Harry Reynolds/Ben McKenna/IVCA race Summerhill

RobFowl

Anyone up for these next weekend?

The Harry Reynolds is a handicap over a fast circuit with a short climg (about 6% and 300metres).
The Ben McKenna races on Sunday are over a tough circuit which is constrantly up and down.
Both these are promoted by Balbriggan cycling club who always put on an excellent show.

The first IVCA race is on Sunday too.

I'm planning to ride the Harry Reynolds and hopefully the IVCA race as well....

Chips Lovell

Am planning to try both.

Diarmuid

Rob, do you know anything about the Jazzer Wherity Memorial? I think it's related to the Ben McKenna but for A4s. Any ideas of the route or course type?

I'll try and get in one of these races.

EDIT: http://www.balbriggancc.ie/default.htm

Lumen

I'll probably do the Ben McKenna, as it's hillier and non-handicapped.

irishcycling.com wrote:

Ben McKenna Memorial
Ben McKenna & Jim “Jazzer” Wherity Memorials

Sign-on: Ring Commons Sports Centre 9.00am to 10.30am.

Course 28Km Lap

Race 1 – Ben McKenna Memorial – A*A1 & A2 @ 11.00am 4 Laps = 112 Km Prizes – First 10 over the line plus 12 unplaced A2 (22 Prizes)
Race 2 – Jim “Jazzer” Wherity Memorial - A3 @ 11.05am 3 Laps = 84 Km Prizes – First 15 over the line
Race 3 – Ben McKenna Memorial - A4 @ 11.15am 2 Laps = 56 Km Prizes – First 6 over the line plus merit awards

Prize Giving on Sunday - Races 2 and 3: All prizes from 4 Place down will be presented at the finish line following confirmation of results. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes for Races 2 and 3, along with all Prizes for Race 1, will be presented in the Sports Centre. Club Clothing should be worn by the Winners of the first three prizes in each race when collecting their prizes.

NOTICE: Dropped cyclists, who are out of contention, must exercise extreme caution, and obey rules of the road, as Race Marshals may not be at a junction when they arrive. Info: Oliver McKenna 087-2802991

edit: wot Diarmuid said, nice profile - I likey

Chips Lovell

You've got to do a race that's named after someone called "Jazzer".

Billy Whizz

Descent back into Bog of the Ring is very very fast, narrow and there's grass down the middle of the road. There's also a humpback bridge and a sharp left turn. Get on the front if possible.

Lumen

Billy Whizz wrote: »

Descent back into Bog of the Ring is very very fast, narrow and there's grass down the middle of the road. There's also a humpback bridge and a sharp left turn. Get on the front if possible.

You reckon that preceeding drag is enough to thin out the bunch/gain positions?

Raam

Which does it go over/down the Nags Head? If you approach the Nags Head from Ballyboughal and then take a left... that road is full of craters.

RobFowl

Diarmuid wrote: »

Rob, do you know anything about the Jazzer Wherity Memorial? I think it's related to the Ben McKenna but for A4s. Any ideas of the route or course type?

It's the same route as the Ben McKenna. 2 Climbs one from Ring Commons up towards the Nags head and the other is the first half of the old Liam Toolin /Nevitt climb. Alot of the roads are small and the finish is as Bill Whizz says quite technical.
I have the route in PDF format but don't know haw to post it up
PM me and I'll send it on or if someone knows how to put it up let me know

Billy Whizz

Lumen wrote: »

You reckon that preceeding drag is enough to thin out the bunch/gain positions?

Nope, not steep enough or long enough. It's a big ring climb (small ring if you went the whole way up the Nevitt).

bcmf

Raam wrote: »

Which does it go over/down the Nags Head? If you approach the Nags Head from Ballyboughal and then take a left... that road is full of craters.

I think you have it the wrong way around.
As far as I can make out......
Start at the bog.
Out to the Naul.
From the Naul main (ish) road to Ballyboughal (afaik you are now on the one of the swords club race circuit)
Left at the bridge(just after the pub in Boughal)
All the way over to main rd (old N1).Left up past Murtaghs and onto 5rds
Up the first section of the Hollywood climb.Right for McNallys. Left for Walshestown. 1st right for nasty little descent* back to bog
*It is a nasty descent.Very short,very steep with potholes and as Rob said a hidden small but nasty little humpback.Hit this wrong and its over.

shaungil

bcmf wrote: »

I think you have it the wrong way around.
As far as I can make out......
Start at the bog.
Out to the Naul.
From the Naul main (ish) road to Ballyboughal (afaik you are now on the one of the swords club race circuit)
Left at the bridge(just after the pub in Boughal)
All the way over to main rd (old N1).Left up past Murtaghs and onto 5rds
Up the first section of the Hollywood climb.Right for McNallys. Left for Walshestown. 1st right for nasty little descent* back to bog
*It is a nasty descent.Very short,very steep with potholes and as Rob said a hidden small but nasty little humpback.Hit this wrong and its over.

roadworks on old N1 so would say turnoff before main road by Tully's to next overpass and right up to Murtaghs back on the route.

