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Tour de Kilkenny 2010
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First off, well done to Marble City Cycles for organising a great event - tough but enjoyable. The spread at the food stops was particularly impressive, loadsa sandwiches, melons, oranges & bananas at the water stops, very friendly volunteers & the bourbon creams & Viscounts at the end were just what I needed!
Saw a couple of Boards jerseys (both new & old) on the way round, but never got round to introducing myself. Was with the Carlow guys headin up the first climb, but struggled a bit with the pace on the descent so decided to hang around a bit at the water stop for a slower group. Ended up heading out on my own & caught up with most of that group again at various points on the Woodstock climb.
After the food stop, did about 20kms largely on my own again, until I paired up with a guy in a red Malin-Mizen jersey on the ascent into Templorum & we fairly hammered on from there to the waterstop. From there to the finish, spent most of the time in a nice group with guys from Naas, Slaney, Cork, and a couple of guys in non-club jerseys. Some really enjoyable windy & flat roads at this stage, & we kept up a strong pace until the last climb where we splintered a little bit, but all arrived at the rugby club within a few minutes of each other.
All in all, a great day out, hopefully I'll make it back next year
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Oooh the little things. Tyre bulges? Wasn't sure what they meant but everything seemed fine. Trip computer battery was dead. Then there was the small bird that pinged off the windscreen on the way down. Slagging off BMW jeep drivers (guess what vehicle the Broomwagon turned out to be?) on the drive down.
Almost Shakespearian portents of doom.
But the day started well. This was the one sportif I was really looking forward to this year, following a great day out last year. MCC deserve great praise for this event. Well organised, well marshalled, great food, and above all a really great atmosphere among the participants.
Great pace from the start, a large fast bunch. The first 50km as far as Thomastown you can get lucky and bunch ride well above your usual average speed. The drag just before Thomastown spreads things out a bit but I was gunning faster and better than last year on that one.
Thomastown to Inistioge is 7km but it doesn't feel like it.
So you hit Woodstock and the world just comes to a standstill. While it is a shock to the system it is a very enjoyable climb. I was doing fine (still managing to keep daragh_ in my sights at this stage, which alone is a sign of improvement).
There I was, doling out words of encouragement to the strugglers, and the walkers (lots of them at this point), telling them about the lovely descent that awaited them. My good cheer was short lived and I never made it to that descent. PCHFFFhhhhh!!! Was that mine? Yep. Puncture.
Ho hum, punctures I can handle.
It got worse. Inch long gash in the tyre. Enquiries as to my situation from fellow cyclists go from reassurances that 'I'm grand thanks' to 'you wouldn't happen to have a spare tyre would you?'
One chap stops and produces a cross section of tyre (he said he always carries two, which I will also do from now on) which patches the tyre perfectly. I can continue. I thank him, he goes (may the good fortune of the road be with you always kind sir) and as I am pumping the wheel I find gash number two, almost as big as the first, and wider.
I try to solicit more tyre sections as the riders, fewer in number now, struggle past. No joy.
I phone daragh_ to explain what's happening and that I will go down to Inistioge to see if I can find a taxi.
I roll back down very gingerly indeed.
There is no such thing as taxis in Inistioge (beautiful village, you must visit). But the Broomwagon shows up and I get into it relieved and crestfallen at the same time. Oh cruel fate.
We trail two cyclists for a long time. One of them is 74 years old and was drinking in the view of the Nore valley on Woodstock hill when we meet him first. He explains he hasn't been in the area since 1952. He's recently had a triple bypass. He struggles at Inistioge to finish the climb but after that he's fine and we don't see him again until the food station. He gets a rhythm going after the descent, and metronome-like just motors on. I love that. I want to do that when I'm 74.
The other is a man form the Comeragh CC. He's looking uncomfortable. His legs cramp badly and we pick him up and deposit him at the food station. He is reunited with friends, gets some sustenance and is revived enough to continue. Happy days.
We follow the 160 route before we switch vehicles for a return to Kilkenny. Captain Havoc is by the road holding his twice snapped chain aloft. I feel his pain.
Then there were two boardsies in the wagon.
We switch vehicles. As we move all the gear we spot a fresh tyre which nobody knew about.
Curses.
Back at the clubhouse daragh_ takes a picture of us in the wagon and offers words of comfort. He's great company on the drive back to Dublin but as soon as I drop him home the grey clouds of disappointment descend on me.
Buggerbuggerbuggerbugger.
I'm over it. You have to take the bad days with the good. I learned something new. I still enjoyed myself.
But Karma's a bitch
Next year.
