A County Tyrone teenager is set to follow in his older brother's slipstream when he competes in France next month. Adam Rafferty is preparing to compete at the Tour du Valromey which is held over five days from July 13-17.
The 16-year-old will make his race debut in France with the Team 31 Jolly Cycles outfit. It will see Adam take on five mountainous stages covering approximately 500km.
Adam's brother Darren (18) took part in the event last year and currently rides for Hagens Berman in the Pro Continental series. Now it's the turn of the younger sibling to take on mountainous climbs including the Saint Germain Les Paroisses and Col de la Rochette.
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"Darren and I both share the same coach and he used to race in France when he was younger. So he is well respected within French cycling," Adam, from Dungannon, said.
"I was riding well and managed to get into this year's team. We have a team of about 15 boys but only five of us are going to Valromey. That will be my first race in France.
"Every year the team takes an international rider. Two years ago it was a Japanese rider, and last year it was my brother. It is a proud moment for the family having both of us compete at the Valromey.
"Darren is doing really well, he has a pro contract and it worked well for him last year, so hopefully it works well for me, too. Darren is currently riding Pro Continental with an Under 23 American team., which is one level before the very top.
"That is potentially the next step for me, after I finish with junior level. That's the aim."
The 35th Ain Bugey Valromey Tour takes place over five days from July 13-17 and will feature 28 teams. There will be five mountainous stages every day, covering about 500km.
"This will be something completely new to me. A new challenge," Adam said.
"But it is something I want. I want to be tested and this will give me a good gauge of where I am at right now.
"I am very lucky to even be selected; I didn't expect it to be honest. We have quite a big team roster, and I have never raced in France before.
"So when I got the call from the team manager I was surprised but delighted. I think it will be a class experience."
Adam added: "Throughout the year I would normally do road racing, time trials and also some cyclo-cross during the winter months. I compete all over Ireland, but for the cyclo-cross I usually go to England a couple of times as there is a really good level of racing there.
"I haven't set myself any goals for the Tour du Valromey. It is hard to know what to expect.
"I will try and be in the front groups and near the front, just helping the team. It will give me a good idea of where I am at.
"Pro racing is obviously the long-term aim, so this is another learning curve for me. World Tour racing is the big target, along with the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia - all those things."
Adam initially played football until discovering a love of cycling at the age of seven. He admits he drew inspiration from brother Darren.
"We used to just play football and then started cycling and enjoyed it. We did a few bits of racing and started to win things, and that's when you get addicted and want to keep coming back," he said.
"I was probably about seven when I started. My brother started a couple of months before, he started racing first and I thought it looked good.
"We also have a young sister Aliyah who also races. She is 14 and also competes.
"Darren rides for an American team called Hagens Berman, and I ride for a French team called Team 31 Jolly Cycles while Aliyah rides for our local club Island Wheelers. We used to all ride for the Wheelers.
"When I saw Darren go out to France last year and was winning races, that's when I thought it was possible. That's when I thought this was something I could turn into a career."
Adam became the third athlete to have been awarded a £500 bursary as part of an ongoing partnership with the Mary Peters Trust and Hughes Insurance. The £5,000 bursary programme, which is now in its second year, will award funding to 10 young athletes from across Northern Ireland throughout 2022.
Each of the 10 athletes will be selected by Lady Mary and her Trust to receive a £500 bursary from Hughes Insurance to support them on their journey to realising their sporting potential.
Adam admits juggling cycling with his school studies can be exhausting. But he believes qualifying for the Valromey makes every sacrifice worthwhile.
"I go to St Patrick's Academy in Dungannon. I am in my fifth year and doing my GCSEs at the minute," he said.
"I have had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way. I have very little time with studies and cycling.
"I come home from school, revise, train and sleep. I suppose I am in a routine and used to the daily grind.
"I would spent about 8-12 hours on the bike each week. I cycle six days a week and have one day off, usually.
"The toughest part of cycling is the commitment it takes. Because it is an endurance sport it is such a time-consuming sport.
"You expend a lot of energy, and it is a very expensive sport. I suppose I could have picked an easier sport.
"During the winter I would do some weight training to complement the cycling. Training has been flat out for the Tour.
"It is expensive, but I am fortunate that the Mary Peters Trust has been a massive help to me, and obviously my parents have supported me massively along the way. Winning races and being selected for this Tour makes it all worthwhile."
To highlight Adam's taxing schedule, he is set to compete at this week's National Championships in Tipperary, just hours after sitting his Physics exam. It is something he has grown to accept over the past nine years or so.
"I have the National Championships on Thursday and Saturday. I will be finishing my Physics exam at 10.30am, and then I will be straight in the car to go to Tipperary to race," said Adam, a three-time National champion..
"It is physically and mentally draining. It is such a hard sport and you can't go into a race half prepared because you will get caught out."
Asked what advice his brother Darren has bestowed on him ahead of the Valromey, Adam joked: "He just told me to ride hard. Simple as that."
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