Sticky Bottle

A good article from the lads at Sticky Bottle

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/ucds-anthony-walsh-ready-for-tilt-at-french-scene-doesnt-see-age-as-a-barrier/

Lenister team

I have had two outings with the Lenister (regional) representative squad in recent weeks. The first was a week of Kermesse racing in Belgium and second was a one day premier calender event, the Richmond GP, in the UK.

Ciaran has kindly written a report for the club website on Belgium so that saves me some typing. What follows are an example of his incoherent ramblings that I am forced to listen to at stage races around the country all season.




Three UCD riders made a week long trip to Belgium last week to try their hand at their Kermesse racing. Ciaran O Conluain was, as always, riding for UCD whilst Colm Cassidy and Anthony Walsh were honoured to be riding for both their college and their provence, Leinster.In the races they faced some of Belgiums top teams including riders for Omega-Pharma and Topsport. They also raced against many Irish riders based over there and the An Post boys Bennett and Lavery. Friend of UCD Eoghan “Galloper” also joined in the action and all the riders were cheered on by people who would cover the entire course at times such was the populartity of the racing there.

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The races were all approx 120km in length with laps varying from 5-9km. This meant you would get very used to the circuit and if one part of it didnt suit then it was always going to be a difficult day. One of the courses had 5 cobbled sections while another had a 140m ascending on each of the 11 laps (same as Howth each lap!). The main differences from Irish racing was the speed coming in and out of corners which showed that technique is a vital skill here. Also the lineouts out of the corners and the very narrow roads used meant it was often impossible to move up through the bunch and if you got caught in a bad spot then it was going to be a short day in the saddle. The weather was also very mixed with rain in almost every race.


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Richmond Premier Calender




I was part of the Lenister squad for the Richmond GP last weekend. The Richmond was the last race of premier calender season and would decide this years overall victor. The premier calender races are always a bit special. They have a great atmosphere about them. The Eurosport cameras and cycling media hang about the start looking to get some snaps of home town heros. This time around Russ Downing from Team Sky seemed to be getting a disproportionate amount of press.

The weekend didn't get off to get greatest of starts for me. I turned up at Dublin Port fashionably late. It turns out fashionably late isn't the best idea when you are using transport on a strict timetable. I scurried from one ferry terminal to the other in the hope of a solution to my missed boat. I managed to get a sailing with a different operator thirty minutes later but arrived in Hollyhead before the rest of the squad as I got the faster boat. One nil Walsh! I bumped into some of the Cycling Ireland staff who were headed to Denmark for the World Para-Cycling champs on the boat. They took the piss out of me something fierce for missing the early boat.

A long drive down to the race hotel. I couldn't wait to just crash out on my bed. You have to be kidding me - sharing a double bed. The glamour of cycling. We (me and James Davenport) made the best of a bad situation and had a decent nights sleep. I was the big spoon, in case you were wondering.

The race itself was very hilly. Probably the most undulating course I have ridden this season but it was nonetheless a top class, well designed race. Narrow roads, plenty of corners and climb after climb were the salient features of the parcours. The famed 'Butter Tub' climb came early in the race. It was about 5km long with an average gradient of ten per cent and it sucked as much as you'd imagine.

I missed a vital split with about thirty kilometers to go when a twenty five man group slipped off the front - never to be seen again. The race winner was Andy Tennat from Rapha Condor.

I sprinted up the final cobbled climb to the finish as part of a much depleted main bunch and exhaled a sigh of relief. It had been a long testing day and an even longer season. It's time to put the feet up for a few weeks and re-charge the batteries. It's been one hell of a season. From Kilmallock to Milwaukee and back!

Ballinrobe 2 day

Ballinrobe was the venue for my second stage race on consecutive weekends. We had a slightly depleted squad with a couple of late withdrawals but it turned out to be a great weekend.

We dominated the race claiming thirteen prizes from a five man squad. The highlight was the overall win which was taken by Colm Cassidy. The win was made that extra bit special as Irish Olympian, David O'Loughlin placed second on GC. I placed third overall, getting 6th on stage one and 5th on stage two along the way.



It was an solid performance from the team and the support staff which traveled with the squad. This is the last stage race of the season but with a couple of the younger lads showing impressively this weekend next season looks bright.



My next racing will be in Belgium from the 10th - 19th of August.




Overall
1st Colm Cassidy UCD 4Hrs 26'20"
2nd David O'Loughlin Cunga CC @06"
3rd Anthony Walsh UCD @19"
4th David Brennan Castlebar CC @24"




Photos from irishcycling.com

Superweek Victory

Spirits were high going into the Friday evening’s Brookfield Criterium. We took a lot of heart from the previous nights’ race. Although it was tough, now had a belief we were capable to getting a result. The atmosphere was on the night was special. I normally laugh at the over zealous, ill-guided American patriotism but tonight was different. As the local singer inspired the on-looking crowd by bellowing out her best rendition of the star spangled banner I couldn’t but notice the goose bumps on my arms. It was an atmosphere I hadn’t experienced at a bike race and I loved it. As the national anthem echoed in the background I had a moment to take cognisance of the surrounding and I now knew why Superweek was special. It wasn’t just the racing, it was the entire package: the celebrity announcer (Italian villain from cult classic ‘Breaking Away’), the hoarding, the crowds, Miss Milwaukee as starter and yes, the American zeal.

The race itself was a super technical seven corner, one kilometre circuit. The plan was similar to the previous day with Ed on the offensive early. This time it paid off – Ed found himself in a strong move which worked well together. With Ed away life became easy for the rest of us. We jumped with any move that looked dangerous in an attempt to get a free ride across to the break. About midway through the race I followed some wheels that looked dangerous and found myself in a chase group of about ten riders. With a man up the road no one expected, or got, any contribution to the workload from me. Meanwhile Ed’s group had lapped the main field. Sean, the team director, informed me of the situation and asked me to sit up and go back to help secure the win (very pro-tour).

