Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford 2009

thebouldwhacker

I know its still

67days 19hrs 31min. 06sec. Before Start

I'm just wondering if many will be doing the Sean Kelly this year? I have never done it but will be this time around. Not sure which course people are going for but I would hope for the The Kelly Comeragh Challenge. Can anyone tell me what are the two catagory1 climbs like? Does this mean extra hill climbing work out or are they just to hevey climbs that will be remembered? The site makes them sound undoable. What distance and height are these monsters? Cheers for now.....

TinyExplosions

I most likely will be doing it

rottenhat

I will be doing it. The big climbs on the 160km route are hard but doable - nothing extraordinary compared to the climbs in the Wicklow 200 or the Mount Leinster. Doing the hill workouts now will make things more enjoyable on the day though.

Caroline_ie

Did the 160 last year, it was my 1st sportive - will be doing it this year again.

lukester

Doing this. I've heard it's comparable with, if not slightly easier than the W200.

Chips Lovell

I'm moving house that weekend, so out again this year.

Nietzschean

should be in for this too

ROK ON

I'm signed up for this one.
100km last year - very enjoyable.
Doing the 160km this year.

henboy

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I know its still

67days 19hrs 31min. 06sec. Before Start

I'm just wondering if many will be doing the Sean Kelly this year? I have never done it but will be this time around. Not sure which course people are going for but I would hope for the The Kelly Comeragh Challenge. Can anyone tell me what are the two catagory1 climbs like? Does this mean extra hill climbing work out or are they just to hevey climbs that will be remembered? The site makes them sound undoable. What distance and height are these monsters? Cheers for now.....

I was up in mahon falls just yesterday. It was a warm day and a tough one but enjoyable. I find the climb before the cattle grid is tough but after that i find it some what doable. Make no mistakes you would want to be doing some sort of hill training. Remember your hitting that with 100km or more in the legs. But with some training i'm sure u'll be grand .

kenmc

I'm aiming for it too, dunno if I'll do the 160 or accompany herself on the 100, it should be her comeback after collarbone breakage.

Caroline_ie

kenmc wrote: »

I'm aiming for it too, dunno if I'll do the 160 or accompany herself on the 100, it should be her comeback after collarbone breakage.

How is that healing btw?

Funkyzeit

I'm in

Last year was also my first sportive - eating my handlebars going up Mahon Falls probably gave that away...

Caroline_ie

Funkyzeit wrote: »

I'm in

Last year was also my first sportive - eating my handlebars going up Mahon Falls probably gave that away...

We can't wait to see that mankini going up Seskin hill

showry

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I know its still

67days 19hrs 31min. 06sec. Before Start

I'm just wondering if many will be doing the Sean Kelly this year? I have never done it but will be this time around. Not sure which course people are going for but I would hope for the The Kelly Comeragh Challenge. Can anyone tell me what are the two catagory1 climbs like? Does this mean extra hill climbing work out or are they just to hevey climbs that will be remembered? The site makes them sound undoable. What distance and height are these monsters? Cheers for now.....

They're doable alright. Seskin is short, probably not even 2km but very steep, kicks up at the end something rotten.
Easier than that one out of Kilcrohane though.
Mahon Falls is hard, I was up there a few times in the weeks before Wicklow and found it tougher than anything on Wicklow.
But very doable.

Junior

I rode the 100k last weekend in training, hopefully the wind stays as it is.

nochainnoni

i did the 50k last summer(i didnt train at all) it was tough but not too bad! im doing the 100k this year!! i cant wait!!!!!!!

kenmc

Caroline_ie wrote: »

How is that healing btw?

Looks like a 1 inch overlap . Xrays on thursday so will know more then

unionman

I'm hoping planning to do the 160km this year.

blorg

I should be doing the 160km. I reckon the climbing is about as difficult as the Wicklow 200, the event is just a bit shorter which makes it a bit easier overall.

DrGroove

Yeap - I'll be doing the 160km this year.

As a survivor of the W200 this year I and optimistic - the danger is that I'll
be in the USA for three weeks prior to the big day so have to rent and
keep up some training over there and not let myself go to hell on all that
flash fried fast food.
:eek:

Quigs Snr

I will have to be there too, this year bringing the brother on the 100k, he has only started out on a bike literally this weekend (a build of one of those Aldi frames, must put pics up later). Its the one spin of the year that I do with family for leisure rather than with the racing lads for pain !

By the way, should have some spaces available in Waterford for Boardsies who are stuck for accomodation again this year. Not sure how many spaces yet.

CheGuedara

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I know its still

67days 19hrs 31min. 06sec. Before Start

I'm just wondering if many will be doing the Sean Kelly this year? I have never done it but will be this time around. Not sure which course people are going for but I would hope for the The Kelly Comeragh Challenge. Can anyone tell me what are the two catagory1 climbs like? Does this mean extra hill climbing work out or are they just to hevey climbs that will be remembered? The site makes them sound undoable. What distance and height are these monsters? Cheers for now.....

showry wrote: »

They're doable alright. Seskin is short, probably not even 2km but very steep, kicks up at the end something rotten.
Easier than that one out of Kilcrohane though.
Mahon Falls is hard, I was up there a few times in the weeks before Wicklow and found it tougher than anything on Wicklow.
But very doable.

