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The author Barry Meehan takes the win in Caherconlish last weekend after eight years away from racing (Photo: Karen M Dunne)
After a gap of eight years away from racing, Barry Meehan decided he’d make a return to the bunch in 2013. In recent months he’s upped the training to incorporate cycling in and out of work and even went to Caple in Spain for a little warm weather training with the boys from An Post-Chainreaction. Last Sunday in wet and cold conditions in Caherconlish, Co Limerick, he took a great win in the A4 race at Rás Luimni. In this dispatch he tells us how it felt to win a race in front of his children and he remembers a departed old friend and international rider who he once got the better of at the same race back in the day.
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When the flag dropped I launched a bit of an attack to get things going. Today wasn’t a sportive. I looked around to find Neil Power from Dungarvan on my wheel. He said his brother Ronan from our local Skoda dealership had told him to watch me in the race today. Those car dealers know everything.
We had a crosswind from the left heading out towards Bruff, then a block headwind over to Herbertstown before turning back in the direction of Caherconlish where it was a crosswind from the right and I’d noted this part of the course the day before as a good place to attack.
After 4 or 5 km lined out in the gutter with the wind coming from the right, legs would be getting a bit dull.
Attacks were coming and going and I tried a few but about 5km out from Caherconlish I saw a guy from Visit Nenagh opening a gap and I jumped across. He was strong and we worked well together but only had about 100m as we approached the village at the end of the first lap.
At the left turn there was a slight backlog of lead cars and in the confusion I looked back passing the Church to find my Visit Nenagh companion being replaced by Limerick CC rider Owen O’Donoghue. We drove on up passed the finish line and with the tailwind on the twisty road we opened up a gap of about 15 seconds.
Owen was strong and seemed experienced and whilst we worked well together the bunch was never far behind. After Ballyneety another Visit Nenagh rider Kevin Moyles jumped across to us.
Three was much better than two as we turned into the headwind section with the bunch still very much chomping at our heels. We were managing to hold off the bunch as we came out onto the main road at Herbertstown again and Kevin did a few strong turns. On one drag with about 5km to go if he’d put us in the gutter and gone 2km per hour faster I knew I couldn’t have held on, and I wasn’t sure about Owen either.
Luckily Kevin didn’t realise this and we were still together as I led into the final corner with the bunch now just a matter of meters behind us. Coming out of the corner Owen attacked and I jumped straight onto his wheel. I was expecting this move as a local rider will always be very keen to win their home race.
Passing the school I glanced left and to my horror saw John Brosnan from Killarney. We were caught almost in sight of the line. My plan had been to launch my sprint 200 meters out which was doable considering the tailwind. But that had to change now. Around 250 meters out I decided that it was time to go and to try to hold off as much of the bunch as possible.
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I took off in a 53 x 15. Around 150 meters out I saw Ciara and the girls along with more family and I dropped it down from the 15 to the 14. If I was going to lose this race in front of my kids it wouldn’t be for the want of trying. With 50 meters to go and I couldn’t stay out of the saddle any longer. I had to sit and try to keep the gear going.
I glanced around expecting to see a few riders coming passed but was delighted to see a gap of about 10 bike lengths. I was ecstatic. I was going to win a race in front of my kids. This moment was what all the dark wet nights spent flogging myself up and down the back roads of Clonmel and Carrick was all about.
I threw both arms high in the air and savoured every second of it. I had forgotten how good it feels to win a race but now it all came flooding back.
Five-year-old Kate ran up and gave me a big hug and said ‘I knew you were going to win Daddy’. I’m glad that I proved her right.
On down to the Millennium Hall for the nicest warmest bowl of hotel-style vegetable soup that I have had in a long time. Plenty of soup and delicious sandwiches were on offer for not just the riders but all the families too. Local people giving up their Sunday afternoon to feed a bunch of weary cyclists and their families is something that should never be taken for granted and I thought that it was a really nice touch when Limerick CC presented the local ladies with a fine big bunch of flowers.
I was presented with the M Fogarty Rás Luimni perpetual cup by Liam Hickey who had a few uncles who lived around Clonmel and raced against Tom ‘Chops’ Kiely and Don Clarke.
The A3 winner Cathal Moynihan was presented with the David Hourigan Perpetual Cup by Davey’s brother Ger.
The last time I raced in Caherconlish was as a junior when the late great Davey and myself ended up in the race winning break. The biggest gear a junior could ride at the time was a 52 x 15 and that was the only gear that I saw Davey use that day. Two-up sprints can be a bit of a lottery and that day I managed to get by him to take it by half a wheel on the line, the only time I ever beat him in a race.
It was great to see his memory being honoured today and anyone who wins that cup in the future can be proud to have their name etched on a cup bearing David Hourigan’s name.
Sean Lacey won the A1/A2 race in fine style once again. He is up each morning at 5am to drive to work where he gets two hours training done before work and 1 hour after. There are no short cuts to cycling success!
Limerick CC pulled out all the stops to run a great race and their team of volunteers who stood out in freezing rain for the day were very much appreciated by all the riders.
Cheers
Barry
Barry
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