Mountcharles cycist Jamie Meehan takes another step on the professional circuit

Mountcharles cyclist Jamie Meehan will embark on another stage of his fledgling career in France in January when he will take up a seasonal contract with AVC Aix-en-Provence, a former elite team that will race at UCI Continental level in the coming season.

The 21-year-old -  who competed at home for VC Glendale and Spellman Dublin Port – rode for top French elite team CC Étupes this year and has also been a regular on the Irish team, including riding Tour de l’Avenir.

It is Meehan’s first contract with a UCI-ranked team and comes after an impressive season this year, where he showed very strongly in some of the hardest races on the elite French calendar.

Meehan raced very consistently through the season and was 2nd in Trophée Souvenir Roger Walkowiak-Ville de Cusset as well as placing 13th overall at Ronde de I’Isard, the UCI-ranked event that is one of the most prestigious and hardest on the U23 international calendar.

He was also 6th at Classic 71 and placed 5th overall at Dornan Rás Mumhan on home roads last Easter, as well as gaining selection for the national U23 team for the UCI World Road Championships in Zurich.

Meehan is one of eight new signings for the team, most of whom are French, by AVC Aix-en-Provence as it moves up to Continental level. British rider Zachary Walker – 9th in the junior road race at the Worlds two years ago – is also among the new faces in the team.

“We had been in talks about it since the summer and into September and I agreed to go to them in September,” said Meehan, speaking from his home in Mountcharles this week.

“It is definitely a bit of a step up. It’s at a similar level but there is a new thing coming to France called a Federal Conti which this team is and is kinda bridging the gap between amateur and pro in France. It is another stepping stone really.”

Getting a professional contract is a natural  progression for Meehan who wasn’t really happy with the second half of the present year due to a knee injury.

“Things have been alright. I have been suffering with an annoying knee injury since July, which has really messed up the second half of the year. I would have hoped to have stepped up to the full Conti scene in France, which  would have been good.

“I just started suffering from a knee injury and it sort of completely derailed the second half of my season.

“I’m just trying to balance it really. It’s nothing too serious really, just inflammation, but it just doesn’t seem to be clearing quickly.”

Being at home since the last race in early October, Meehan has had a few trips to the salt water but is a little bit wary.

“Mum has been flat out on to me to do it but I've been just quite bad doing it really. I don’t like the cold water,” says Meehan, who said he would much rather cycle the biggest climb in France rather than go for a dip in the cold sea water.

“I do need to start getting back down to it. But I’m not a fan of the cold water.

“I took three weeks off at the end of the year. I trained then for three weeks and I had a training camp with the Ireland team over in Spain there last week for 12 days so I was able to get in a big week then.”

Getting to relax for a little while at home is good, especially at the end of the cycling season.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. You really need it. You just can’t be in that environment the whole year round.

“I’m still  training normally, but still enjoying the odd night out. But come the New Year there will be no more nights out. My team are definitely keeping an eye on me but I  think they know my form. It’s not something I’d like to do anyway, that is to do nothing. 

“I think all cyclists are the same. It is on us to do our training. There is no one going to do it for us.”

Meehan is looking forward to spending Christmas at home with the family and the get-togethers, which he says is always nice.

He is also brushing up on his French which he says “could be better.  I’m trying to learn. I always suffered with languages at school. It is not something that comes naturally but I will keep trying. You do pick up enough bits to get by.”

Then he will be back in the mix from the middle of January with a team training camp with his new team.

Looking forward  to the season, he revealed that there will be no Irish team at the World Championships in 2025 in South Africa. “That is disappointing especially as it would be a nice hilly course.

“The Euro Championships are fixed for France and that will be a decent course and Ireland will be sending a team there. But it will be difficult to get a place as there is a lot of talent coming through in Ireland, so selection will be tough.

“I hope to be in the mix but I will have to prove my worth on the team or show that I can do something for the team.”

Other than that, the 2025 season in France will be pretty similar to what Meehan faced in 2024.

“There will be a lot of similar races to this year and hopefully a few more big ones.”

But with this contract signed, Meehan is looking forward to taking a further step up the cycling ladder and his supporters in Mountcharles and throughout Donegal will be keeping an eye on his progress.