Race Around Ireland starts this Sunday 12th Sept at 8pm, Navan, Co. Meath

Lumen

Time to check out the profiles of the 4-person winners.

Meet the Racers > Teams > Renegade Cycling > Declan Brassil

I assume the caption is a joke? Surely no-one can do three Marmottes? :eek:

Finishing the third non-stop lap of La Marmotte course at
the top of Alpe D’Huez, 2010, in preparation for RAI.

100Suns

I assume the caption is a joke? Surely no-one can do three Marmottes? :eek:[/QUOTE]

He was the weak link in the team. He had been tasked with 4 laps but blew up third time up Alpe d'huez.

emtroche

This says it all really!

GoHardOrGoHome

emtroche wrote: »

This says it all really!

Team Boards/Wheelworx were so hardcore they just added some listerine to their carbo drink. To hell with teeth brushing.

emtroche

I think the RAI 2010 Award for Improvisation must surely go to Ian Campbell and his crew.

Firstly for this improvised string and pulley system which facilitates gear changing with banjaxed hands and the helmet cover


And secondly for these fantastic hats, complete with light and pen holder


I'd just like to add that Ian is one hard b@stard and someone that deserves tons of admiration and respect.

100Suns

Now that the pain has subsided and buzzing in my head has stopped, I can report that think I might actually have enjoyed the RAI. I survived it with no more than a numb toe and narcolepsy, both of which I have high expectations will pass in the coming months.

The support crews are awesome. What they give and endure on this is comparable to the riders. The accounts given by the Boards/Wheelworx Crew is in my view under-stated, modest and self-effacing to a fault. The crews perform heroics supporting people in pursuing their hobbies. The pressure they are under is immense to navigate the by-roads of Ireland and to keep the riders fed, watered, motivated, competitive and at the right changeover locations on the road. They are all Legend.

I will never use words like pain, suffering and misery lightly again. I reached the ninth circle of hell somewhere around Limerick, so it’s probably not a bad metaphor (sorry to the people of Limerick!). I had slept for the first time in 36 odd hours for about an hour and a half. With 10 minutes to get ready for the next stage I fetched the jump leads from the camper but couldn’t find a 220 kV line within hobbling distance so I made do with coffee, red bull, more coffee, some more red bull and some ice down the back of the jersey. I didn’t sleep again for the rest of the race as I decided in my lucid and coherent state that it was easier to stay awake and eat, rest and prepare for the next stage than try to get the body to go from sleep, rest and repair mode to flat out red bull mode in the space of 10 minutes.

The conditions in early stages of the descent toward the ninth circle were horrendous. I am as partial as the next man to gale force winds and horizontal driving rain but when it starts stripping the skin off your face and the enamel off your teeth it can start to get a bit irksome. Riding out to Malin Head against gusts which were comparable to being hit by a shovel, we found ourselves changing up gears going down hills, the bike was actually losing speed rather than gaining speed going downhill!

Night-time temperatures were very cold, compounded by being wet, resulting in bouts of uncontrollable shaking. This phenomenon did at least add a welcome frisson of added excitement to some of the quicker descents off the big mountains, in the dark and driving rain, populated by ninja sheep who are evidently big fans of Cato in the Pink Panther movies.

We crossed a mountain in Mayo somewhere in the dark and heavy rain on the second night. There were two people at the top of the mountain at maybe 2am shouting and clapping as I went by. I don't think I was hallucinating. If you are Boardsies, fair play and a big thanks.

The amazing scenery in the mountains and along the coast, particularly in the west, did help take the mind off the suffering. Sunrise was always special signalling the end of the cold, another night in the bag, and the light really took the element of surprise away from the vampire ninja sheep.

The last climb was up Cupidstown Hill. I was cursing the organisers for the depths of sadism they had managed to plumb as I veered side to side up 3km of up to 16% gradient, hoping the crew in the follow car would have the presence of mind to collect my heart and lungs off of the road on the way up. As I crested the summit the sun was setting over the most magnificent view I have ever seen-apparently you can see 117 counties and the Golden Gate Bridge from up there when the light conditions are right. It was an inspired choice of final climb by the organisers and was all downhill from there over roads the Lucan riders are very familiar with. The Team rode in from Trim together to the cheers of the hordes lining the last 10k of the route.

We were pushed all of the way by Boards.ie/Wheelworx. I chatted to the lads a few times on the road at stage changeovers and they were always in good spirits and up for the fight. Caroline made good on her promise and off-loaded boxes of cakes into our camper. The camaraderie on the road was brilliant and I take my hat off to everyone, riders, crew and organisers, who are part of the Race Around Ireland.

