Caoimhe O’Brien realises her professional dream

When the phone rings these days there is a high probability that it will be a hoax or scam call, but when this PRO’s phone beeped two weeks ago, the conversation couldn’t have been better.

The caller was imparting the amazing news that Caoimhe O’Brien, who joined Lakeside Wheelers as a young child and progressed within the club to race in Lakeside Wheelers colours all over Ireland and in Europe as a junior, had just realised her lifetime ambition of becoming a professional cyclist.

This kind of progression and success does not come easily. Only the best and the few, get to see their dreams come true, so all the hard work and sacrifice has paid off for this exceptional athlete.

Caoimhe has spent the last few years very diligently learning her craft riding with teams from Belgium, England and most recently, the USA. She has raced mainly in Belgium, where the sport of cycling is more like a religion and it is widely considered that if you succeed there you have a good chance of making it to the professional ranks.

Having won some important races and taken podium spots in many more, the word was out some time ago that the girl from Mullingar had something special.

Caoimhe has featured at the sharp end of the Irish National Championships, coming second for the last two years, and is a former Irish U23 champion. She has represented Ireland on the track and on the road at European and World championship level on more than one occasion and always had her eyes on the top prize.

One of her biggest successes came this year at the Maryland Classic in America, where she finished in the top 10, an incredible achievement against some of the best female riders in the world. This result really cemented her credentials and put her in the shop window for all to see.

Caoimhe has signed a World Tour contract (first ever from Lakeside Wheelers) with EF Education-Oatley, a premier team in world cycling, who already have a significant Irish contingent on their books.

One of the main stars on the men’s team is Tour de France stage winner and Yellow Jersey holder, Ben Healy, while fellow Irishmen, Darrren Rafferty and Archie Ryan are also riding with the US-registered team.

The Lifetime member of Lakeside Wheelers has moved to the top tier at an exciting time for women’s cycling as the sport has made great strides in recent years. Having a contract at World Tour level means Caoimhe will be in contention to race in the biggest and most difficult races on the cycling calendar.

The Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia Donne and Vuelta Femenina are the three Grand Tours for women, and there are now also women’s events across all the famous Classics such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix.

With her vast experience of racing in Belgium, there is no doubt that Caoimhe will be a huge asset to her new team particularly in those events.

Caoimhe, who is now based in the cycling mecca of Girona in northern Spain, describes herself as a rider with a more than decent sprint and a fondness for the punchy, hilly routes.

She says that that what drew her to EF Education-Oatley was: “The team’s ethos and their belief that a happy athlete is a successful athlete."

She was also impressed with their approach to cycling, “Just going out and riding our bikes and getting the most out of everything and having a sense of balance is the right way to do things.”

Off the bike, Caoimhe, who holds a degree in food science, is a fan of cooking, baking and yoga, and when she is back home enjoys nothing better than going out cycling with younger sister Aoife - also a top level cyclist - and who knows, maybe she will follow in big sister’s footsteps soon. No pressure Aoife!

Best wishes to Caoimhe from everyone at Lakeside Wheelers Mullingar. We are all tremendously proud of you and what you have achieved and we will be watching your schedule and progress closely in 2026.

Cyclocross

The Leinster Cyclocross Championships were held in Naas last weekend on a wild and misty day. Lakeside Wheelers was represented in the Junior and Senior ranks and once again there was a significant medal haul for the club.

In the Girls U12 race, Kate Horohoe took a fine 2nd place, while Siobhan Marshall achieved a similar result in the U14s. Caoimhe Marshall rode an excellent race against tough competition and claimed 3rd overall in the U16s. Ruairi Horohoe competed in the Boys U14 race and while he finished just outside the medals, he said he had a really enjoyable race.

In the senior races, Neil McDermott finished a creditable 5th in the M40s event, which was surely worth the sacrifice of staying on soft drinks at the club Christmas party the night before. Well done to all Lakeside Wheelers members who raced in such difficult conditions.

Turkey Trot

Don’t forget the annual Turkey Trot event will be held on December 27 from the clubhouse at 10am. This social spin will follow the usual route to Tyrrellspass Castle for festive refreshments and then home for another round of festive dinner.