The chase group was the only immediate concern. The plan was simple. Use me and Kevin to contain the chase group and keep Pete fresh to lead Ed out for the sprint. Time seemed to stand still as we made an uncomfortable tempo lap after lap. We were all expecting an attack from one of Ed’s fellow breakaway companions but they seemed content to leave it to be decided in the sprint. That suited us just perfect. Chemstar p/b United Healthcare also had a man in the break and contributed to the pace making. Kevin and myself lasted until just inside the final lap when the Chemstar p/b United Healthcare came over the top of our lead out train with their own. Pete never panicked. He bumped his way onto the back of their train and sat in until the last corner. Then he went for home with Ed in his wheel. He hit the front of the race with 250 meters to go and pulled to the side. Ed put his head down and opened up, nothing but clear road ahead. I was rolling in a few hundred meters back and I heard the announcer screaming, Ed Veal from Jet Fuel. Yes!! We won a Superweek race.



Ed was almost overcome with emotion as the team embraced to the backdrop of Queens’s iconic soundtrack, We are the Champions. We posed for photos with spectators and soaked up the atmosphere. It was a race I am not likely to forget for a long time -an incredible feeling.

The following evening was, ‘The Downer’, the biggest race on the Superweek calendar. The organisers’ anticipated a crowd of 30,000. In all honesty I don’t think the crowd was that big but it was substantial and made all the more impressive when you consider the crowd lined a one kilometre circuit. The race is held on Saturday night and it has a real Saturday night feel about it – spectators are in party mood, drinking and generally being loud. The Downer had all the atmosphere from the previous night, plus some more. It was a unique experience for me and although we all had tired legs from seven races in eight day, you could find that little extra in the legs when the cheers went up. The race itself was non memorable, we attacked and gave it everything we had but ultimately we came up short. A late breakaway contested the win.

As we took the chequered flag to conclude the race, spectators handed us beers. We rode a few laps to sample the crowd and toasted a great weeks racing.



Photos from www.pedalmag.com
results on www.internationalcycling.com

Milwaukee Superweek

Long drive on the cards to kick off the week. Scorching heat. One car with air conditioning. One car without air conditioning. Damn, I drew the short straw. It’s going to be rough getting out of the car and racing after a seven hour drive. We stop a couple of times en route to Chicago and my legs are like lead. The guys are all keen to race that evening despite the long drive - only a natural disaster will stop us doing the first race. Oh yes!!....A natural disaster, a storm hit Chicago. Roads are closed, power cables are down. I can rest easy and begin Superweek with fresh legs tomorrow.

The usual Superweek race format was a 100km criterium. The first two races were unremarkable. We raced aggressive but were unlucky to miss the major moves in the races and ended up scrapping for minor placing outside the top ten. The tactics seemed right so we vowed to persevere.

Thursday night South Shore Classic rolled around. I was starting to get the hang of these crits. I wasn’t getting gapped out of the corners. I am not saying I was comfortable through the corners but I was surviving. The corners are where the selection is often made so I was happy to be surviving through them. There was also a notable increase in standard at Superweek compared to the preparation Midweek crits I rode back in Toronto or even the Detroit and Windsor races the previous weekend. In the races the previous weekend we were the controlling force, dictating when breaks would be brought back and which breaks would survive. This was a different story. We were more at the mercy of the peleton but we still had a few cards to play. We just needed to be smarter about playing them.



The plan was for Ed to be active early, attempting to get into breakaways in the first half of the race. The rest of the team were going to play the waiting game and gamble on later moves. Mid way through the race we lost Kevin Hazzard with a back injury. As per our plan Ed was aggressive early but unsuccessful. A break of eight riders was away from about the half way point. They seemed to be working well together and considering the make up of the break it looked as though they would be the ones contesting the race win. With three laps remaining Pete lined the bunch out for me to try and take a flier across to the break. To be honest I don’t think I would have made it on my own. At the moment I attacked another rider, Michael Chauner from Team Cykelcity , also went on the attack. We rode full gas and caught the break just as they started the last lap.

I have played the moment we caught the break over and over in my head. It was the key moment and I shit my pants. I should have taken a run at them without hesitating but I choose to sit in, just for a moment. That moment’s hesitation was enough to cost me the race. As I drew breath my fellow escapees started their sprint. I had poor positioning out of the last corner and not much left in the legs for a sprint. SHIT! 6th place.

And the winner…….the lad Chauner from Team Cykelcity. He took the flier as we caught them and barely held of the pursuers. In retrospect it was a decent result in a tough race against a good field but at the time it didn’t feel like it.

O-Cup Windsor

After coming so close the day before in Detroit the team were very motivated for the win in Windsor. Being back on Canadian soil meant the lads knew the competition. We talked about who the strong riders were and where possible threats would come from.

The first thing that struck me about the race was the heat. It was like racing in an oven. I am not sure of the exact temperature but it was well into the high thirties. It was so hard to get a breath and this was only going to get worse as the race hotted up.

Early in the race we were super active, firing men up the road in every move. It was only a matter of time before one of the moves stuck. The elastic snapped and Kevin Hazzard was set free with three other guys. We patrolled the front of the bunch to ensure no counterattack could make it across to them.

The break worked well together and lapped the field with still about thirty minutes of racing remaining. From here the pain would begin - it was time to start making that uncomfortable tempo. Pete and me went about making the pace while Ed was kept fresh to look after Kev in the finale. A chase group had gone clear but it was decided not to chase at one hundred percent but instead to make sure they didn't catch the back of the main bunch. We had Dave up in the chase group messing things up and it all panned out well.