Had a spin on this last week. Some crappy roads but hopefully the hills should break it up otherwise will be carnge going down onto the Bog Road.
Did this last year after the harry Reynolds on Saturday and then beer Saturday night, not fond memories.

bcmf

shaungil wrote: »

roadworks on old N1 so would say turnoff before main road by Tully's to next overpass and right up to Murtaghs back on the route.

Had a spin on this last week. Some crappy roads but hopefully the hills should break it up otherwise will be carnge going down onto the Bog Road.
Did this last year after the harry Reynolds on Saturday and then beer Saturday night, not fond memories.

Makes sense.

GlennaMaddy

Riding the Jazzer A3, would like to do the Harry Reynolds but that'd guarantee I'd get dropped the next day.

Planet X

RobFowl wrote: »

Anyone up for these next weekend?

The Harry Reynolds is a handicap over a fast circuit with a short climg (about 6% and 300metres).
The Ben McKenna races on Sunday are over a tough circuit which is constrantly up and down.
Both these are promoted by Balbriggan cycling club who always put on an excellent show.

The first IVCA race is on Sunday too.

I'm planning to ride the Harry Reynolds and hopefully the IVCA race as well....

Third year to do the IVCA Sunday league. Will try and do as many as possible, over 30 races. Never get near a full compliment due to injuries during the season. long season! But I love the Vets racing.


Then, there's the IVCA Tuesday League.
Then, there's club racing..............nah, too much.

killalanerr

a pre race meeting for officials will be taking place in the centre in the bog on wednesday,sat race starts 3pm from man o'war pub and 11am sun from the bog of the ring

shaungil

I'm led to believe there will be cameras there from TG4 as they are making a documentary to commerate the 70th anniversary of the death of Harry Reynolds.

Camera adds 10 pounds, black is slimming.

Lumen

shaungil wrote: »

I'm led to believe there will be cameras there from TG4 as they are making a documentary to commerate the 70th anniversary of the death of Harry Reynolds.

Camera adds 10 pounds, black is slimming.

White bibs FTW.

But damn it, where are my deep section wheels? Bleeding Singapore, that's where. I need new shades too. 5 days is not enough time to prepare!

shaungil

Maybe Raam will take the Cervelo out of the bubble wrap?

zzzzzzzz

shaungil wrote: »

Maybe Raam will take the Cervelo out of the bubble wrap?

Just to hang around at the start line - then he'll jump on to the hack bike for the race.

Raam

I'm going training on it this evening.

Chips Lovell

More details from Tommy Campbell today:

Harry Reynolds Memorial Race:

Start time: 3.00pm. Race Length: 50.4km Sign-on/Registration: From 1.30pm at Man O’War Public House (by kind permission of Mr. Martin McNulty).

Route: The race will be neutralised for the first 2 kilometres to the start at Grange on the hill above Milverton Graveyard. The cyclists will then cover 7 laps of a 7.2km circuit.

The route starts with a left turn at Clintons’ Woodview Farmhouse at Margaretstown, proceeding towards Ardgillan gates then turning left through Strifeland to again turn left at Cross of Cage. The race passes by Kearney’s Tree, through Killalane and takes a left turn at the T junction at Palmerstown/Malheaney. Riders then proceed to the Lusk/Skerries Road to turn left, passing by Balcunnin Equestrian Centre. The race takes the next left and, after passing Milverton National School, ascends a short, sharp climb to the finish line to complete the lap.

Presentation of prizes: Man O’War Public House

***

Ben McKenna Memorial Races and Jim (Jazzer) Wherity Memorial Race

Start time: 11am. Race lengths: A+, A1 & A2 = 120km, A3 = 90km, A4= 60km. Sign-on/Registration: 9.00am to 10.30am at Ring Commons Sports Centre.