It was the most difficult cycling challenge I've done to date but it's nothing compared to what the solos do. They are very rare and special people. I spoke to Eoin Ryan a few times on the road and he said it's all about pacing. He didn't mention the unfathomable mental strength, physical endurance, self-belief and motivation (and luck) it must take to complete this event. What Donnacha Cuttriss endured to finish is beyond belief. Chappeau to all of them.

Caroline_ie

@100Suns: I also gave some cakes ( not as many as I gave you ) to team Maxximum points from the UK at the start. I was chatting to them and I saw a home made triffe on their camper van counter and I thought ... 'that will never last 4 days'

The Renegade crew were loads! So many of them all wearing their green hoodies, I think you guys had a masseuse right? Did that make a diference? We had Dirk but he was better as a mechanic than a masseuse

Wheelworx/boards.ie were looking at you all the time, trying to catch up but you were always gaining time on us.

You looked really fecked at the Killarney stop I was wondering what you were doing walking around when you should have been resting.

I was trying to cheer for Leslie Holton, the only lady on the race. We crossed her path in Killarney as she was heading off towards the Gap of dunloe. I am gutted for her she had to abandon at TS17 so close to the finish.

keizer

Team Youghal have added all photos to their website if anyone wants to take a look: http://www.teamyoughal.com

Caroline_ie

keizer wrote: »

Team Youghal have added all photos to their website if anyone wants to take a look: http://www.teamyoughal.com

I quite like the ones on their Facebook page. The parading and photos with the mayor in Youghal must have cost them a few minutes

keizer

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I quite like the ones on their Facebook page. The parading and photos with the mayor in Youghal must have cost them a few minutes

It cost us just over four hours to be exact ;-)

Caroline_ie

keizer wrote: »

It cost us just over four hours to be exact ;-)

That's because some of you guys stopped for tea and sambos at mammy's.

100Suns

Caroline_ie wrote: »

@100Suns:

[HTML][/HTML]The Renegade crew were loads! So many of them all wearing their green hoodies, I think you guys had a masseuse right? Did that make a diference? We had Dirk but he was better as a mechanic than a

You looked really fecked at the Killarney stop I was wondering what you were doing walking around when you should have been resting.

I am gutted for her she had to abandon at TS17 so close to the finish.

We had no masseuse unfortunately. Maybe next time.

We had just done two savage stages to Killarney with short rests between. The cakes were just the ticket thanks.



I have nothing but respect for her and what she achieved but from what I saw she may have underestimated the challenge. She was double ironman world champion so is a proven endurance athlete at international level. Hopefully she comes back next year and nails it.

emtroche

Love this pic of Thomas Ratschob on the Gap of Mamore

100Suns

@kiezer. How did Eoin get on? I know he was really looking forward to it . I was chatting to him at the off and he told me about his near miss at the national champs the previous Sunday. I trust they went easy on him and rested him on the big mountain stages, like last year;)

keizer

100Suns wrote: »

@kiezer. How did Eoin get on? I know he was really looking forward to it . I was chatting to him at the off and he told me about his near miss at the national champs the previous Sunday. I trust they went easy on him and rested him on the big mountain stages, like last year;)

He slipped just at the bottom of the Gap of Mamore and cut his hand. Also had some ligament damage internally so that was really the end of the race for him unfortunately. Christy McCarthy completed the Gap of Mamore and John Twomey filled in down in Kerry - John also did patricks hill.

Slideshowbob

Just saw this article:

http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_5252.shtml

Alot of text

Without looking further i am Wondering if anyone has a link to the actual results sheet(s) or is there such?

Lazy way of doing it here I know but hey..... Thanks

Chips Lovell

Here you go

Beasty

Threads merged

@slideshowbob - there's lots of information about the race in this thread, and you can read about the exploits of the boards team here

100Suns

keizer wrote: »

He slipped just at the bottom of the Gap of Mamore and cut his hand. Also had some ligament damage internally so that was really the end of the race for him unfortunately.

Tell Eoin I said hello, I hope he wasn't too gutted he didn't get to do some big climb training, and I hope he recovers quickly.
Also, tell Brian I sId congrats on the new addition to the family.;)

chakattack

@ 100suns

Well done on the win and thanks for a well written report.

I think I was chatting to you or some of the other lads on your team during the WW200. Glad to see all the hard miles paid off.

100Suns

Thanks.

Were you in the group with Quigs Snr? We rode in together from Rathdrum.

Slideshowbob

Beasty wrote: »

Threads merged

@slideshowbob - there's lots of information about the race in this thread, and you can read about the exploits of the boards team here

i was actually just looking for the results without the elaborations but thanks anyway