Sporting Club sat down with CCIOM cyclist, Corrin Leeming to chat about his career and the direction that Manx Cycling is going.
After competing in the first race as a team in the Ras in Ireland earlier this year, Corrin Leeming sat down with Sporting Club to discuss the advantages Cycling Club Isle of Man will provide for upcoming riders.
Having won the under-21’s Gran Fondo TT this year and finishing in the top sixteen in the road race stage at the Manx International, Leeming has been on a high run of form so far this year.
Challenge
The 19-year-old, who is also a strong triathlete, finished in the top three of the Microgaming Isle of Man Half Marathon last year with an impressive time of 1h15m2s. We asked the youngster how one trains for two physically tiring sports and whether it affects his cycling training.
He said: “I think in some way it helps because it gives different focuses throughout the year. So I can try and focus on the upcoming race.
“it gives me quite a bit of a variety and also a general break.
“In training, I prefer cycling and in the racing it’s probably a bit mixed as I enjoy certain tactics that are used in different sports, but cycling is definitely my favourite and one that I prefer.”
Team
Cycling Club Isle of Man (CCIOM) had their first official race as a team earlier this year at the Ras in Ireland, with Leeming being one of the riders.
Leeming went on to talk about the positives taken from that race and how this is a step forward for Manx cycling with the forming of CCIOM.
Leeming said: “I definitely see this as a step forward in Manx cycling.
“Having a team can also help you get into other events and from there you can start picking up the experience and continue to race at a high level.
“But you still have your teammates and your friends and people who you train with and know very well from racing over here, it allows us all to race as a team at a high level.”
The island has many talented riders, with the likes of Mark Cavendish and Peter Kennaugh being two who have progressed and gone on to become very successful in the world of cycling.
Opportunity
With steps taken forward to create a cycling club, it means creating opportunities for those to be able to grow and see how far they can go and follow in both Cavendish and Kennaugh’s footsteps.
Leeming said: “In cycling for the big events you have to be part of a team, so if you’re not in a team, you can’t ride the events.
“Without there being a team over here would most likely cut off the opportunity to ride against other teams across.”
For his age, Leeming sees things very clear and is very dedicated to the sport. Although he wants to see how far he can go in cycling, the most important aspect for him is to continue to have fun.
“I want to see how far I can get in cycling, but most importantly I want to continue to have fun with it and enjoy the experience of racing at a higher level and see how far I can get.”
Leeming will be looking to continue his form as his next target is to finish on a high in the under-23’s National Series rounds and the Senior National Series round both scheduled to take place later on this month.
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