Great lads, good times: JP Hilliard took the climbers' jersey on stage 1 of the 2001 Rás. But his debut in 1995 saw a young wide eyed Dub riding the race alone only to be rescued by the Kerry team. Left to right: Mark McLeavey, Hilliard, Dermot Healy and Keith O'Sullivan.
By JP Hilliard
As I sat in meetings last week catching glimpses of the Rás updates on my iPhone, I think back to this week exactly 20 years ago and my first Rás of 1995.
Back then I was young and relatively inexperienced with a few good years as a junior under my belt and some early promise as a sprinter.
When I mentioned to my then manager at Les Jeunes Richie Beatty that I was thinking of doing the Rás he didn’t take me seriously.
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Even when he called to my house on the Thursday before the start he was still trying to persuade me and my mam that this was a bad idea. But I wasn’t for changing my mind.
One way or another I was starting and hopefully finishing.
No teammates, no manager, no masseur, no help at all. Just me, my bike, my bag and a lot of willpower. And boy did I need it.
The plan; avoid crashes, last as long as I could in the bunch before getting dropped and making the time limit.
Stage 1: West County Hotel to Killeshandra
No crashes for me, but a very wet day - a common theme that year. I finished in the main bunch to my amazement, whilst the real race with the Poles etc was up the road.
The plan after each stage end was to find where my digs were, collect my large green bag - with a full weeks’ worth of cycling gear and civilian gear in it - from the Rás luggage van and start cycling.
Once I found my B&B, I would throw the bike out the back yard, have a shower and a two hour sleep before dinner, then wash the bike, wash my gear and then off to bed by latest 10pm.
This is the routine I followed every day.
Stage 2: Killeshandra – Tuam
All I remember is a line-out over the Curlew Mountains and Brian Quinn winning.
And again I finished in the bunch thrilled with myself. B&B was near the finish so two results in one day for me!
Stage 3: Tuam – Tipperary
Reality strikes! A tough 173km on the bike and totally google eyed by the finish but the best is yet to come.
At the finish I collect my big green bag again and start out this road that goes on and on, and up and up.
And eventually seeing stars after 12miles (no KM’s back then!) I see the nicest sight in almost 190Km, the nicest B&B ever and I almost collapse cycling up the 10 per cent driveway climb.
Stage 4 – Tipperary to Dingle
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Another monstrous 164km with the Conor Pass to finish me off - not for the last time would this climb annoy me in my career!
However, good fortune lay ahead for me in Dingle. The B&B I was staying in was also the same place that the Kerry team were staying - Paul Griffin, Dennis O’ Shea, Stephen O’ Shea, John Blackwell.
And to this day I am forever grateful for the help and guidance that they gave me for the next few days.
The team - and their managers, Paudie and Mikey - helped with my bags to the start and finish for the next few days, fixed my bike, gave me my first massage in four days and were generally great mates that I really needed four days into my first Rás on my own.
They probably don’t remember the significance of what they did for me over those few days but it is something that I won’t forget.
Stages 5 and 6
Don’t remember much expect it was raining again and I finished ahead of the broom wagon each day so that wasn’t too bad.
Stage 7a & 7b
Split stages; what a nightmare and my least favourite pastime of time-trialling for Stage 7a.
The afternoon stage to Wexford was one long line-out all the way and it was some experience.
I hung in as long as I could and got blown out 15-20km outside Wexford town and rolled in; another two stages down and now on the East Coast. I could almost smell Dublin.
I’ll skip to the last stage which took us from Balbriggan to Swords and my luck was to desert me.
I punctured about 10km outside Swords just at the same time yellow jersey Paul McQuaid was being attacked.
There was no chance of getting back on - although I did ride the bumper of the Cork CC red van.
You could have shot me that day and you wouldn’t have stopped me finishing in front of my family in Swords.
I got lapped twice doing circuits of Swords but I was the proudest guy crossing that finish line.
My first Rás lay the foundations for both my cycling and professional working career, where determination and resiliency were and are ever-present.
I wonder how many of this week’s Rás riders would handle looking after themselves with no bag man, no masseur, and no manager to complain to and look after there every whim!
My mountains jersey result of 2001 – when I took the climb at the top of Slane - is maybe some reward for the hardship of 1995.
But I still love cycling as much as I did back in 1995 and I look on with real jealousy of the exploits of our county riders this week in the Rás and wonder could I do it again….
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