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
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