Interview Imogen Cotter

She's only been racing for 4 years now and only 2 years on the road but she's rapidly moving up the ranks. Making her debut for a small Belgian team in 2019 and riding many races in the World Tour with Plantur-Pura next year. Those 3 seasons were already enough to take her first Irish title on the road. Next year you can see Imogen Cotter shining in the Irish shamrock jersey. An interview with the rider behind the jersey.

This year you became Irish road champion for the first time, how does it feel to ride in this unique jersey for a whole year?

For me, riding in the Irish champs jersey is a dream come true. I have always considered it to be a great honour to be selected to ride for the Irish team on any occasion, so to be able to represent my country every time I race and train is a very special experience for me and something I will really cherish!

You didn't start racing before your 20ies but you are "rapidly setting steps forward, how do you experience the past years?

The past few years have definitely been a rollercoaster for me. I started cycling in 2017, and in 2019 I moved to Belgium and focused on road racing. The last 3 seasons racing in Belgium were very tough and a huge learning curve for me - it was very humbling to begin in these races where I was just surviving and not really able to do anything combative. It took a lot of hard work to get to the level I'm at now and I know I still have a huge amount of untapped potential and ability to learn - not just improving my watts but also understanding how to race and working on my bike skills. Moving to Plantar Pura next year will be a huge step in making these improvements.

Next year, you'll make the move to Plantur-Pura, an ambitious young continental team. What are your own ambtitions?

I really hope to show my ability as a strong team player - I can work really well in a team when I am given a plan and told what I need to do and when I need to do it. I will be making a step up to riding some higher level races and I am keen to prove that I can perform in these races. I'd like to get some consistent results in UCI races, and I aim to represent Ireland at the Europeans and Worlds - that is a huge dream of mine. I also would like to come in to the race season feeling ready - in other years, it has taken me about a month to build back up to being race-fit. The main thing for me is building on my consistency in race results on the road. If I am given the opportunity, I would enjoy getting to do some gravel races!

Which terrain does suit you the most?

The last 3 years in Belgium have been great for me in terms of improving my race skills and understanding more about how racing works, but the terrain there hasn't really suited me at all. Most of the races are extremely flat, and if there is a hill, it's usually quite short and incredibly steep! I prefer to ride hilly races with long climbs - this is my strength. I'm glad that I will get to do some races like that this year as I haven't really done any like that yet.

 

 

What are your cycling ambitions on a long term?

I am excited to spend time with Plantar Pura learning and growing to the best of my potential. I feel like this is the right team for me as I make the step up to higher-level races as it is a very professional and well-run team. I am also delighted to be surrounded by such talented riders and hope I can learn from them. My aim over the next few years would be to prove that I can ride well in UCI races and get results here, show my strengths on climbs, perform well as a team member - especially when it comes to World Tour races, I would like to win the National title a few more times - and possibly try time trial as I think that could suit me. I also want to represent Ireland on a regular basis at races like Euros and Worlds. And if it's possible, I would like to work with the rest of the female Irish riders to try and qualify a road cycling spot at the Olympics. Even if I didn't get to go myself, knowing that I would help to qualifying the spot would be a great feeling.

How do you spend your Winter break?

I am home in Ireland for the winter. I had plans to move to Mallorca this week, and spend December and January there, but I'm actually just really tired after a hectic few months with a lot of travelling. I'm going to stay home and enjoy being settled in one place for a while. I get really good training done here in Ireland, and I have a brilliant support system here with family and friends, which I've missed a lot living in Belgium for the last 3 years. The roads here are good for training because they're a bit tougher, and I won't have the stress of living out of a suitcase. It's a nice feeling!

You're also doing e-sports, how do you experience them and what are your ambitions in this discipline?

I have really enjoyed being part of the Movistar e-sports team this year. The racing has been some of the toughest I've had to do - it's just an hour of full gas suffering! Moving forward, I'm not sure as of yet what my plan is with e-racing - whether I will be able to balance this with the road racing I'll be doing or not. I think Plantar Pura might do some e-racing, which would be a fun addition to the calendar!