Liam's law
Liam Killeen may be one of the youngest riders on the MTB circuit, but the winner of last year's...
An interview with Liam Killeen, May 12, 2004
Liam Killeen may be one of the youngest riders on the MTB circuit, but the winner of last year's under-23 World Cup and current U23 national cross-country champion is one of Great Britain's best hopes for a medal at the Athens Olympic Games. Cyclingnews' US correspondent, Kristy Scrymgeour, reports on the rise of a potential Olympic and world champion.
This year, 22 year-old Liam Killeen moved into a full-time role with the Subaru-Gary Fisher mountain bike team for his first dose of racing professionally year-round. He began his season in South Africa with The Cape Epic, where he teamed up South Africa's reigning downhill world champion Greg Minnaar.
He started off well but crashed midway through, having to withdraw with an injured hip. "I crashed pretty hard there," remembers Killeen. "I came off on the road and landed on my left hip. I've been seeing a chiro ever since. It's not 100 percent yet, but it's getting there.
However, the injury hasn't stopped him racing hard and earning some good results in the process. In March, he raced the first round of the NORBA series where he placed third in the time trial and seventh overall. He then went on to race the Redlands Bicycle Classic against the roadies and placed sixth overall, just behind Jurgen Van Den Broeck (US Postal).
Later at the Sea Otter Classic, where I caught up with him, Killeen was happy to be there and was clearly in great form. "Sea Otter is a good race for testing your form", says Killeen, "and there are a lot of keen riders here so it's good racing."
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