The wheels of Orkney's island games campaign are well and truly
turning, one of the teams looking to impress in Shetland next month,
is the county's cycling squad.
Originally a team of four, three cyclists will now compete: Torquil
Clyde, Beccy May and Sylvia Murray.
Torquil, who will be competing in his fifth island games next month,
will take part in the time-trial, the 120km road race and the street
criterium.
Both Beccy and Sylvia will take part in the time-trial and the
75km women's road race.
The three are sticking to a busy training schedule, and according
to team captain Torquil, preparations are going well.
He said: "We meet on Wednesdays collectively to take part
in time-trials which are about ten miles.
"We are cycling most days and at weekends, and some of us
have been to Caithness to take part in extra competitions.
"Personally, I don't feel quite as good as I did two-years
ago in Guernsey. I'm probably still going as well as I have at any
previous time, but I will have to see how I get on in the more gruelling
road race, but it's really hard to tell at the moment.
"I was the only Orcadian crazy enough to do both the road
race and the criterium in 2003. I still want to do the road race
so I've had to put the extra work in. I have concentrated a lot
on the road race, it takes up a lot of time, but to do well you
have to try and train as much as possible.
"To ensure we're as best prepared as possible, we do short
road rides as well indoor training, you have to do as much as possible,
sometimes this means starting at 7am, but it's definitely worth
it.
"Taking part in the cycling event is a massive commitment,
but we're happy to make it."
It may be the fifth time that the 38-year-old is taking part, but
for Torquil, the island games is still a massive occasion.
He added: "It is absolutely a great competition, it's the
real highlight of every two-years, it is an amazing event. You are
competing against people of international level, and it is a great
learning experience to compete against some of these guys."
Cycling in Orkney is something that has continued to grow over
the years.
Coming under the name of Orkney Triathlon Club (OTC), which was
established in 1992 with about 40 members, a number of competitions
are staged all year round.
Torquil, who said that his greatest island games accomplishment
was being part of Orkney's 2003 triathlon team that finished fifth,
said he is aiming for a top 20 finish in this year's cycling.
He continued: "In the team triathlon competition in 2003 we
finished fifth overall, we did well and I would say that it is one
of my best island games achievements.
"In the triathlon, I have finished tenth and 11th, which was
great. In the cycling road race competition I finished 16th which
was really good. I would like to get in the top 20 again and not
slip out of there.
"I have greatly improved since my first island games in 1997,
I got in the middle of the field then, I then progressed into the
20s and, at the last one, I improved into the teens.
"I couldn't take part in the time-trial in the last two games
due to triathlon commitments so I'm looking forward to getting back
into it.
"I am really looking forward to taking part in this, they
call the time-trial the race of truth - if you are fit then you
have a chance.
"This is contrary to the road race where it can be a game
of chance. In this one, you could be right up there and only seconds
later you could have dropped out of it, that is something you have
to watch for.
"For Sylvia and Beccy, who are competing in their first island
games‚ they will be hoping to be fighting fit and go on to
record personal bests if possible.
"Collectively, we just hope to do as best we can, it is too
difficult to anticipate what things are going to be like, it's not
just the competition, but the conditions that you have to consider."
Torquil, who believes the sport is more suited to the younger competitors,
said that the Shetland courses will throw up some tricky obstacles.
He said: "The problem with cycling is that it is a young guy's
sport, and a lot of them are competing on the mainland of their
countries.
"Nevertheless, you just have to get on with it. The road race
is my strongest competition, it is a difficult challenge because
you have to mix stamina with concentration.
"You are competing against some big guys, you've got to have
the nerve to do it. If you get intimidated then you'll get blown
away.
"We will have an additional challenge on the Shetland courses.
"They are very hilly and tough, there are going to be two
or three difficult climbs over each circuit, and there are eight
of them.
"The conditions are almost as difficult as you would get on
some mountain regions, this is going to make all three of the disciplines
that bit harder."
Despite the difficult challenges that lie ahead, Torquil said that
he is looking forward to experiencing the island games atmosphere
again.
He said: "The atmosphere at the games is fantastic, you get
to go to different places and compete against cyclists from other
countries.
"Shetland in many ways may be like performing at home.
It does perhaps take away a bit of the romanticism of it, but there
are also benefits of going to Shetland. It will make it more like
a home event, so that may have benefits for the three of us.
"You make a lot of friends when you compete in things like
this. Of course it is competitive, but you also get to see what
other cyclists are doing and this really is one of the major attractions
of the island games."
Unsurprisingly, with 70 men and 21 women taking part, the standard
in the cycling competition is high, Torquil is well aware of who
to look out for.
He said: "The Isle of Man are the best. They are getting even
better, their stalwarts are younger than me but have been to just
as many island games.
"It is really difficult trying to compete against these guys
but it is what the island games is about, having the opportunity
to race against cyclists you normally wouldn't have the chance to."
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