On track for glory
 By David Thorpe
Mayo man David O’Loughlin is hoping to make history by becoming
the first Irishman ever to qualify for the World Track Cycling Championships
in March.
However the Cong native knows that anything other than a storming finish
next week in Los Angeles and the final qualifying tournament in Manchester
in February could wreck what has been a highly promising debut seasonfor
the 28-year-old in the Individual Pursuit.
Qualification for the World Championships is decided over the course of
eight World Cup races, the riders earning points in each race with the
best finishers qualifying for the World Championships in Mallorca.
Looking forward to the Los Angeles and Manchester meets David said: “I
took up track cycling because I felt the need for a new challenge after
many years of road cycling.
“The World Championship races are all building towards my goal of
Olympic qualification, the chance to qualify for the games is a major
motivation. The events I do now are endurance races so I spent a lot of
time earlier this year in the gym but most of my training now is just
cycling.”
With two legs of qualifying remaining David is in 13th place in the standings
and with the top 30 qualifying he is well placed to become the first Irish
competitor in history to qualify for the World Championship finals.
However with all of the top 50 riders closely bunched together it could
come down to the final qualifying event in Manchester on February 22.
David still lives in the parish of his birth, Cong, Co. Mayo and trains
every day.
He said: “There was a cycling club in the village when I was growing
up. I knew a few of the guys involved so I went along one weekend when
I was about 14 or 15 and have been hooked ever since”.
O’Loughlin is thrilled with how his season has gone to date.
He added: “It’s a decent start to my international track career
really. I mean I would always like to be doing better than I am at the
moment but I feel I am constantly improving.
“Especially in the middle of winter as I’m not 100 per cent
fit at the moment and there’s lots of room for improvement. I would
like to get a really high finish in one of the last two races just to
boost my confidence.”
David rides for the prestigious US Navigation Cycling team and has competed
in some of the biggest events in the world but for the moment the genial
Mayo man is focused on his goal of Olympic qualification.
His best finish in his debut season in the individual purusit discipline
was eighth in the Moscow leg of the qualifying event.
He said: “I was very close to getting a bronze medal that day so
I know what is possible.
“I am not really thinking about the long term and just hope that
the hard work I have been doing pays off.”
Not since the days of Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly has Irish cycling enjoyed
a prolonged spell in the spotlight but if David O’Loughlin can fulfill
the potential he has shown throughout this year and qualify for the World
Championships then Ireland might once again have a cycling champion to
call its own.
Barring disaster David should be lining up in Manchester in February knowing
that a steady ride would see him through to the world Championships in
Spain.
And who’s to say he won’t don an Irish race suit when the
next Olympics roll by in China next year?
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