From Tokyo to Ecclesville for Logan as cyclocross returns to Fintona

OLLY Logan has no shortage of big-time experience to bring to the table as he takes charge of the fourth round of the Ulster Cyclocross Series which takes place at Ecclesville Park, Fintona, on Sunday.

Omagh Wheelers will, for the third year in a row, host a round of the series and Logan will take charge, fresh from spending a summer with Team GB’s swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics.

The County Donegal native, who now calls Fintona home, is the an analyst for the British swimming team, who enjoyed their most successful ever Olympics in Japan where they earned four golds, three silvers and a bronze medal.

And having been involved in the UK’s high performance system for 15 years, which has included the London and Rio Olympics, Logan has no shortage of top level experience to bring to the table.

But it’s the accessibility of local sport that Logan finds particularly appealing.

“I find this enjoyable because, from the day job, I work with top people and to have that perspective, my big thing is general participation, getting kids involved in exercise and I think cycling is a great sport for that as it covers all age groups,” he explained.

“When I work with kids, it’s not about the competing for me, it’s about the enjoyment and that’s part of the reason why I get involved in organising events like this because I feel it has so many benefits to it.”

Having been a member of Omagh Wheelers for several years and with a particular interest in the off-road side of the sport, having competed in cyclocross events Logan and several of his clubmates decided to take on the organisation of this round of the Ulster Series.

And with two years of experience under their belts, they feel they have it ‘down to a fine art’ at this stage.

That’s a necessity with up to 200 competitors spread over six or seven races in one day at the one venue where spectators will be treated to a great day of action that they can also get involved with.

“Because most of it is centred in the park, they [spectators] can see most of the lap and the whole race, unlike a road race when they only pass you for maybe 10 seconds every lap,” Logan explained.

“It’s a bit more spectator friendly and it’s a mix between mountainbiking and roadbiking but because it’s withing a park environment, the kids enjoy it and it’s great for them to develop their skills.

“Gary Donaldson, who won the Enduro mountainbiking race in Gortin last weekend, will be down at Ecclesville with some bikes so anyone can come down with their kids and their own bikes and get some tips.

“As well as running the event, it’s about getting kids involved in cycling even at this time of the year.”

Racing at Ecclesville will get underway on Sunday at 10am and anyone interested in spectating and learning some new skills is welcome to attend.