of cycling!!

 

Is it hard to be away from home during the Winter or you made Belgium kind of your new home?

I actually live in Belgium full time with my boyfriend. I’ve lived here and in Holland on and off over many years. We moved back here maybe 2.5 years ago now. For a bike racer Belgium has a very special atmosphere. The beer and cake are pretty good too!!!! 

 

What is your advice towards the young riders that are starting in cyclocross now?

It’s a great sport to get into. Play on your bike as much as you can. Get all those skills messing with your friends or out the back garden. There will be plenty of time for intervals and being oh so serious.

 Thanks for the interview, Mihcelle!