 Ronan and Sean you're welcome to the studio of Highland Radio to look forward to to the big event next week Thank you. Thank you I suppose that first of all Ronan will start with you because you came very very close to one on a stage in a previous race That's now five years ago 2012 What was it like on that occasion? I suppose first of all for you to be leading a stage of the race and Your home county didn't work out at the end for you at the end of the stage But it was a big day in your career Definitely was you know, it's a I think the stories Everybody's heard them at this stage and you know, it was a big day out for myself Unfortunately, it didn't work out how you would want it to but that's sport like there's no there's no gifts or anything you wouldn't you wouldn't expect anybody to To help you want to race or allow you to want to race just because coming into your home county And it would have been nice would have been a fairytale to finish it off But you know as I said, there's no gifts so it didn't work out that day. It's given me You know in some ways it was, you know, one of the worst things ever happened in a bike at the same time It was well, not the best thing and obviously but it gave me I remember that summer the drive and the determination I had just to you know, dig in and you know, prepare them for the rest of the season Really really drove me on like I was at home for the month of July that that summer and It just gave me that much determination They ended up getting into that good of condition that I was selected to go to the elite world championships for the Irish team and all like and That was the highlight in my career. It also gave me great form for the Tour of Britain that year And although I was always driven and determined and trained well I don't know if I would have went as deep that that year hadn't been for the disappointment of Bondorn But at the same time then it kind of got into that wonder It was always playing the back of my mind and for 2013 season I wanted to do is everything I could to try and won a stage and ended up doing too much and overcooking it and overtraining and Getting ill and losing too much weight and all sorts like so I had but it definitely had pro Pluses and negatives to to make career something, you know Well, we'll talk about later about possibly one in a stage in 2017 Sean, that's just gonna be an exciting week for you We know that the rolling here is part of a team you've created a team over the course of the last number of months when it was announced That it was coming to Doney Gall because it's your home patch and and you wanted to do it How big a task has it been to create Doney Gall Voodoo performance and put the whole package together just to get in The road next week. Well at the start, you know, I suppose it's hard at the start But when we got the feeders out there and a lot of businesses and a lot of local Help has come on board and they can know when the route come out Sean Stewart posted it to me said he up for it and I looked at it and I thought listen when it's coming to the home Country again, we're gonna have to give it another go like but we're there with a week to go. We're ready Well, I don't know if we're ready. We might we're ready. We have a team on my but we'll see how it goes And it's a Doney Gall team now you're the the soul Doney Gall writer on the team You brought in a couple of guys from Dublin, but it's very much And the background the foundations is all done. Yeah, it's all Doney Gall based It's like, you know, I mean we all are cruise Doney Gall Jason Black has come up with a kit Round over there's come up with the cars and like, you know, Kearn or Donald Jason McHugh, Jordan McGinley Brian McBride is a physio So it's all Doney Gall based where we thought we're gonna have a Doney Gall team at the time But it didn't work out that way because Ronan had been selected to Red, Franco, Blue And there's two Carter brothers from Doney Gall town that we're hoping that's gonna be on the team and Likes of Roy Devlin and Mark McClure and Mark McCannon that had done it before but things have happened and injuries and work commitment and they couldn't do it But I've been driving myself to get to the start line and we're there and hopefully things will go well What's your own personal conditioning like compared to 2015 because you competed five years ago as well Where are you now compared to where you are then? I don't know. I suppose I'm wiser to it now Like I've done a lot of more racing over the years back then we were told that we weren't able to do it in 2012 We weren't front enough to do it and Philip was home one year and we were doing a talk out in Girdon Lake And we asked him was it possible for a countervader to do the race and he said it was and we weren't supposed to talk We're on it as well asking was it possible and he was giving us a few tips about it. So Am I fit enough for it? I think he am I've done a few big races Recently the Shea Elliott and the two of the Morns and I've got around them. Okay. I've finished in the bunch Haven't been dropped out of the bunch. So I think I'm I'm fit enough but I'm more wiser to what it's like So hopefully my craft and my experience will get me around it again And few it's I suppose it's going to be more of a personal achievement to be just involved In this race because this is huge for cycling in Ireland and when we look at the UCI teams Under that banner that are going to come we spoke about it beforehand The team Wiggins is coming as just one example you have of course the the the Ireland team here as well So to be part of that and to get to the finish will be a huge achievement It'll be a huge achievement to get the finish like as I said Lining up against team Wiggins and lining up like aqua blue or you know all them teams It's to me is like a a many tour de France like you know me you don't get every day to race against them boys You know and