Irish cyclist Paul Caldwell is getting set for a cycling challenge with a difference, riding off-road up the Republic from Cork to the Border at Cavan.
He’ll take a
route of about 600km and while cycling on roads will be unavoidable in some
locations, he’ll only venture onto tarmac as he jumps from one trail or track
to the next.
Caldwell is of
course no stranger to members of the racing cycling community in Ireland as he
is an experienced MTB XC and cyclocross rider.
He competes in
the colours of Epic MTB Expert Cycles and for his upcoming challenge he’ll need
to call on all his training down the years and his off-road craft.
Due to the uncertainty around Covid19 and the lock-down in the Republic, Caldwell has not yet fixed an exact date for his challenge - Ride for 85 - The Ireland Divide.
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However, he tells stickybottle it will be in late August and that he expects it to take four days. He’ll have supporters in a vehicle backing him up, but they will only travel from place to place to assist as he rides off-road up country.
When he’s
off-road he’s on his own; riding on trails solo and supporting himself if
anything goes wrong.
The 34-year-old
father of one from Trim, Co Meath, says while it will be tough, he is taking on
the challenge as a fundraiser from friend Philip ‘Jack’ McNally.
Fellow Meath man
McNally was pursuing a promising motor racing career when he was paralysed in a
motorbike sidecar crash while racing in Mondello Park.
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Caldwell is
hopeful of raising some money towards the changes forced on his friend since
his crash last year, including adapting his home.
The fact McNally
himself took on grueling fundraising events before his crash is spurring
Caldwell on. McNally ran the Coast to Coast Ultra Marathon in 2017 and was planning
to ride the Race Around Ireland before his crash.
If you would like to back Caldwell in his efforts to fundraise for McNally, you can follow this link; every donation counts.
For now Caldwell
is cracking on with his preparations and has his route planned for what should
be a remarkable four days.
“The route
consists of over 600km of trail, roads and fire-road with well in excess of 10,000
metres of climbing,” he said of his epic journey.
“There will be minimal support, I’ll have a support
vehicle following on the road which I‘ll meet in certain towns. All the trail
sections will be unsupported.
“I’m going to start Dursey Point on Beara Peninsula in Co
Cork and then break it into four stages. They are all fairly different in terms
of terrain; some of them with a lot of climbing and others flatter,” he said.
One day’s riding will be 210km and other days will be
140km to 150km, mostly on waymarked trails, all the way up to Blacklion in Co
Cavan.
“I’m working with Daire Feeley, he’s coaching me, and I
am doing as much as I can each week on the bike and some running. I’ll have to
hike with the bike a bit so I have to prepare for that a bit.
“I’ll also do the full Wicklow Way at the end of July to
test my equipment and get an idea of what one day will feel like.”
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