Phoenix Cycling Club
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Ras Connachta Cong (by Andy Flannery)
Ding Dong in Cong
Cong Fri:
The rain had been torrential all day so the thought of getting wet in this 50mile race then turning up tomorrow was not nice, but It never rained throughout the 2 hours or so of racing, happy days.
Starting off very gingerly and not wanting to get involved in the racing I soon began to come round, I didn't think it was much harder than our club race on tues nite, well maybe just a little.
On my first ginger lap, a break went off, Mat and Cass and about 10 others, they started to take lumps of time, as I came round I tried to get away but was never really able to get away with the right mix of people, but that didn't really matter it was the fact that I was racing at the front rather than the back would make the weekend all the more enjoyable.
Paul seemed to struggle a little not having been on the bike for about a week, but the stage was a good gentle break into the 'Ding Dong in Cong'.
Fitzgerald, Cass, Barry and laods of others, no O'Loughlin (Phew) few Northys.
Sat morn: A couple of glasses of Wine last nite and no knowledge whatsoever
of the circuit meant that I had hoped to get round today. It would be
2 laps of 34 mile with 2 KOHs per lap. And the set off at a blistering
pace, and I hid in the bunch. The first KOH was short and sharp, Mat
had told us what to expect and I was delighted not to really have any
problems going over the top, the descent was crap but no real problems
lots of stones on the road made for lots of punctures, but some guys
who had got dropped on the climb got back on the descent so it wasn't
that bad. 2nd KOH about 2k in length and wee ring the whole way getting
steeper as we went up, I know I have a problem with this type of climb,
I'm too fat, so that when the power climb thing is over and it comes
down to proper climbing I go straight out the back, and I did at about
200ms from the top, but I was in the cars and I was with a group, when
we got back on (about 3 miles later) Paul reckoned it was a great ride,
so did I, cause we where chasing at about
28mph/26 avg, and the bunch was being attacked the whole time so it was
a lethal time they nearly dropped me in the chase !!.
Second lap and my legs are a bit tired, but I'd hoped that so was everyone elses and the climbs might be a bit easier, cycleways where controlling the pace and we went over the first climb fairly steadily, 2nd climb same routine, although I noticed a lot more go out the back before I was forced into submission, this time I thought I was gonna make it and if I'd have had a bit of sliding room I would have, but i slid between the cars with a small group chasing my ass off to get back on in the descent, this is how it went:
I'm in a group of about 8 riders we are about 300ms off the back the
bunch is pushing hard, and we are pushing very hard, the roads are
as you'd expect narrow and very bumpy the edges just dissappear, I'm
last in line and it's very tough, we manage to make our way past several
cars at about half way down a potentially suicidal descent there are
about two cars to go but they are quite tightly packed, feck this is
dangerous, our group splits up into those who dare and those who don't,
. I can see whats happening in the bunch it's a long line and gaps
are opening on the descent so that even if we get on, we won't really
be on until they close it up. There are a couple of viscious switchbacks
at the bottom and I'm throwing all caution to the wind. I'm sitting
on the drops and I'm just riding the bumps like they're not there,
just keeping the line, the mitchelins just about hold as I go round
one, just grazing a car, no time to shout at him the gravel on the
road is taking up all of my concentration. If I go down I'll be run
over, (the section after the bottom is where the bunch must be doing
close to 29mph for long periods of time with a tailwind), but it's
too dangerous I can't get past the cars safely I've already done several
stupid things on the way down and sense is coming back some of the
others are back on, I'm midway in the group and at the very bottom
I'm just behind the last car some of our group is on, I can spit on
them, the bunch and the cars now start to move away, manyana baby.
I see Paul puncture on the left hand side of the road, but two strong guys P Marrey and a.N Other are gettting back on after puncture I could get unto them or I could wait, well, I'm not going for GC anyways, so I wait and we enjoy the scenery on the ride in..
Sun: I wish I'd have had more to drink last nite, Today was not gonna be good for me, although my legs didn't feel too bad. So rolling out on the boot of the car with Mat, I said to him I'm gonna have a go, and right enough 30 secs later there I was in hot pursuit of Big Gerry, phil phinnegan from Cways and a couple fo others I wouldn't have got up if it wasn't for Gary Crorry and Martin Irvine saving me, but I was on and we started to work through, the effort required wasn't too bad, these boys would stay away till 6K from the finish, me I knew what was coming.
Turning off for the first KOH whoops it went straight up, 23 engaged,
I looked over my shoulder and saw the bunch at the bottom of the climb,
I let it go and I thought well the bunch will catch em soon anyway (wrong)
so I'll just ride within myself and get down the wet slippery hill before
they
get here, mistake no 2 of the weekend. They never got the feckers till
6K
from the finish, there was about 50mile of flat after this KOH, I should
have tried harder. Loser. So I rolled down the hill and the bunch caught
me about the bottom, as we rolled off the bottom I could just see them
at about a minute, then I never saw them the rest of the day.
That was cause after the 50 mile of flat we came to the next KOH, the head had gone at this stage, and I was ready to fold at the slightest rise in the road, I had came to Cong with a bad head and bad preparation, I've came out of it with 180 miles racing and a great weekend, pauls backside is lethal after a dose of High5 and a couple of beers.
I will be looking to goto Cong next year I think I'm hooked .....
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