Today’s team talk was all about the early climbs. We’re out of Dingle up a hard drag, and then on to a Cat 3 before we even hit 10km. With yesterday’s early splits, the message is hammered home - get up the front from the gun, and stay up there!
The lads played a stormer - one was even in front of the race director’s car as we pulled out! They were all ahead of me in the front 50 for the first 60km. It was a small comfort knowing they were there when I heard the crunch of carbon behind me on the hill out of Miltown.
Winding around Lough Caragh, there’s a lull for nature breaks. The narrow road exacerbates the compressions as riders stop and rejoin, and guys are coming to a total standstill and unshipping chains. It’s still mostly together as we hit the bottom of the Cat 1 of the day.
It’s horrible, a gradual incline to begin before it ramps up steeply. Then a false flat before the final pain. I dig in and push as hard as I can. Halfway up I exchange bottles with John Busher, Jamie’s dad, who has been invaluable help so far this week. It’s proper club spirit, following the race and helping any way he can.
Over the top, and down the other side. At the first bend there’s carnage, bikes in the ditch and riders on the deck. Zip through and onwards. The front of the race is out of sight as we drop towards the coast. I link up with two Kerry lads, and a collection from North Down, Mego Raw and two pros. We spend the next 20km chasing at 50kph to catch the cavalcade.
One of the Team Ireland lads has a mechanical ahead, and himself and a teammate are a real boon to our chasing group, letting us tag onto the back of the bunch just before Waterville.
We climb Coomakista at a civil, even sedate pace - the Tirol team of the yellow jersey setting a steady tempo on the front. At the summit, the soigneurs are waiting with another bottle. A winding descent and soon we’re passing through Sneem.
15km to go, one last KOM… I think I\m in a good position, until someone lets a wheel go about ten riders further up. No county prize today! I’ve settled in for the final few km, when a moto overtakes on the right. He hits a patch of gravel and spins out for a moment. When the wheel regains traction, he shoots to the over side of the narrow road and ends up in the ditch. No riders injured thankfully, and I heard later that the driver was okay too.
I finish a few minutes down, happy with the ride. The Garmin is definitely on its last legs, wouldn’t give me distance readings all day. I finished with 18km on the clock!
The lads played a stormer - one was even in front of the race director’s car as we pulled out! They were all ahead of me in the front 50 for the first 60km. It was a small comfort knowing they were there when I heard the crunch of carbon behind me on the hill out of Miltown.
Winding around Lough Caragh, there’s a lull for nature breaks. The narrow road exacerbates the compressions as riders stop and rejoin, and guys are coming to a total standstill and unshipping chains. It’s still mostly together as we hit the bottom of the Cat 1 of the day.
It’s horrible, a gradual incline to begin before it ramps up steeply. Then a false flat before the final pain. I dig in and push as hard as I can. Halfway up I exchange bottles with John Busher, Jamie’s dad, who has been invaluable help so far this week. It’s proper club spirit, following the race and helping any way he can.
Over the top, and down the other side. At the first bend there’s carnage, bikes in the ditch and riders on the deck. Zip through and onwards. The front of the race is out of sight as we drop towards the coast. I link up with two Kerry lads, and a collection from North Down, Mego Raw and two pros. We spend the next 20km chasing at 50kph to catch the cavalcade.
One of the Team Ireland lads has a mechanical ahead, and himself and a teammate are a real boon to our chasing group, letting us tag onto the back of the bunch just before Waterville.
We climb Coomakista at a civil, even sedate pace - the Tirol team of the yellow jersey setting a steady tempo on the front. At the summit, the soigneurs are waiting with another bottle. A winding descent and soon we’re passing through Sneem.
15km to go, one last KOM… I think I\m in a good position, until someone lets a wheel go about ten riders further up. No county prize today! I’ve settled in for the final few km, when a moto overtakes on the right. He hits a patch of gravel and spins out for a moment. When the wheel regains traction, he shoots to the over side of the narrow road and ends up in the ditch. No riders injured thankfully, and I heard later that the driver was okay too.
I finish a few minutes down, happy with the ride. The Garmin is definitely on its last legs, wouldn’t give me distance readings all day. I finished with 18km on the clock!
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