Route: The course circuit is the same as last year and will avoid Naul Village. The course circuit is 30km in length with A+, A1 and A2 riders covering 4 laps of the circuit, A3 riders covering 3 laps and the A4 category covering 2 laps.

After leaving the sports centre, the race will be neutralised at average race speed through The Bog of the Ring, turning left at Killougher crossroads and taking the next right through Kitchenstown and Lecklinstown. After a left-turn at the T junction at Hynestown onto the R108, the flag will be dropped for the official start. The race then proceeds through the Nag’s Head and, after a fast descent to Ballyboughal, the riders turn left onto the R129. The route takes a left at the sign for Colecot and continues to the next T junction where it turns right to meet the R132 at Ballough. After turning left and a fast run down the Ballough straight, the riders turn left at the Five Roads, proceeding straight through a small roundabout and over the M1 Motorway and up a climb through the Nevitt. At the first crossroads, the race turns right and proceeds through Tooman, past McNally Joinery, to Walshestown. At the T junction, riders turn left and up a short drag, taking the next turn right to the top of Balrickard Hill. A very fast winding descent leads to the next T junction, where a turn left leads to the finishing line beyond the junction of the crossroads for Baldara and Dermotstown.

Detailed maps of the race circuits and further details can be downloaded from www.balbriggancc.ie.

bcmf

Ben McKenna looks v technical.
Lumen-get that descent wrong and that pic will be the least of your worries

DirkVoodoo

I thought I saw a post by Lumen here with some weird image that looked like skin tightening up....am I going mad?

Would like to race this weekend but Balbriggan is pretty far away, 90km round trip, argh!

bcmf

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I thought I saw a post by Lumen here with some weird image that looked like skin tightening up....am I going mad?

Would like to race this weekend but Balbriggan is pretty far away, 90km round trip, argh!

Yeah as did I.

As regards distance. From the Port Tunnel to the sign on is only a 20min drive

bcmf

he removed his post> Not exactly Mod behaviour.:P

Lumen

bcmf wrote: »

Ben McKenna looks v technical.
Lumen-get that descent wrong and that pic will be the least of your worries

I posted this but thought better of it, arguably NSFW.

Chips Lovell

I'm on the lookout for a lift by the way.

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

I posted this but thought better of it, arguably NSFW.

An a picture of that particular orifice is unsuitable for work? It's political correctness gone mad!

shaungil

just in from this. Went off with first with A4 group which was pretty small. Dundrum fella tried to organise a pace line but it kind of fell apart so ended up doing a fair bit of work. Staro had a word and told me to ease up as I was wasting my time. Got caught by an A3 group which had broken up up from the rest about 3 laps in and we worked fairly hard. I did a bit of work and suffered a few times.
Last lap we were 1 & 1/2 mins ahead so we know we'd stay away group of 25 I reckon at this stage. I was pretty shattered but got my breath and kept an eye on Paul Kennedy my swords team mate and an ex amateur international cyclist who has a savage gallop. Two lads were away but you could see we'd catch them. One junior went early in the sprint and I just tried to stay in the group. I cycle that road very regularly (it's only a couple of hundred meters from Beasty's hole :eek:) and knew the way the hill went that I might make a few places. Went as hard as I could and was in a world of hurt over the line. 9th overall first a4. Made about 10 places in the last 25 yards As Staro would say I'm as happy as a dog with two mickeys. I've never won a cycling prize before. In fact it's ten years since I've won anything for sport J2 Leinster rugby medal on 2000.

Shattered now going for a bath as will be domestiquing for Raam in the Jazzer Wherity tomorrow.

Planet X

Great result. Well done.

blorg

Well done shaungil, that's a great result! 25 sounds like a nicer sized bunch to be arriving at the line certainly...

Raam

Nice work, Shaun

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

Well done shaungil, that's a great result! 25 sounds like a nicer sized bunch to be arriving at the line certainly...

+1 Well done!

ROK ON

Kudos.

Lumen

Well done Shaun!

I can't make the race tomorrow, domestic duties trump domestique duties this time.

(sorry Raam)

Beasty

Congratulations Shaun - tremendous result, particularly as you have been suffering from a cold this week - all that work on Tuesdays and Thursdays looks like it's paying off.

