Michael Butler, on the left in the sky blue of Visitnenagh.ie, was one of 23 riders to be excluded from the An Post Rás yesterday even though he was only 4:02 outside the cut off point (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
Having missed the An Post Rás through injury this year, former international and Rás rider Brian Ahern of Orwell Wheelers has been writing for us this week on the county men that have always formed the backbone of the race, even in the professional era. In this dispatch he updates us on how those riders are progressing now that we have reached the halfway point. And he bemoans the unprecedented exclusion of 23 riders from the race yesterday as new rules around cut off points were rigidly enforced.
Yesterday was a sad day for the Rás as it’s spirit is in danger of being lost forever.
Advertisement
For those who may not know, there is a rule in cycling that a rider may be eliminated from the race if they are outside 20 per cent of the winners’ time on a stage.
On a hilly stage like yesterday there is a much higher chance of riders being eliminated if they are dropped early from the peloton in small groups. Mick Lawless has driven the boom-wagon at the Rás since 1987. The broom-wagon is the last vehicle on the road and Mick is legendary for keeping the back-markers fed, watered and keeping morale high.
Mick also helps riders to regroup who may be scattered all over the road. By doing so, he enables all riders to benefit from the shelter of others in the group rather than riding solo into the wind. It can also be a bit of craic and this group of riders is often referred to as “The Happy Group”, “The Laughing Group” or “The Bus”.
Yesterday, Mick’s van wouldn’t start in Listowel and his presence was lost on a key day.
There were five riders who did not finish the stage but an additional 23 riders were outside the 20 per cent time limit and hence eliminated from the race. All bar one of those guys was a county rider. Some of them were a mere 1 minute 21 seconds outside the time limit after 153kms of racing over the toughest terrain in Ireland against full-time professionals.
These guys have used their annual leave days off work and paid money to ride this race. They have made sacrifices in their daily lives that “normal” people simply wouldn’t understand. These are the guys who help make the Rás what it is. But many county teams have been decimated, and in some cases teams have been completely eliminated.
The UCI commissaries will likely argue that rules are rules. And it's important to note the time cut off rules and their enforcement are out of the hands of the race organisers.
The rule is there to stop guys treating the stage like a rest-day with a view to challenge for stage honours on a later stage. Every one of those guys out there yesterday tried their hearts out.
The riders were not allowed to start today’s stage 5; there was no change of heart as everyone had hoped for; some common sense to let these guys back in the race.
It could be a big turning point for the Rás as it runs the risk of losing its charm and mystique and it completely goes against the ethos of the race.
On a positive note
Chris Reilly of Meath Stamullen M Donnelly and Conor Murphy of Dublin Eurocycles were the new faces of the Rás breakaway club. It’s great to see these guys being aggressive and getting their day out front yesterday.
Being in a Rás breakaway gives you a fantastic buzz. The fact that they were unable to maintain the pace up front is nothing to be ashamed of. These two guys are both brilliant, aggressive riders. On a less decisive stage they would have stayed in the front group and possibly challenged for stage honours.
Related News
It wasn’t all good news for the Stamullen M Donnelly team however. The team management had two flasks with them on the race. One of the flasks broke and they thought they threw it out. However, it turns out they threw out the wrong one and were left flask-less. When things like this happen it can seem like a disaster, however if that’s the worst thing that happened the Stamullen M. Donnelly team yesterday I don’t think they would have had much to complain about.
Obviously enough I was again wearing my Roger Aiken pyjamas last night. But I don’t want him getting cocky so I won’t talk anymore about him!
Conor Dunne of the Carrick Iverk team climbed well yesterday for a guy who’s 6ft 8” and Bryan McCrystal of the Louth Prague Charter team climbed well for a guy who’s 88kgs.
Thomas Martin of Eurocycles finished 2nd in the Shay Elliot Memorial 10 days ago and has now managed to find his feet at the higher level this week. We can expect the man with the most aerodynamic back in Irish cycling to push on from this and perform well in the remaining stages.
Rounding off the county riders finishing in the top 40 yesterday was Matt Slattery of visitnenagh.ie who was riding through his native Kerry.
It comes as no surprise to me that he put in a performance like this. Matt is an ex-international mountain biker and looks like a pure natural on the bike. He’s a class act.
Riders are now approaching that psychologically testing part of the race when bodies and minds are exhausted. They are only half way through the race and many of these guys were likely unable to walk down the stairs this morning, walking down backwards instead.
In spite of being so tired, many will have trouble sleeping. They will be lying in bed, feeling restless, with an elevated heart-rate. They will be twisting and turning trying to nod off but the harder they try to sleep the harder it gets and the more agitated they become.
Riders will have needed to rehydrate post stage and will have drank so much water that they will need to use the bathroom more frequently than usual.
Those riders unfortunate enough to be sharing with a snorer will feel like throwing a helmet at him. I was in a room when the legend that is Mark Scanlon did that to another rider. I can laugh now but it wasn’t funny at the time!
We are heading into the roughest two days of the week. Things may get quiet at the breakfast table and that infamous “Rás stare” becomes more common. That’s the stare into space from a tired body, with tired eyes that knows they are in for a rough day and there are still four days of racing left.
Today’s stage is one that I had my eye on when the route was announced as the riders head towards my father’s town land near Mitchelstown.
There will be line-outs today on those heavy roads where one kilometre feels more like three. It’s crucial that guys stay positive and don’t approach the stage on the back foot because if they do, they will take a hammering.
Unfortunately, Eoin McCarthy riding for the visitnenagh.ie team who is based in Belgium has been suffering from illness all week. He hails from Fermoy, just up the road from Mitchelstown, and would have been extra motivated today. Unfortunately, last night he was forced to abandon. He was born in 1993 and that makes me feel old. He will have plenty more chances to shine in the Rás.
I think today could be a day for Damian Shaw of Aquablue. I’d also like to see a few others guys have a go who haven’t yet shown in this year’s race. Plenty guys are capable.
Yesterday will be remembered as being a shambles. To be honest, I feel deflated.
Brian
Topics