Me and Pete shared turns until one lap remaining. I opened up through the start finish line to string out the bunch and gave it full gas for about 400 meters. Pete hit it hard as soon as I pulled off, bringing Ed and Kev into the second from last straight. Out of the last corner Ed went for it with Kev in his wheel, with meters remaining Kev stuck his head out in the wind and accelerated to claim victory.

I felt like I had won the race as I heard the announcer proclaim the winner. It was a magical feeling a truly great team effort.

Elite 1 Men – 65km
1. Kevin Hazzard (Jet Fuel Coffee/ La Bicicletta)
2. Anton Varabei (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnny’S)
3. Brandon Spencer (Kallisto/Wheels Of Bloor)
4. Chris Balestrini (Garneau-Club Chaussures)
5. Jeffery Schiller (Garneau-Club Chaussures)
6. Dave Byer (Jet Fuel Coffee/ La Bicicletta)


Photos from cyclingphotos.ca

Detroit City Criterium

I touched down in Toronto a few weeks ago. The plan had been to hook up with the Jet Fuel/La Bicicletta squad to race the tour de Toona but for one reason or another the team decided to withdraw at the last minute. Instead of a stage race I was left with the prospect of racing criteriums everyday for eight days.




There were so many unknowns starting out the week. I haven't raced a lot of crits in the past and the thought of racing around in circles for two plus hours was less than motivating. Also this was my first real block of racing in North America so I wasn't sure what standard to expect.



We traveled down to Detroit - which I had been warned was rough and rundown. It turned out to be nice city and an ideal location for a bike race. We raced in the heart of the downtown area and although the crowds weren't huge at this one, a unique buzz was in the air. The races are really packaged over here. Every race is a presentation with an announcer, rider call ups and hoarding.




The squad for the day consisted of Pete Morse, Kevin Hazzard, Ed veal and Dave Byer. Sean Kelly was the teams director. This is a team of people I'd get to know very well over the next week. All bar Dave Byer traveled to Milwaukee with us. I love these blocks of races/stage races, the banter is always on a different level to one day races.

Boom...and the race was off. From the very first corner I had difficulty with the speed these guys were hitting the corners at. A majority of the races over in North America/Canada take the form of criteriums and this was really reflected in their cornering style. Fast into the corner, late off the power, lay the bike down at a crazy angle and early on the power through the exit. I was losing easily three bike lengths through some corners and fighting to catch the wheel before the next corner came. The first half of the race really followed the same format for me, brutal in the corners and playing catch up in the straights. Despite my poor cornering my legs were good. I just needed to sort out how to go around corners and I would have a great week.

Late in the race Dave got into a good move that looked as though it would stay clear.The problem for us was Dave found himself in a three man break away with two riders from the Mazur Team. We knew if we let this break go to the finish they would play a one two on Dave and take the win. With about five or six laps remaining me and Kevin starting riding a heavy tempo on the front to bring the move back. Although it felt counter intuitive to be chasing our own man, we were riding for a win. We rode hard, lining out the bunch until the last lap and got the break within touching distance. From here Pete was going to bring Ed to the last corner (about 300 meters from the finish) where Ed would open up his sprint. The plan was working well until Pete and Ed got separated briefly just before the last corner. The wind Ed hit took away from his sprint and he was beaten by a wheel length. Second place!

It wasn't a bad start to the week and one thing I knew going into the rest of the week was that the boys had some fire power and used it not for individual good but for the collective good of the team.

Results Pro 1 Men
1. Jeff Schiller (Garneau) 17:45.1
2. Ed Veal (Jetfuel Coffee/Labicicletta) 0.18
3. Jason Valenti (Nine2Five Pro.com) 0.43



Photos from www.cyclingphots.ca

Paddy Flanagan

Just back from a super weekends racing at the Paddy Flanagan. Team mate and all round top dawg Colm Cassidy took the overall honours over the three stage event.

The race went pretty much as we would have hoped - it must be the first time we have got something tactically spot on. I was up the road in the early break on stage one with team mates sitting on getting a free ride in the chase group behind. The chase group eventually caught the break making a strong twenty man front group with all the GC contenders. Casso attacked getting third on the stage and a few precious seconds on the chasers.

A good TT put Casso into yellow for the afternoon crit around Newbridge town center. As expected the crit was fast and furious. There was three right hand turns in the course, this was a slight concern as neither me nor casso can go around right hand bends. With only a three second lead in the overall it was never going to be an easy afternoon but we managed to keep it all together and hold onto the jersey. The team was super strong with Ciaran, Fiachra and a few friends putting in a solid shift to hold onto the jersey.




Great result for Casso and UCD!

World Cup in Segovia

I rode my first tandem World Cup races last week. It was a enjoyable but very different experience to road racing. Everything on the tandem seems to happen in slow motion, you can see where you want to move in the bunch but it doesn't pan out the way you imagine it. I am not entirely sure of the reason, the bike is a lot less responsive than a standard solo bike - slower to accelerate, slower to corner and cumbersome to maneuver.

I rode a 21km TT and a 108km Road Race finishing pretty much middle of the road in the races. The result was roughly as expected for a debut off the back of a difficult Ras.

A very enjoyable week for the squad was capped off by a Gold Medal performance by the girls tandem (Fran Meehan and Catherine Walsh) and a double Gold for World Champion Mark Rohan.

It's back to road racing on the solo bike for me but the week in Segovia was a welcome change of pace.

The Ras

Well the Ras updates didn't go to plan.
It was always going to be a struggle. I was so shattered after every stage that the last thing I wanted to do was start typing shit and pretending I wasn't shattered.

