Christopher McGlinchey, left, was a worthy winner of the race in 2016 and he will be back to defend his title again this year. The route has been changed significantly with more climbing and longer stages.
By Brian Canty
The route for this year’s Kerry Group Rás Mumhan has been announced with the promoting club, Killorglin CC, opting to change two of the four stages from 2016.
Stage two is the big talking point and unlike last year where the race started and finished in Kenmare and dipped into West Cork, it’s to the north west of the county and into Limerick where the 2017 edition will go on Easter Saturday.
Listowel will host the stage start on Saturday April 15th and from there in the north of Kerry the race will head to Ballylongford, Tarbert, Glin and up the hill out of Athea, Co. Limerick.
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From there the race will travel on to Carrigkerry, Ardagh, Foynes, up a nasty categorised climb in Glin, on to Athea again before the 25-kilometre finishing circuit through Carrigkerry and back to finish up the hill outside Athea.
That 130-kilometre leg precedes a monstrous stage on Easter Sunday where Valentia Island is the major talking-point.
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Having been omitted last year, the island will once again host the event and prove the precursor to the race’s sole category one climb, Coom an Easpaig.
At 155 kilometers, it is set to be a brute of a stage and anyone shelled out the back on the early part of the race is likely to be in danger of missing the cut-off.
The climb of Coom an Easpaig comes with 25 kilometres to go but by that point the race will be broken into several groups anyway.
As for the stage start and finish, Waterville has once again been given the nod while Ballinskelligs, Valentia, Cahirsiveen, Dromid, New Chapel Cross, Portmagee and Coom An Easpaigh all feature.
Stages one and four are very much ‘as you were’ from previous years and in comparison to Saturday and Sunday they look short.
But they are anything but easy. Good Friday’s opener starts and finishes in Killorglin but not before a fast and lumpy 100-kilometre circuit is negotiated.
And on Easter Monday’s final stage riders will have to tackle three laps of the Beaufort circuit and 10 laps of the Donal McKenna circuit around the town for 115 kilometers.
Applications for teams of five are now being accepted on a first come, first served basis. The deadline for entries is Monday March 20th.
Full details of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan can be got on the race website here.
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