Blogs

The neutral zone is the gap between ceremonial start and actual 0.0km of racing - usually about 2k out of the town traffic. This morning it  was like someone opened the gates of hell.

Before the start, you can see all the riders falling into routine. 

Best laughs at the Ras over the last 24 hours have been the An post  pro team staff, lead by Kurt (their manager) walking into hotel reception- REAL MEAN, like the James gang from High noon. "Ya for sure!" In a don't mess with us or else! type way.  And The Swiss BMC team wearing matching red white and blue tracksuits like pro teams did in the 80's. They look like the 1979 Russian javelin squad.

It's my second race of the season this weekend (27th May).  It's been a long time since March when I took part in my first foray of racing during which I got well and truly humped by my rivals as I got pumped out the back of the bunch on the 2nd lap. 

Earlier this month 17 participants were selected from all over the world to take part in the Dario Pegoretti “Tornemo indrio (Back to the roots)” workshop organised by Onirica Lab at Interzona in Verona, Italy. Thanks to the magic of twitter and my poor handwriting skills I was lucky enough to be one of them.

As a bloke approaching my 40's, the thought of not having had a proper day in the mountains on a bike was hitting me hard. 

The 20th anniversary of my first race had gone and past a few weeks ago, it had been a 2-up time trial with my first and current club Fenland Clarion. 

So the chance of a day's guided riding and coaching with Girona based Bikecat, whilst on holiday, was too good a birthday treat to miss!!

It's 4:29 am and the manager is snoring like a Yamaha. I probably don't need a night's sleep for the Donegal mountains tomorrow! I've tried the 'folding a pillow around my head' trick and the 'flushing an empty toilet' trick. Nothing is keeping out the noise. Shortly Im going to try the 'Would you for the love of sponge cake stop the feck snoring you fecking mother fecke snoring fecker fecker' method'.

Over a lovely piss this morning I exchanged pleasantries with Dan Craven. The ex African national champion (who could be a stand-In for the middle one in the Bee Gees) loves this race for vastly different reasons than I do. He loves the line outs, I love when they end. He loves the climbs, an opportunity to attack, I love large bars of dark chocolate and Belgian Beers.

It's the look the other riders give you as you stand at the side of the road with a broken bike waiting for your team car. Something akin to your parents funeral. They are sad for you but underlying that is the overwhelming feeling that they are much happier it is not them.

An 11 sprocket is a wonderful thing. Looked at in isolation it is a shining star of speed, engineering and power. I need one. Need it like a baby needs a nappy. I am usually not strong enough for one, it's just that there are 80 lads ahead of me who are; and for long sections of today's stage they toyed with theirs. So many times I hit the lever today body swinging on the edge of the saddle for an extra gear, only to be out of bullets.

The 2012 An Post Rás is an annual eight day, stage race around Ireland. This year the race will take place from the 20 - 27 May, delivering the number one cycling event in Ireland. The open racing style of The Rás pits amateur riders from county teams against international teams, allowing the best Irish amateur riders to take up the challenge and race against the professionals.