hopefully we're going to set up a platform for younger riders coming through like at the minute Young juniors and donnie gall and overall over Ireland The standard is so high and you know you have as mark darling. No, uh, the world was track champion And mcdonnie's going to do you know to line up against them boys. It's going to be a good pleasure Ronan, it's a total different contrast for you compared to Sean's situation because Sean's sort of building the team and And getting as many volunteers together so that donnie gall can have a team on this But you're part of aqua blue. There's a strong foundation there. There's a system There's a backup team very much run more professionally. So what's your prep in like for this year's Ross? Well the Part of the reason I'm even on that team is you know to allow myself not to have the stresses off setting up team like I think I was a member of for the second club for the last couple of years and this year the opportunity came to go to aqua blue And it was a hard decision to make because they didn't really want to leave for it But part of the reason was that I just wanted to give absolutely everything to this Ross And I wanted to not look back and say if I had I just had a bit less pressure there a bit less stress there or But more recovery time it might have made it worked out. So I don't want to give myself any excuses I've been me training has been 100% Um, I couldn't you know, I'm not pro anymore. Not full time anymore. I'd have a full time job now And what I've done outside of work. I couldn't have done anymore. I couldn't have done any better And the whole year's been gauge or gated towards the Ross So the results have had so far have all been bonuses really I've just sacrificed everything else to try and go into the Ross as as good as I can um, the last The last few weeks now any time I've gone out I'm taking you know, I'm sure everybody in the segments how to strava You know I'm doing my best times on certain segments on strava and doing my best times on Climes that would test myself like they like some more gap I've gone up it quicker than I have done even in the Ross previously. I've gone up ground his gap different climbs You know a lot faster than I have done for for years now. So I don't think um, maybe the same situation. I'm not exactly at the high level I was in 2012 um, like my power numbers are maybe not just exactly as high or my weight maybe not as low but all around kind of Again using experience that I've gained since then and that I think all around them. I'm a better rider now and I'm kind of Got under the known as well that it might be my last chance to get a you know a stage one and on my goal or something so and that that alone You know will will help me What's what sort of scenario play would need to as opposed to fall into place or Or run out of if you are to be a contender for for a stage one Given what you just have to tell us that maybe you feel you're not to where you were in 2012 Well, hopefully nobody watches this video or listens to this interview Just doesn't realize that I'm in good shape, you know No, it's the same for pretty much every kind you're right Or we're we're kind of playing on the fact that maybe the international team's coming on their estimators Now the aqua blue jersey maybe isn't the best jersey they've been to be underestimated because it's associated with the team that rides Or it's got an invite to the the world of spainia and that and what's down though they'll quickly realize that we're not that aqua blue team. We're the feeder team and Hopefully then you just get a bit of leeway, you know And you're allowed into a breakaway or if it's all together in the attack with a couple kilometers coming under the finish That they just say well that boy is not going to be strong And I feel come back on their estimating us just because you know, we're not international riders Um, and I think that's the best way for for county riders to get, you know, big results Myself personally, I'm not a sprinter. I haven't got that, you know, kick at the finish So I'm unlikely to get up and and bond sprints. So realistically speaking, you know that that long breakaway or The late breakaway is probably the best chance of getting getting up early now How technology develops you say it in motorsport, but it's also in the cycling world We've got this bike beside us That you're going to use Yes On on the race and you've been training hard on it. What makes this bike so special rona? Well, it is the latest technology But at the same time it's kind of gone back to to not the basics But back in time we but and that it's a bike that's custom made for myself you know every bike I've had from Trek to specialize to dole and to planet X's to panarellos They're all off the peg, you know the size that the The top level world champions and professionals will be getting to be the same size that the customer buys in shop This one is made exactly the way I wanted it So everything from the length of each tube to the angle of each tube to the stiffness ratio of the head tubes in the The rear triangle and that absolutely everything is custom custom made So 51 bikes came to me at start of the year and says What would you like or what do you think would give you the best chance? I basically said to them that I wanted the lightest and stuff as bike I've ever had to be the most comfortable bike ever ridden and I wanted it to be like Basically accelerated like nothing I've ever had before and they've managed to put it all together like and then the paint job is Inspired by another rona McLaughlin the photographer from uh, he has a picture Mount head and the northern lights above Mount head and And that's where we the inspiration for the paint job came from Some of the big names and Irish cyclins on it Roach There's uh, I'm still a wee bit uneasy about that, but it's for more motivation. Like it's all Irish winners of the Ross I don't