The Rás has such character and builds character; here's the stories of two of those Men of the Rás who make the race (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
The names change but the stories stay very much the same.
Although these two riders below seemed to have quite a bit of fun on their first Rás!
They've kindly shared the details of those days which are still very vivid.
Greg Swinand - Irish vets' time-trial champion
My first Rás was 2004. The route was counter-clockwise; south through Kerry and back via Tipp to Wicklow, with a finish in the Phoenix Park.
The first few stages were flat and fast, but the second stage was very long with dead roads into Galway.
It got progressively hillier on stage three and I managed to get in some moves but they came to nothing and the next one was always the good one.
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Stage four was a killer in Kerry with four or five category 3 climbs, two second category climbs, and two cat ones at the end into Cahersiveen.
I had a puncture at the worst time between the climbs when it was lined out but made it back to the bunch only to hit a cross-wind-line-out.
I picked the wrong wheel, fought back and then hit the cat 1 and I was blown.
It was fabulous weather though, and I remember going so slow on the climb I had time to ask some locals if that indeed was Skellig Michael we were looking at.
Dave McCann won the stage alone in great style and later went on to win that Rás.
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The next day I managed to get up the road on the second big climb of the day with Paul Griffin but we were caught in the wind on the descent or over the top as the yellow jersey’s team - Bulgarians if I recall - did the riding.
It was a bit wet and the descent was treacherous but Paul Griffin had given us the heads up over the climb.
I still recall that Brian Ahern, who was only maybe 20 years old or so at the time, showing great bike handling skills when bombing down the descent.
He punctured right before the switchback at the head of affairs but still held it up.
I barely survived the penultimate stage, a killer in the Wicklow mountains and then it was just the showcase in the park which was great fun.
Bill Moore - former Rás stage winner
You can’t replicate the atmosphere of the Rás, it’s unique, says Bill Moore, on the right.
I finished in the top 20 in my first one but what I remember most is wherever you were around the country the support from the roadside and the chant “Let’s hear it for the men of the Rás.
Since 1992 it’s been my favourite week of the year.
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