The Ras was a struggle but I was racing. Some lads go to the Ras just to survive - I was one of those last year. There is nothing shameful about surviving the Ras, it is something that should be celebrated. Other lads who are capable of racing but for one reason or another, choose not to race and simply follow wheels all week - these are the lads I don't understand. I enjoy the aggressive side of racing, there is no fun for me in following wheels all week without sticking your nose in the wind.

It was an eventful week. Sometimes I attacked, sometimes I followed and other times I held on for dear life. I was in small breakaways at the front of the race, sprinting for the win on stages and out the back in the cars. I was sunburnt and soaked - the week had it all.

I'm not going to drone through eight days in a narrative.
The highlight,race wise, was finishing up 23rd on GC and Second County rider. The non race related highlight was the absolute madness which was the team dinner in Blarney. I nearly wet myself laughing and my throat hasn't been the same since.

The lowlight (if that's even a word) was loosing teammate Colm Cassidy, when he was forced to abandon after a crash on stage four.

I am off to Spain on Tuesday for a World Cup on the Tandem but it shouldn't be too hectic with only a road race and time trial to compete in over the course of a week. The Ras took a fair bit out of me so I am going to re-charge the batteries and shift the engine back to neutral for a couple of weeks and build again for the nationals.

Updates on the Ras

I will do my best to keep the site updated over the next eight days.

Stage 1 is tomorrow morning, starting at 12 o clock in Dunboyne and finishing in Portumna.

It's time I got to bed.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

The Shay Elliot Memorial

Well.....The Shay Elliot Memorial didn't go to plan last Sunday.

I had problems from the very start with my rear mech. SRAM make some of the worst products I have ever used. Despite the mechanicals problems I managed to sneak off into a small group going up the main climb of the day. We had six in the group and were closing in on Irvine and Gallagher (who got 6th & 7th) - we were, however, in no danger of actually catching the winning move. The gap was coming down nicely when I realised I didn't recogise the roads, never a good sign when you know the course. I put my temporary amnesia down to low sugar levels or the taste of blood in my mouth after the climb but no. We had gone the wrong the way.

I am not entirely sure who was to blame and blame doesn't do much good anyway. We went from having a couple of minutes gap on the main bunch to having a one minute deficit. For no other reason than to hurt our legs some more we kept chasing until we re-gained contact with the bunch which thirty minutes previously we had fled.

Can I take any positives from the race? - yes! The race turned out to be a good 140km training session and the UCD lads (including Ras guest riders) were strong at the weekend.

I am looking forward to the Ras starting this Sunday and hopefully UCD are well placed for the county prizes.

Noel Hammond Memorial

The Noel Hammond was the perfect opportunity to gauge my form a couple of weeks before the start of the Ras.

The organisers came up with a top class course, the highlight of which was a five kilometer climb which we had to ascend five times. The race started at a fast pace - or so I heard. When the race started I was still in the car park shooting the breeze with some fellow bikers when I was alerted to the fact my race had gone,not a great start. I was lucky, one of the support cars was running late so I managed to scrub a lift on the bumper into the back of the race. Phew! That would have been embarrassing. I later found out that a couple of the good lads actually missed the start completely, I didn't feel so bad after hearing that news.



The break went very early. I moved to the front on a a decent to stay out of trouble. We turned onto the main road with the pace high. Greg Swinand (Irish Road Club) launched a couple of attacks which I followed, he is an absolute engine so its best to be touch tight when he goes. we managed to open up a small gap at the base of the climb when we were joined by Dave Peelo (Murphy Surveys Kilcullen CC), Neil Delahaye (Team Dectek), Odhran Connors (Orwell Wheelers) and Chris O'Reilly (Bohermeen CC. This was the race winning move. We worked well together, in our mutual interest, until the last lap.

With a couple of laps to go I was getting jealous of the cool looking road rash Colm Cassidy got last week in Ras Mumhan so I decided to get some of my own. Fast into a gravel laden bend - job done! The cuts are cool but the nights sleep, not so baller.



Greg lit the blue touch paper on the start of the last lap, he went for a long one with nearly a full lap remaining. He had the rest of us worried and we sprung into action. The break disintegrated during the chase and left only Delahaye and myself. We caught Greg on the final ascent of the climb which seemed to be getting steeper every lap. I attacked Delahaye as much as I could but he is like a machine. He reacted well and still had the power to jump me in the final meters of the hill opening a race winning gap. Greg and myself gave chase but Del was too strong and powered into a solo victory.



Common sense would tell you that one should not bring a sprinter like Greg to the line but defying logic, thats exactly what I done. And the result.....pretty predictable - he left me standing. I am getting closer to him in the sprints so hopefully I'll go to the line with him again soon for our next dual.

1, Neil Delahaye (Team Dectek), 2hrs.33mins.33secs;
2, Greg Swinand (Irish Road Club); @ 18secs;
3, Anthony Walsh (UCD); @ st
4, David Peelo (Murphy Surveys Kilcullen CC) @33 secs;
5, Odhran Connors (Orwell Wheelers) @40 secs;
6, Chris O'Reilly (Bohermeen CC) @1.40;



Photos from Irishcycling.com

Chilling out and doing some training

I took last weekend off racing and went down to the Slieve Bloom Challenge. Some great craic - the sportif lads are what I aspire to. They are riding their bikes for the reason we all started - FUN!. They don't mention zones, wattage or any of that other shit, they just ride their bikes with a smile on their faces, the way it should be.

Unfortunately, this week, I am back to all the 'shit' (zones, wattage etc) to finish off the Ras preparation. The big one is just under three weeks away so it's all systems go for another two weeks before a week of coffee shop rides.