think I'm going to join the name of actual overall winners or join the list of overall winners, but Uh, you know to have some of those names that now you have Stephen Roach of Cure on par Stephen Gallagher Uh, some massive names on there like and you know every little helps So is this the best bike that that you've ever taken on that competition or is I I think it's the best bike for me without a shadow without because it fits me every bike I've had previously was either too short on top or too high on top or whatever And for me personally speaking, this is I got on it last week and it just straight away It was like, oh my god, I should have only these years ago So but then again, they weren't they weren't available years ago They are just they are just new to the market there and it's it's working for me so far Let's talk about stages then uh Nearly 500 kilometers is going to be based in Donegal. We're going to flat Paces in Donegal. There's a lot of hills in there as as as we know no flat as as we know they can't do well But Bondour and Bunkrana down low and Donegal town are all are all stage finishes What's going to make Donegal so special this year and and the rest and what's going to be such a huge Contributive factor and who's going to win this is going to have a have a have a big scene They're stages that you know well Sean looking forward to them Looking forward to them, you know, I'm supposed to look forward because we can and know them and we know where to Maybe move up in the bunch, you know, because in bike racing if you're you're too far back and in the bottom of a climb It's very very rare that you'll be shelled out the back So we know them very well myself and Ronan and the boys that's on the team that's been wrecking them So we'll be able to move up hopefully and get well well placed in the bunch before we hit the bottom of the claims You know, it's not going to be easy for like myself and maybe all the smaller counter riders But like Ronan them like they'll be moving up because they'll know them really well and they'll know the tax are going to be Placed, you know, a likes of my more claying action And we're in Carrick and Calcare It's not no place for faint hearted I think it's I think it's the Wednesday stage that there's three claims towards then before you're going to Bunkrana with my more being the last one of them If I'm right like that's serious stuff on a bike sort of that last 40 kilometers from when we first go through Bunkrana until we get back to Bunkrana for the finish It could be the hardest 40k the whole the whole risk like and it could actually decide the whole risk Um, we you have Glenn Gage on stage six, but it comes very early in the stage it might be more just of a Waddling down process on Glenn Gage rather than actually a deciding factor for the risks like my more could be um, but like I I wrecked stage five there a few weeks ago from from Bunkrana to Dunlow and You know, you've got the the main road from Bunkrana to Larry Kenny, which probably everybody knows but from the second you Turn out at Milford It's small roads all the up and down left and right all along the coast If it's if it's a morning like this morning where there's one than rain That could be on paper that looks like one of the easier stages But it could really be a decisive stage if if it is like that How are these stages affect some of the teams that we mentioned earlier on at the start because there's some of the Big names and and cycling that are going to be coming here to to the county and how these stages going to Impact these guys or the sort of thing that they like to be challenged on definitely, you know, you have I think any teams coming this year will bring climbers their best climbers to kind of they'll have looked at the route beforehand On the gps profiles and all that we have and they'll see that it is a hilly Ross Um, so they'll bring riders to suit that kind of terrain um, but then again, you know Irish or the Irish riders knowing the roads will be an advantage and Um, as I said at the at the launch of the wrist, like it's it's all very well been You know one of the best climbers going up one more gap But if you happen to meet a sheep coming down the other side, it could be could be a whole different story You know, and if they're not like that's actually one of the scary things for me for the week Is that I know coming down that straight said a memorial for the descent that if you got the top And you don't know it. It just looks like a straight road. You go down under k and r But for me and john knowing it and knowing how bad the surface is and knowing that there is sheep everywhere and Yeah, uh, it's not just as straightforward as it looks and We're gonna just touch and rally and boost vasty lobe came here in 07 He was the world champion and it took him Over a day just to get used to the donigal stages Is that similar and and cycling because use boys know What's happening at the at the local knowledge can give you a wee bit again Maybe when it first comes to the county show Definitely with our local knowledge is going to play a big part for us like, you know And I suppose not for maybe professional bike riders like team wagons and all them They've raced on all sorts of roads, you know, me like so As we only said though that that that road from Bunkana to down low when we go for knock out and then to Over the fan of bridge if the ones blowing like it was today Like there's going to cross one there and it's going to be split the pieces I think from from down low across or from The blaney bridge across like it's but we're kind of blessed. I suppose in donigal this year because They're really all on good roads. There's no back roads. It's all good roads that we're going to be on So it's kind of a bonus to us here when they like when we done the row when I've done the last previous Down round carry and claring in all I was all back roads, you know, but we're very