I will post a few pictures later (not sure if you realised I was at the corner of the R127 where it turns up to Milverton NS). I have a few of you, sitting at the back of the bunch - in fact every lap you seemed to be concentrating on sticking to the wheel of a young lady:D `

Beasty

shaungil wrote: »

I cycle that road very regularly (it's only a couple of hundred meters from Beasty's hole :eek:)

Point of clarification - it's Beasty's Drop, if you don't mind:)

shaungil

Beasty wrote: »

Congratulations Shaun - tremendous result, particularly as you have been suffering from a cold this week - all that work on Tuesdays and Thursdays looks like it's paying off.

I will post a few pictures later (not sure if you realised I was at the corner of the R127 where it turns up to Milverton NS). I have a few of you, sitting at the back of the bunch - in fact every lap you seemed to be concentrating on sticking to the wheel of a young lady:D `

Didn't see much today but I think that young lady was a15 year old boy! And he put us to shame with the stints he was doing.

Staro

Well done Shaun, great ride well deserved especially with the effort you put in during the first 2 laps!

Raam

Nice to see a Swords winner
Story
Pics

Beasty

Some photos:

Big yawn - this boardsie seems to be falling asleep at the wheels:







Are you sure she's a 15 year-old boy, Shaun?

shaungil

definitely a bloke spoke to him and his dad after. Cheers for those will get a copy for the wall of fame. Weve a couple of other for next Saturday as well looks like they've been inspired by Copenhagen

blorg

That is the same lad I wheelsucked to get my fourth place in Navan. He's good.

Lumen

Any news from today's Ben McKenna & Jim “Jazzer” Wherity Memorials?

Come on, this is the internet. They finished hours ago.

Raam

Paul Kennedy won A3, again!

Lumen

Raam wrote: »

Paul Kennedy won A3, again!

How did your A4 race go?

shaungil

C'mon Raam you've set the standard on race reports your public awaits. I'll put something up later. My daughter wants her bike out after watching us this morning.
Great another chick to draft off.

Raam

Rode bike. Came home. Tired.

Lumen

Raam

Not a massive field, but enough to make moving up the narrow lane ways difficult. We were neutralised for about 2km or so. The first action occurred leading down the main road into Ballyboughal. The action being that we finally started going fast. The neutralised section was quite lumpy with some deceptively steep sections which just sap the the legs. The bumpy road wasn't helping either.

When the race proper started we flew through Ballyboughal, swinging left at the bridge onto a road which takes us towards the R132 (old N1). We leave that road before the R132 and swing up a narrow twisty laneway. Shaungil tried to attack here but only succeeded in lining it out. At least it meant no other team could attack. This road then ends with a sharp rise to the right which flys over the motorway and leads back onto the R132. It was full of holes so people were more concerned with staying upright than doing anything else.

On the main road there was a bit of a breeze and we stayed on it for about 2km. That's a guess. We then take a left turn at the Five Roads leading on to some short bumps and the climb up towards Nevitt. After the bumps and at the foot of the hill a rider broke away. I know him from Porto so I figured I might as well bridge to him. That or chase him down. Whichever comes first. Halfway up the hill we turn right to go down by McNally joinery towards Walshestown. The two of us had a gap at this point but it was coming back after the turn. There wasn't enough of us to do anything.

This part of the course is twisty, turny, narrow, fast and dangerous. I was leading it out and had to slow up because an ambulance was tending to a rider from one of the other races and the road was half blocked. At the bottom we turn left and some riders came through to take the lead. The road continues on a bit and turns right. This is the fun part. It is once again narrow and culminates with a very very fast descent ending with a small bridge which, if you time it right, would allow you to get a bit of air

No air for me today as the better descenders took the lead. The bottom of the hill sees us turn left, and just up the road the finish line where we completed our first lap.

Shortly after this, we hit those nasty bumps again. Eventually I realised that a break had gone and I wasn't in it. It stayed away for a bit but came back on the fast road down to Ballyboughal.

The bunch was together all the way back to the M1 flyover. At this point I stood on the pedals to test the legs on the short steep part. They started to seize up. Not good.

On the main road, I spoke with Shaun and said we will try something just to see what happens. He attacked hard, with me in his wheel. I think we got a small gap, but I'm not sure as I only had enough blood to fuel my legs, not my eyes. I came round him... wrecked. He told me to ride on, so I did. I had a gap.

I wasn't looking behind me, but I knew I was on my own. It wasn't much of a gap, I think, but at least I was up the road a bit. I hit the turn at the Five Roads and started on to the bumps. Dammit, I had no legs. I got caught before the start of the longer hill and then cramped up and got dropped, finishing on my own.

Verdict: I don't have the legs to match the aggression, yet.