My coach, Ric Stern (a top class man) has piled on the training these next two weeks so hopefully I'll make it to start line in Dunboyne.

I shall keep you abreast of developments.....

Ras Mumhan

I was in the middle of writing a Ras Mumhan race report when I was gifted this comprehensive summary from a couple of team mates.

I am not responsible for the content that follows, that must be credited to a pair of intrepid, roving reporters, Messrs Dwyer(skip) and O'Conluain(gooch).

The Gooch's Take on it all.

This year the team had 3 riders (Anto, Gus and Fiachra) from last years exploits who were continuing their build up for the big one in May. Niall and Ciaran joined them but had different goals of building form and fitness for the rest of the season. As in every race there are two ways to look at it. From the front and from the back. IN this special report we are lucky to have Nialls “Tales from the Broom” which follows on from Gus’s legendary report from last year, looking at the race as it moves away from them.

However we must start at the front of the Race where UCD had more Great Success. The first day saw a crash on the first climb split the peloton and left Ciaran and Mike chasing to get back onto to the group which had Anto constantly attacking from. When we finally got back on with 30km to go it was a shame that Anto hadnt made it into a small group up the road that had over a minute gap on us. Myself and Mike did some work on the front but we were never going to get it back so Anto jumped away and this time it stuck leaving him in a chase group and me and Mike keeping the peloton together as best we could. With 8km to go we hit a brutal crosswind section then straight into a cat 3 climb which left Ciaran in the cars and he crossed the line behind Mike and the main bunch but Anto had gained some valuable seconds in that chasing group. The rest of the team came home in a group just behind and it was a trip to the local Italian restaurant for the “Pantani Pasta” that got the smiles on the faces again.

Day 2 was the epic finale on the Connor Pass. It started out on Dingle and was carnage with rivers and montains to be crossed it was always going to split up and a crash in the bunch certainly did that. Overall Anto stayed out of trouble and attacked at the bottom of the climb passing some of the strong breakaway riders on his way to a fine 11th place. Many said he did one of the fastest ascents of the Col that day, if not in the history of cycling.

Mike came in next then followed by Ciaran in what turned out to be one of the hardest days ever on the bike (this can be seen by Mike lying under Ciarans car for shelter). Fiachra, Gus and Niall followed and were very eager for the next day to be less wild and adventerous but that wasnt to be the case!

Stage 3 was another shocker witha trip out to Valentia Island. Anto Gus and Mike all stuck into the bunch till they hit the “wall” climb on the island which split it up totally after 80kms of racing. Numerous more climbs were to be had and when Antos attacking finally paid off he got into a group with the eventuall winner and also the current yellow jersey. It was another incredible move and he got 7th in the 12 man sprint into waterville. What a ride and it shot him up to 11th overall on GC. Up there with the good lads!




Niall was helped with some issues by the Gent and Gus did what must have been the longest ever effort to hold a 20second gap on a group of 20 riders ever seen. He left Valentia Island 20 seconds behind them and 40kms later he crossed the line the same time behind them. He was 250m behind the group all that time. He should have just went a little faster.

By the time day 4 came around everyone was wrecked and it was expected to be an easier day till they hit the town of Killorglin for 10laps up the steep hill after 80km. A split in the bunch after 5km with Anto and the yellow jersey missing out on it meant for a tough day for all involved. Anto never did manage to get them leaders back and they kept it at around 90secs throughout. If he had of been in the split himself he could have moved in to around 7th place but it wasnt to be. He crossed the line as did all the other riders in what was an epic weekend of racing.



Chapeau to Anto for what was pure class throughout. Same to Gus in what was his second race of the season (his first ended after 15mins!). Same to the Gent for sacrificing his race to stick with his teammate when needed. Chapeau to Mike for what would have been another big jump up for his growing reputation until a bug caused him to pull out and finally thanks to Jason who sacrificed his place riding so he could drive 5 moany riders around and keep them going when the going stayed tough.


The Skippers twist on the events

For a look at the race from our past captains view here is this years “Tales from the Broom” courtesy of Niall W. Dwyer.

Friday morning met the lads at 8:10am Clontarf dart station. To keep with tradition I was of course about 5 minutes late. Within minutes of getting into the car Walsh had me “freaked” about the weekend that lay ahead. “Skip Valentia island hell on earth echelons all over the shop lined out”.Stopping at the lights near Tara street dart station I contemplated pulling a legger and running for the hills. Decided the grief id get it wouldn’t be worth it. Team tactics were later discussed over coffee and scrambled eggs in Adare. Gus was to stick behind Ciaran and Fiachra for the whole weekend both on and off the road in an attempt to not get caught out in the splits. Anto was let loose to do his own thing and well Dwyer good lad just dig in you’ll be grand was the general consensus I think.

Stage 1.Good Friday April 22nd. “The Slide through Sliabh Luachra” 105km and 3 climbs.