lucky They were going to be on the main road from From Bunkana to down low. There's no back road at all, you know And then suppose when we hit glentes to head it back over to donigal town From donigal town back down the rd I think we'll go and cross country and that's probably where it's going to get tricky again because we're all on by roads there heading back to To rd back from rd back to scurry again. So that's going to play a big part again there There's a huge factor as well that enter nice on teams coming from europe especially You're not used to the side road that we ride on or drive on that is a factor as well And we've also got cat's eyes, which a lot of them wouldn't be used to so the first few days There is a lot of crashes now that are caused by both those factors and again, it's just not knowing our roads And you have to be very careful to to avoid these crashes because it happens so quick Well, that's I can ruin your entire race. The worst nightmare is, you know, putting a year's effort into You know, we're trying to do absolutely everything right and maybe crashing the first day Yeah, and that can't happen and those happen This is a huge event and it's great to see it back in donigal after a five-year absence But I'm sure if locals get out onto the side of the road and follow the rush around the county The likes of you sports we'll get a huge left of it Definitely, you know, we'll have a lot of local support like and It's great that we I know myself personally I get so much support the whole year like if There's a I couldn't really mention them all now We did a lot of people in four of the second club and at home my parents and my family and all that Helped me and take me everywhere and that makes a massive difference And now that'll all be multiplied 10 fold next week because the fact we're both from donigal Anybody out in the roads from donigal, I assume will be supporting us and cheering us on and Writing on the roads or having flags or banners or whatever they can it really really does help like Yeah, I suppose a wee bit more special for you too, Sean that given that you've put this package together with such a A low budget a limited budget and and trying just to get to the start line So when you can't get out there and can't compete when you see everybody that is back to this Last number of years and particularly his last number of weeks It'll I'll make it I suppose with more sense of achievement on it that you're on it I would all like you know, I mean as I say my wife's a school teacher and my son's in the school in a local school here And they're going to be out everywhere in the course and you have to hand it to the rest like they go through The towns before that and hand out t-shirts and balloons and banners for all the all the all the schools and we're passing through Let it Kenny. We're passing through a lot of schools. So it's going to be good It's going to be a great week and hopefully we get the same weather we got in 2012 and make it enjoyable for the spectators Like in 2012 when I come over in my more it was like 25 degrees like it was It was a spectacle like to see the crowd that was on it though. So like We've done our best We've we've got the team ready. We're ready to go and fingers crossed that we can make it from Dumbbell and castle back to scary's in one piece. That's my final question to you show what Where do you want to be at the end of the race? What's what's your target now for for this for this race? Target is to as I say starting Dumbbell and Castle and financing scary's and get back in one piece They have a holiday to go on the following week. I'm going to Dubai for a week So I don't want to go with any broken bones or anything. So the bike will be left at home The bikes can be left at home and the runners and everything's gonna be left at home But no listen, I have to I suppose thank a few people like the people that's coming out to help me They're all volunteers and uh We're gonna give her a best shot like self jesse mckew jordan McGinley Sean McBride duck at all If I've got somebody I'll millie and I suppose Jason for the for the captain stuff like that So we'll give it a best shot as a as I don't think all team as I don't think all base team And we've heard that the rest is coming back to don't go For the next two or three years. So hopefully we may be able to build on that and maybe Get the legs of Ronan on board and get the character boys on board and build a proper don't think all county team Again and and have another stab at it like yeah, and for your owner What's what's the the hopes now for for the rest where do you want to become the funnest later on? What do you want to get out of it? Yeah, I do have two goals. We've spoke about the stage one Um, I am trying to go for the best overall position I can as well. Um, which is maybe more achievable than a stage one Um, but if we get that stage one, I might not even start the next day That might just be it done like, you know, it might not top that so if I forget in the first day, you might not even see me until I go No, that's you know, that's that's the goal for the week is to you know, obviously to get around in one piece first and foremost like and that's that's You to achieve anything you have to do that to start with And then stage one and overall is It's it's the first roster. I'm actually coming out and saying those things and in the open that that's what I want to do Like so I'm I'm thinking Well, I know I'm I'm ready to achieve those things, but you still need a bit of luck. So, you know Well, we can do is first the two years the very best look with with the rest next week and hope you uh all your goals Calm as far as both of your respective teams and you get what you want out of the event and all fingers crossed That'll be a a huge one for for for the county and predictor for years to you boys Thanks for coming on and all the best next week in the roster. Thank you