Moore Dixon's Niall Quiggin to represent the Isle of Man at the Island Games in Guernsey, July 8th - 14th
One of these days we really must remember to tap Niall Quiggin of the Moore DIxon Isle of Man Audit Department on the shoulder and explain to him you can actually drive a four-wheel vehicle around the island, you don’t need to grind it out on a bicycle.
But in the meantime, while Niall still hasn’t got the memo, we are delighted to see how well he is doing on two wheels. So well that he is representing the Isle of Man at the forthcoming Island Games from July 8th to 14th to be held this year in Guernsey.
Now crunching numbers is one thing, but to represent the Isle of Man at the Games means he has had to crunch and often come crashing down onto some serious gravel.
Niall took up cycling when he returned from university in 2016 and after falling out of love with football. He bought his first road bike in 2018 so he considers himself still pretty new to the sport when compared to many of the other more seasoned riders on the island.
‘A good kicking’
Adept at handling the wheels within wheels of Auditing at Moore Dixon, Niall started out by entering local events and going on club rides with strong local racers. At first he received what is known in road racing circles as 'a good kicking’ in those early years of 2018 and 2019, but in the process he learnt a lot.
“It was in 2020 that I started becoming more competitive and pushing for wins and podiums” explains Niall. “It was also in 2020 that the first meeting of riders who wished to compete in the Island Games was held. I attended and was told what was expected of a rider riding for the Isle of Man, and without doubt, it was to win!”
That's when Niall set a personal goal to try and make the team. It was also at this point that Moore Dixon began sponsoring him, and no, it wasn't an expedient way to save on petrol.
A change of diet
In 2021, Niall dedicated additional time to training, acquiring equipment, and prioritising his health and dietary habits. The advice at Moore Dixon is to always have a hearty breakfast before tackling an audit, but a road racer requires a higher intake of carbohydrates than the average breakfast blow out can offer. Prior to a race, riders typically consume a breakfast consisting of carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, muesli, cereal, pancakes, rice pudding, smoothies, orange juice, and even noodles. This practice aims to replenish glycogen stores effectively. Additionally, riders must recognise the importance of incorporating vegetables, fruits, fibre, and healthy fats into their diet. And if you didn’t like crunchy, nutty sports bars or electrolyte packed sports drinks prior to road racing, you better start or you could literally find yourself grinding to a stop, you must keep the body fuelled.
More ‘good kickings’
Niall continued to improve during 2021 and challenged for wins and podiums. Then in 2022 he decided that he needed to develop his skills by taking his racing to the UK.
It wasn’t easy, there were plenty more ‘kickings’, some bad losses as well as some nasty crashes along the way. But as every Moore Dixon auditor knows, greater thoroughness, greater accuracy and efficiency can overcome adversity and with the application of perspicacity comes triumph. Niall was able to build the vital cutting edge to his riding, and in 2023 he has started winning consistently. So far this year he has won 2 criteriums and 2 time trials, as well as multiple top 10s at elite level British events. By the way, a criterium is not a new Ford electric model. A criterium, or ‘crit’ as its known among riders, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranges from about 400m to 10,000m.
‘Domestique’
All this hard, sweaty work, while most of us were tucked up in bed or enjoying the intellectual challenge of Love Island, meant that Niall met the criteria to be selected for the Island Games team and is thrilled to be going to Guernsey next month. He expects his role in the Isle of Man team to be that of 'Domestique', which is not to say he will be scrubbing the hotel doorstep, it means in cycling terms he will be acting as a team helper or support rider. Niall views a dream result as being able to come back with a top 10 in any of the disciplines (Time trial, Road Race, Criterium), with one of his team members winning races.
"Just being part of the Isle of Man squad and watching my friends compete in other sports like swimming, triathlon, and running will be amazing. I hope and expect the Isle of Man to be at the top of the medals table at the end."
Dougie Kelly, a Moore Dixon Isle of Man Audit Director commented that “Niall’s participation in the games is a monumental achievement and a reflection of his unwavering commitment and perseverance. As a representative of the Isle of Man, we have no doubt that he will make both himself and his community proud. All of us at Moore Dixon Isle of Man wish him the best of luck and are quietly confident that he will excel.”
We wish Niall all the best at the Island Games, and look forward to a thorough audit of how well he did.
Image courtesy: Tactic