After a mock race start for the benefit of national television the peloton were to ride 13km neutralized. This kind of edgy nervous riding squeaking breaks was something I was well accustomed to riding as a cat 3 for the last three years “wo wo wo jaysus lads”. Once the flag was dropped the pace picked up then picked up again and then picked up for a third and a fourth time I looked down at cycling computer heart rate 180 speed 61.7 km. Lifted the head looked back at the back of the bunch already dig dig dig dig still at the back of the bunch shit im not fit Jesus I should be riding the Connemara 3 day or an adventure race or just having the craic with the lads god I hate cycling. At 26km the first major obstacle of the day I was still hanging on just about before the category three climb. Here we go pop into the little ring pop in to that new 28 sprocket nice one Daniel (for that BRAND NEW cassette).I knew that would come in handy. Riders started ripping up past me right I’m getting dropped race over “Come on Niall ride harder come ride harder”. Who is that? Ah it was Gus I rode a bit harder no legs gone “beep beep beep” South Dublin car comes by us followed by another and another and a few motor bikes a few cyclists. All I can think “Friday and Monday are Piano skip”. Things finally settle down in a bunch of 6 very quiet lads not much talking 70km to go well ride this one out. We rode up and over for the next 50 odd k until a group of about 15 came up from behind pleasantly surprised I relaised I wasn’t actually last man on the road. We arrived in a very sedate killorglin 20 minute down on the winner rode through the line straight back to the Bed and Breakfast. “That the easy day done tomorrows going to be rough”

Stage 2. Easter Saturday April 23rd. The “Dance around Dingle”( “Damhsa an Daingean”) 130 km stage, and 4 climbs.
After a breakfast of scrambled egg porridge Some of Ciarans techno and gangster rap we arrived in Dingle in good time. My head was in order I was confident enough going into the stage sure I had nothing to lose. Here I made my first of many amateur mistake of the weekend never warm up on your own. Descending down the bottom of Connor pass I hit a pot hole and punctured my BRAND NEW GP4000 tyre. Thanks to the surrey lads Jason came to the rescue with a spare wheel. So the race started again at a frantic pace things were going well (when I say well I mean I hadn’t been dropped yet) till we arrived at the river crossing. Once over the water the bunch was lined out and I found myself out the back already in a small group of 6. Within minutes we arrived at a chaotic crash scene bikes and bodies everywhere held up for about a minute the chase was on lads flying by my hanging out of cars no car for me tho. Eventually got on to the bumper of the Blarney car. All was well till the blarney lad got on the wing mirror and off they went into the distance. So that scene was set I’m riding the next 110km solo “just another day in paradise”. Confident I was last man I slowed down waiting for the BROOM after an hour still no broom 90 minutes still no broom. Two riders eventually caught up to me “weve been 200 metres behind you for the lat 50km” WHAA. I sat on for the next hour or so winging about my rear wheel and how is was rubbing and how I had no water and how I was only an a3 and how I hated cycling and wished I was back in Anglo. They were great listeners. Approaching the Connor pass last climb of the day Grainne handed me a bottle of water from the side of the rode I thought for about a second will I share it with lads no chance gulp gulp ahhh gone bring it on last climb of the day. Our little bunch split dropped one of the killorglin boys only to find him creeping up beside me on the back of a camper van “you’re a complete bollox” actually that’s a great idea jumped on aswell . Then jumped off that’s cheating Dwyer then jumped back on then jumped off and rode it out alone.




Stage 3. Easter Sunday April 24th. “ The Waltz around Waterville” The 142km and 6 climbs along the way.

Things were going well on this stage I was becoming accustomed to the 60km an hour role outs. All was in order till we arrived at a cheeky little uncategorized climb before the first cat 2 of the day. I managed to hang on over the first climb descended poorly as is always and then started to lose wheels on the cat 2. Got over the top after about 10km a good group of 20 odd riders had formed all riding up and over’s bar one lad form Dectek “I packed yesterday just out on a training ride” Ah sure sit on why not we dont mind. Things were still going well as we arrived on Valentia Island. I thought to myself what was Anto on about this is a grand little island. First to crest the top of the hill out of my little group I thought to myself this is your day Dwyer all is well that ends well. HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS no it can’t me no way yes it was puncture. As I shouted and roared on the side of the road as team car after team car went by me claiming have no wheels an American family drove up “can we over you a ride” trying to be as courteous as possible I declined. Eventually after what felt like an hour the broom boys arrived. Slowly rolls down the window “did you puncture lad?” No just having a laugh thought I take a breather maybe sit here for a while. “ah we might have a spare wheel I just check you’re in luck we have ONE” . I looked into the back of the van it was like a scene out of border control load of skinny sweaty lads sitting there in the dark. After I managed to tangle and untangle my BRAND NEW CHAIN we were off again HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS gone again. Broom peels up I open the back door in a fit of rage ask one of the asylum seeker lads for their wheel he kindly obliged I pumping with agro and aggression amd a little adrenalin now knowing I f I punctured again its race over lights out N DWYER 65 DNF. We chased for an hour finally catch up to the last group on the road Fiachra true to his name waits up and rides back on with me for the hour. “I owe you a pint Fiachra” “ we can start with an ice cream” “ sound”. Finally arrive in Waterville 4hours and fifteen minutes after leaving. Walsh was right Valentia island is a dark place. One of the Asylum seekers jumped out of the van and rode the last 10KM and started the next day.
Stage 4. Easter Monday April 25th. “The Puck Fair Polka 114km stage and 12 climbs,#
Disaster for team UCD bunch split in two out of now where I was secretly delighted things will be slow all the good lads have to be in that break I couldn’t have been more wrong, Vanderlit and Vanderpool were back in our group as was Anto and a few other riders well up on GC. So the deals were negotiated and the chase was on Walsh promised 50€ and decided he would ride hard at the front al day. First climb of the day last man coming into it and no surprise last man coming over the top and boom dropped again. Eventually came across Ciraran who towed me to killorglin where I did a couple of cheeky laps. The applaud from the crowd as I came up the hill meant its was over I had done it. I was greeted with a can of chilled cola form my aul pal nico ah Nice one race done. PINT ANYONE ??

Jazzer Wherity Memorial Video

Just found this video on the cycleways website. Cycleways have been making some good videos from the national races this season.

I get a nice few mentions from the announcer on the day - who, as a side note was excellent. I would love to see him getting more involved as the season goes on.
He added a very interactive dimension to the race and acted like the link between riders and the crowd.