Did the 160km the last two years - it's very doable if you've the training put in and if you've gotten to a few other sportives between the 100 and 200km over the summer in the run up to it - that said the operative word in the title Kelly Comeragh Challenge is definitely Challenge.

Seskin is a sharp short PITA of a hill with a hairpin in the middle giving a bit of respite before facing round 2 which will tempt you to put the foot on the ground.

Powers the Pot (?) is the next climb - longish but fair - a tempo affair at worst.

The final named climb is Mahon Falls - I thought we had most of the tough climbs in the country sewn up in Kerry before meeting this - it's a tester to be sure, shorter but I figure steeper than the Conor Pass with a kick at the end 100 meters. The descent is a bit of fun too (read steep and death grip on brakes).

There is an unrated/named climb in the road home after that - nothing seroius in the slightest, it's a bit like Molls Gap when doing the ROK in that the climb isn't a tough one only there's a fair few Kms in the legs when you get to it. After that you're on the gallop home

I'd totally recommend the SKT 160. It's very well marshalled and supported (if they run it like last Saturdays Tour de Burren it'll be the best sportive going IMHO) there's a great atmosphere on it and afterwards the sense of achievement and the endorphin buzz will have you smiling for a good while.

TinyExplosions

Quigs Snr wrote: »

I will have to be there too, this year bringing the brother on the 100k, he has only started out on a bike literally this weekend (a build of one of those Aldi frames, must put pics up later). Its the one spin of the year that I do with family for leisure rather than with the racing lads for pain !

By the way, should have some spaces available in Waterford for Boardsies who are stuck for accomodation again this year. Not sure how many spaces yet.

Can I tentatively ask for a berth?

Quigs Snr

Lads, you should try Mahon falls from the other side (i.e. the one you descend on the Sean Kelly tour)., I had been down it a hundred times before I decided on a whim to climb it from that direction. If any of the Waterford boardsies haven't had the pleasure I recommend it wholeheartedly. It feels twice as steep. Love/Hate it depending on my mood.

CheGuedara

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Lads, you should try Mahon falls from the other side (i.e. the one you descend on the Sean Kelly tour)., I had been down it a hundred times before I decided on a whim to climb it from that direction. If any of the Waterford boardsies haven't had the pleasure I recommend it wholeheartedly. It feels twice as steep. Love/Hate it depending on my mood.

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Does it involve crampons, climbing ropes, harnesses and carabiners??!

Seriously though - fair f*ckin play. I love my descending but that's some steep mother, too much for my fun, climbing it must be interesting

Caroline_ie

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Lads, you should try Mahon falls from the other side (i.e. the one you descend on the Sean Kelly tour)., I had been down it a hundred times before I decided on a whim to climb it from that direction. If any of the Waterford boardsies haven't had the pleasure I recommend it wholeheartedly. It feels twice as steep. Love/Hate it depending on my mood.

Me and niceonetom did it last year, It wasn't that bad... we did the SK side and once we were on the other side, went right back up.

Nietzschean

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Me and niceonetom did it last year, It wasn't that bad... we did the SK side and once we were on the other side, went right back up.

what a glutens for punishment...

Caroline_ie

Nietzschean wrote: »

what a glutens for punishment...

wasn't my idea ...
i don't mind climbs, i am just sh!t at them. i am a rouleur.

fixieboy

Myself and the lad I was cycling with got FIVE punctures between us doing the SK160 last year.

Superb backup vans were on hand (we decided to take their mobile numbers after the second puncture) throughout the day.

Mahon Falls is tougher than anything in the W200 - there again I had had three punctures at that stage so perhaps my mental state made the difficulty of the climb worse than it was in reality.

CheGuedara

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Me and niceonetom did it last year, It wasn't that bad... we did the SK side and once we were on the other side, went right back up.

On the day of the SK?!

Caroline_ie

CheGuedara wrote: »

On the day of the SK?!

Oh No, about a months after.

thebouldwhacker

I'm gonna give priests leap a go tomorrow, it will include the caha pass on the return (from the kerry side), it'll be a return trip from bantry so if I can do that I have no fear of anything Waterford can throw up...

Its one place that has always given me THE FEARI've only driven the whole thing once and in a car it frighted the bejesus outa me cos going over some 'bumps' in the road you cant quite see if the road continues over te peak or if your going to drive over a sheer drop into the valley below, fantastic:)

The tax man

Work diary free that weekend so I'm in.

unionman wrote: »

I'm hoping planning to do the 160km this year.

Need a wingman?;)

sy

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Lads, you should try Mahon falls from the other side (i.e. the one you descend on the Sean Kelly tour)., I had been down it a hundred times before I decided on a whim to climb it from that direction. If any of the Waterford boardsies haven't had the pleasure I recommend it wholeheartedly. It feels twice as steep. Love/Hate it depending on my mood.

Hi Quigs Snr, hope to say hello this year. Yes the thought went through my head as I descended from Mahon Falls last year that this would be one tough bitch to climb. Great event and would highly recommend. Organisation and food stops second to none. Wasn't expecting that drag after Mahon Falls and found it difficult so newcomers beware.

CheGuedara sums the day up perfectly