Fiona Meade is presented with her county rider jersey after she took 7th and the county rider prize on the opening stage of An Post Rás na mBan yesterday, Wednesday (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
Fiona Meade of Team Munster enjoyed a good day yesterday on stage 1 of the An Post Rás na mBan, starting this year’s event where she left off in 2012 by claiming the county rider jersey with seventh on the stage.
“I started racing late in the season,” said Meade after yesterday’s effort.
“I missed the National Championships as I had a family wedding which is of far more importance than doing the Nationals. So I started training after that. It was perfect because with Rás na mBan so late in the season it can be easy to get tired.”
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The Cork woman feels she has come into this race with strong legs after the Suir Valley Three Day in August.
“I had fantastic form there and I was really surprised with how well I did. I thought if I have the head and the legs I had in Suir Valley starting this race, then I know I’ll do well.”
Unlike most of the riders who finished in the top 10 on yesterday’s opening stage, Meade did all her tapering on her two feet, at the hospital where she works as a physical therapist for the HSE.
“I was working (on Tuesday) and the day before. A couple of the patients are rooting for me, writing me cards, so I thought I ought to do it for them.”
“I noticed a lot of people looking very strong who are full time on the bike so let’s just see how it goes. The county jersey is the one I’m looking at because I won it last year and I’d love to hold on to it."
Meade said the run into the finish yesterday was hectic.
“I was watching my position and I knew there weren’t any county riders ahead of me. I know I have a good sprint so I just said to myself, ‘if I hold my position, ride safely, watch out for wheels’... “.
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“I clashed spokes around 3km from the finish and I thought ‘Oh no, I’m going to break a spoke here, that’s it for me’. But I just went hard for the finish. It paid off.”
The 33-year-old was lucky enough to avoid all three crashes during the opening leg. She said Lauren Creamer’s tumble at the first Queen of the Mountain sprint looked nasty.
“(She) was rolled over a few times by the look of it. That wasn't good for her. I had been looking at her earlier and was wondering who she was because she was somebody strong for the county rider category, somebody for me to watch.”
“The last few kilometers were a bit hairy. It was a big bunch and a lot of people were going to the front. The Irish team riders were very strong all day they were doing an awful lot of the work.”
“Near the finish Melanie (Spath) did a really hard turn at the front. So I was thinking an Ireland rider might be going for it. The Luxembourg girls are very strong as well.”
Meade, who normally rides for Blarney Cycling Club, is part of one of the two Munster teams created specifically for the Rás na mBan.
“Munster cycling is definitely stronger. Last year we only had one team, but this year we have two full teams. Unfortunately one of our riders Emma Walsh couldn't start the race as she was sick, so she’s missed.”
“For a lot of the girls here on the Munster team it’s a first time, the main thing is that everyone enjoys it.”
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