Time Trial

Last Thursday I made the trip up north for the opening round of the Dave Kane Time Trial League. I hadn't been on the time trial bike in months so had no idea what to expect. I knew my form was good but was unsure how the more aerodynamic time trial position would impact on my power output.

The course was 13.8km and not very technical but a welcome change from the standard 'British format' TT - up and down a motorway. I hate those TT's up and down the motorway, we would be as well off all sitting on a wattbike and seeing who had the highest power figures. The course had three corners and a few undulating sections.

It was a short race for such a long drive but it proved to be a fruitful evening. I started out hard and kept an average power of around 410 watts for the first 6km. My power died off slightly for the second half of the test. I averaged 402 watts for eighteen minutes seventeen seconds. I clocked the second fastest time. Twelve seconds behind my training partner, Colm Cassidy (Sports Active).




It was nice being back on the TT bike after a few months off it. I can't make it up to the Dave Kane League next week - I am traveling down to Kerry for the start of the Ras Mumhan stage race but I am looking forward to getting back up and pushing Colm Cassidy for the win next time.

Ben McKenna

Having pre-rode the course earlier in the week I had a fair idea of what to expect. I knew the race was going to be selective with small groups coming to the finish. It was extra important to be aggressive from the outset to avoid getting stuck in a negative group.



I'm starting to make a good habit of picking the right move. I don't know how this change has come about but it's certainly something I have tried to work on. No one magic bullet has brought about the change. The main thing I am focusing on is being more observant in races. It's amazing how many lads just drift through a race without being fully aware of what's going on in front or behind them. Hopefully I can continue this nice habit as the season progresses.



The race sprang to life for me after a large enough group of the scratch riders caught the A2 bunch. I managed to jump clear of the A2 bunch with Paídi O’Brien (Sportactive) and Mark Dowling (Team Dectek). After some serious work on the hardest part of the course we were joined by Martin Irvine (Giant Asia). The four of us worked fairly well together and made contact with the early breakaway with around 70km of racing still to go.

I remember when I started cycling I bought a magazine with Paídi O’Brien on the cover - it's amazing to be in selective groups with a man of his pedigree.

We had a big advantage back to the next group on the road so the pace wasn't flat out. On the way down the main road just before we began the last lap the breakaway split. I am not entirely sure what caused the split - it didn't seem like anyone attacked but I know I was on the wrong side of the split. Once the front half realised what had happened they drove hard to increase the gap. Game over!




I was now apart of the second group on the road. We never regained contact with the leaders, probably as a result of our half hearted, disjointed chase. We sprinted it out for 6th place in the race. I lead the uphill sprint from the front early but two hundred meters was too early to open up into a headwind. I placed 8th.

It's a good result on a tough course with another top class field. Maybe it's a measure of how I am progressing, i'm not sure, but I was fairly disappointed at the finish to have not been apart of the group contesting the race win.

For the power geeks, I had an average of 284 watts for around four hours of racing.

1, Sean Downey (Cotes Demour)
2, Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles)
3, Paídi O’Brien (SportActive)
4, Greg Swinand (Usher IRC)
5, Martyn Irvine (Giant Kenda)
6, Mark Downing (Dectek)
7, Thomas Lavery (Comeragh)
8, Anthony Walsh (UCD)


photos from Irishcycling.com

Jazzer Wherity Memorial

Friday evening saw the return of the Balbriggan town center criterium. The course was just over two kilometers per lap with forty five minutes plus five laps set for the evenings agenda. The event was superbly run from start to finish and in return the gathered crowd were treated to some great racing.

The pace was fast from the off as the contenders attempted to maintain position near the front of the bunch. The course proved to be very technical with fast sections and hard cornering. Mid way through the fifth lap I had a mechanical issue - my rear tubular tyre rolled off and I nearly ended up going for a swim in the harbor. As per crit rules I took a lap out to sort the issue and rejoined what I thought was my group on the road. The problem was at the time I had the mechanical the front group of the race was changing a lot with riders bridging and being dropped. The commissaire made a call - he felt I was in the second group on the road, so after some misguided adrenaline fueled protests I returned to the second group on the road.



The second group on the road weren't working very well together and were struggling to make any inroads into the advantage of the leading four riders. With about twelve laps remaining I attacked and tried to close the gap which was under the minute mark. Despite a chase,which hurt like you wouldn't believe, I never made contact with the leading four riders. The race turned into some nice time trial practice and I rolled across the line in 5th position.




This was the most enjoyable race of the season so far. A great circuit coupled with a superb atmosphere made this the race which other organisers must strive towards.


1, Paídi O’Brien (Sportactive)
2, Daniel Clifford (Sporactive)
3, Mark Dowling (Team Dectek)
4, Stephen O’Sullivan (Team Dectek)
5, Anthony Walsh (UCD)







Pictures from Irishcycling.com

Ben McKenna Recon

Henry should have been a cyclist.

I had two races this past weekend. The Lucan GP on Saturday was fairly uneventful. In contrast the Traders Cup on Sunday was action packed.

Lucan GP

Handicap race, the break from the A2 bunch was gone before we caught up and was never to be seen again. Most eventful thing that happened to me was a puncture. Another €60 out of pocket. Bunch finish.

Traders Cup

I'll skip the boring stuff. 4km to go I was in the break and ready to contest the race win. In the distance we could see a lot of commotion. As we approached it became clear there had been a big crash in the A4 race - It was rumored that there may have been some triathletes involved. The bodies from the crash were spread all over the road, we had to reduce our pace nearly to a stand-still to get past. It seemed to me like there was a decision in the break to sit up and stop racing as the closing kilometers involved spinning around a roundabout and racing back past the accident.

