BY SEÁN HOLLAND
TONY MOSELEY from Union Hall, at the age of 76, is no ordinary cyclist.
A late bloomer in the world of competitive cycling, his journey only began in 2018 when he transitioned from the equestrian sports of show-jumping and eventing into cycling.
He recently competed in the colours of West Cork Cycling Club and finished second in the M-10 category for competitors over the age of 75, thereby qualifying for the UCI World Championships in Denmark, which take place from August 28th to September 1st.
Tony’s foray into cycling began when his son, Christopher, lent him a bike for a weekend, and that’s when the spark was ignited.
‘I was dropped off in Clonakilty and I cycled back to Union Hall. Then the next day, I went off and did Castletownshend, Trugumna and Skibbereen. I couldn't sit down for a week after that!’ he laughed.
Tony had caught the cycling bug. He purchased his own bike and started to take the sport seriously, eventually joining West Cork Cycling Club in late 2019.
His competitive spirit quickly found a new outlet in cycling. Even before joining the club, he had already started setting challenges for himself, notably on the popular cycling app Strava, where he took on and succeeded in several ‘King of the Mountain’ (KOM) challenges.
‘To be blunt, I'm actually very competitive,’ he admitted.
‘I started as a lot of people start in West Cork Cycling Club on green, which is basically a low pace probably averaging 22 kilometres an hour. It was quite enjoyable. Then I progressed to amber, which is a little bit faster, a bit more demanding, and red, again, a little bit more difficult. You’d want to be really fit and be prepared to do long distances and climb pretty steep hills.’
Joining West Cork Cycling Club has been a significant part of Tony’s cycling journey. He speaks highly of the club, emphasising the friendship and support he’s received.
‘I highly recommend them. I think they're a great club. I mean, you've got everything going for you and you get plenty of advice,’ he said.
Tony’s dedication and hard work paid off when he competed in the Irish leg of the Gran Fondo in Sligo where he secured a podium place, finishing in second position, hence qualifying him for the World Championships in Denmark.
‘In some sense, I probably should have stopped there, but it's getting back to this competitive nature I have, and also my age. I knew well that I'm probably not going to get another chance to compete in the UCI World Championships, and so here we are,’ he said.
The upcoming world championships in Aalborg present Tony with his biggest challenge yet – the race will cover a gruelling 112 kilometres. While he was surprised by the hilly terrain in Denmark, he remains unfazed.
'The race in Sligo was 79 kilometres. Now in Aalborg, it will be 112 kilometres, with 960 metres worth of climbing. Basically, you’re going up a lot of hills. I don't mind hills too much though because I'm in West Cork, for goodness sake!’ he said confidently.
‘I'm looking forward to the chance to stand on the podium again. But you’ve competitors coming from all over the world this time – from the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, you name it. It's a big thing but I’m looking forward to it.’