What happened next is either shocking sportsmanship from some lads in the group or the message to sit up was never communicated to them. Anyway, some of the lads from the break ploughed on and statyed away to contest the win.

I have never sat up in a race before because of a crash but it seemed like we had reached a consensus and that it was the right/safe thing to do. The decision to stop racing seemed to have more authority about it as it was taken by Colm Quinn from the organising club. I would find it hard to stomach if the race winners accepted prize money from Sundays shambles.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

The Mechanical Man

20 minutes later

The Polish lad and Lindsay

Des Hanlon Memorial Video

Des Hanlon Memorial

The first of the Irish spring classics took place in Carlow yesterday. The main race drawing of field of over one hundred and twenty riders. Weather conditions were ideal for the 150km race.

The race followed a format typical of most Irish races - aggressive from the off. A breakaway of about ten riders was established within the first twenty kilometers. I found myself in a chasing group with Timmy Barry (Edge Sports) and Thomas Martin (Eurocycles). Our collaborative efforts ensured we reached the leading breakaway before the beginning of the second lap.

The breakaway group was too big and it was only a matter of time before this poorly functioning group splintered into a more cohesive unit.



On the second ascent of the short steep hill, after turning left off the main road, the group split into a front group of five. The group consisted of: Greg Swinand (Usher), Sean Lacey (Edge Sports) Peter Hawkins (Deecock, Belgium), Mark Dowling (Deetek) and Myself.

The group worked well together, sharing the pace making and establishing a winning lead over the chase group.In the closing kilometers the group took turns attacking each other any time the road went up. Swinand seemed to be hurting the most but to his credit fought back on through the cars on numerous occasions.

The five leaders sprinted it out from the five hundred meter mark, Greg Swinand was the fastest by some distance and secured a superb win. I didn't have much gas left in the tank for the sprint and placed 5th.






All in all it was a good days racing and my form is progressing so I'm happy. The next big target is not until Easter weekend but plenty more minor races between now and then.





Photos from Liam Ruth

In the past week I raced the Newbridge GP and St. Patricks Day race in Batterstown.
Both races were run on a handicap basis and on each occasion the initial advantage given to the A2 bunch was to prove decisive.



For years, as I came through the ranks, I was the beneficiary of the handicap system but now as an A1 I'm not really enjoying racing these events. There is almost a race within a race - first the A1 group must race to catch the bunch(s) ahead before the real racing can begin. There is something very artificial about the whole experience.

This weekend is the first 'classic' of the Irish road season - the Des Hanlon Memorial. The race is one hundred and fifty tough kilometers run over an undulating circuit in Co. Carlow so it should be the first real test of the season. Training has been going well so I am looking forward to it.

The Coffee Stop that never was.

On Monday morning I was surprised at how fresh my legs felt after the first weekend of racing - Monday is normally my only full day off the bike. Mondays freshness soon dissipated as my training week progressed.

Friday is normally a relatively easy day on the bike in the recovery zone, I was particularly looking forward to this recovery spin after a mentally draining session yesterday. Yesterdays high wind and beating rain made the normally mundane tempo session (90mins 300 watts) a less than enjoyable experience.

The dream of a sipping coffee in my shorts and jersey was this morning crushed by the persistent rain. The spin instead turned into two hours of dripping wet misery.

Racing this weekend is the Newbridge GP, looking forward to it.

Here's to hoping for a drier weekend.

A New Season

Mick Lally Memorial - 90km




Summerhill was the venue for the first outing of the 2011 season. In the week leading up to the race I wasn't entirely sure that I would take part in the race, I had just recovered from a sinus infection and felt that the demands of racing might be too much for my recovering body. As the race day approached a sense of giddy excitement got the better of sensible restraint and I kitted up for race number one.



The race was fast and furious from the off. An early break containing Mike Redden and Tighernach Murphy, both of South Dublin Cycling Club remained clear for most of the race. I was working hard in chase group behind which eventually made the catch with about 10km to go. Attack, counter-attack, attack again, the group dynamic changed often in the closing kilometers. The decisive move of the day came with about five kilometers remaining - Tim O Regan (Dectek) attacked and soloed to a superb victory. I had no legs for the uphill sprint and rolled home in 11th or 12th position.



Navan GP - 120km

A top class field lined up for the first big Sunday race of the season.
The lack of race conditioning ensured yesterdays efforts resulted in some residual fatigue for me in the opening kilometers. Albeit with heavy legs, I was active in the opening but conspired to miss the major move of the day which went clear about 20km's in.



Despite efforts a coherent chase group never established. The lack of ambition in the chase was frustrating at times but it was good to get the first 100+ kilometer race under my belt.

The race winner came from the break - Conor Murphy of Eurocycles.




Images property of irishcycling.com

Majorca

Last week I was lucky enough to escape the poor Irish weather and head off to Majorca with the national squad for a week in the sun. The weather wasn't scorching - with daily average around 15 degrees Celsius but it certainly made for more enjoyable training.




My training has been going since the beginning of winter. I have built a solid base upon which I can now start to add some intensity. The racing season is only a matter of weeks away but my major goals for the season are still some months away so it's important to not get carried away in the early weeks of the racing season.



In Majorca, the training was at an intensity level which my body wasn't really accustomed too. A typical day would involve a two hour track session as a pilot on the tandem in the morning followed by a two or three hour road session in the afternoon on the road.



I will keep the site updated as I build up towards to the competitive racing season.

Turbo time

Since the dark evenings are upon us I thought I would link to some movies to help pass those lonely hours on the trainer.

Chasing Lance

Sunday in Hell

The Greatest Show on Earth