Well done MCC, all the praise is well earned.0 -
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Captain Havoc wrote: »Photos (facebook), good one of Astramonti in there.
Nice overshoes! The legs seem a bit out of focus though. 0 -
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AstraMonti wrote: »The new design in all it's glory:
(the old one behind
)
That will teach me not to pull silly faces when I see cameras. I think that was the only time I was anywhere near AstraMonti. Watched in awe soon after as he flew up a hill.0 -
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Oooh the little things. Tyre bulges? Wasn't sure what they meant but everything seemed fine. Trip computer battery was dead. Then there was the small bird that pinged off the windscreen on the way down. Slagging off BMW jeep drivers (guess what vehicle the Broomwagon turned out to be?) on the drive down.
Almost Shakespearian portents of doom.
But the day started well. This was the one sportif I was really looking forward to this year, following a great day out last year. MCC deserve great praise for this event. Well organised, well marshalled, great food, and above all a really great atmosphere among the participants.
Great pace from the start, a large fast bunch. The first 50km as far as Thomastown you can get lucky and bunch ride well above your usual average speed. The drag just before Thomastown spreads things out a bit but I was gunning faster and better than last year on that one.
Thomastown to Inistioge is 7km but it doesn't feel like it.
So you hit Woodstock and the world just comes to a standstill. While it is a shock to the system it is a very enjoyable climb. I was doing fine (still managing to keep daragh_ in my sights at this stage, which alone is a sign of improvement).
There I was, doling out words of encouragement to the strugglers, and the walkers (lots of them at this point), telling them about the lovely descent that awaited them. My good cheer was short lived and I never made it to that descent. PCHFFFhhhhh!!! Was that mine? Yep. Puncture.
Ho hum, punctures I can handle.
It got worse. Inch long gash in the tyre. Enquiries as to my situation from fellow cyclists go from reassurances that 'I'm grand thanks' to 'you wouldn't happen to have a spare tyre would you?'
One chap stops and produces a cross section of tyre (he said he always carries two, which I will also do from now on) which patches the tyre perfectly. I can continue. I thank him, he goes (may the good fortune of the road be with you always kind sir) and as I am pumping the wheel I find gash number two, almost as big as the first, and wider.
I try to solicit more tyre sections as the riders, fewer in number now, struggle past. No joy.
I phone daragh_ to explain what's happening and that I will go down to Inistioge to see if I can find a taxi.
I roll back down very gingerly indeed.
There is no such thing as taxis in Inistioge (beautiful village, you must visit). But the Broomwagon shows up and I get into it relieved and crestfallen at the same time. Oh cruel fate.
We trail two cyclists for a long time. One of them is 74 years old and was drinking in the view of the Nore valley on Woodstock hill when we meet him first. He explains he hasn't been in the area since 1952. He's recently had a triple bypass. He struggles at Inistioge to finish the climb but after that he's fine and we don't see him again until the food station. He gets a rhythm going after the descent, and metronome-like just motors on. I love that. I want to do that when I'm 74.
The other is a man form the Comeragh CC. He's looking uncomfortable. His legs cramp badly and we pick him up and deposit him at the food station. He is reunited with friends, gets some sustenance and is revived enough to continue. Happy days.
We follow the 160 route before we switch vehicles for a return to Kilkenny. Captain Havoc is by the road holding his twice snapped chain aloft. I feel his pain.
Then there were two boardsies in the wagon.
We switch vehicles. As we move all the gear we spot a fresh tyre which nobody knew about.
Curses.
Back at the clubhouse daragh_ takes a picture of us in the wagon and offers words of comfort. He's great company on the drive back to Dublin but as soon as I drop him home the grey clouds of disappointment descend on me.
Buggerbuggerbuggerbugger.
I'm over it. You have to take the bad days with the good. I learned something new. I still enjoyed myself.
But Karma's a bitch
Next year.
Well done MCC, all the praise is well earned.
Hey unionman, that was me that offered you the piece of tyre. Sorry I didn't hang around to give you the second piece but my gang had passed and so I feared getting left behind.
Hope to see you at the Orwell Sportive : http://www.orwellwheelers.org. Not sure if our broomwagon will be as comfortable but we'll keep you a spot!0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 26391
If yea rode the tour de kilkenny on sat 31st. checkout www.sportactive.com
B.
Wrong URL
Try http://www.sportactive.net/ instead0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 10917
Was it a 6700 chain? These new chains have to be put on the right way round. If you look in the book it says this
This may have been the problem? My mate got caught out with it as he just popped the chain on with out even looking at the instructions. it was only after he noticed this.
No, I didn't look at this. Well it was an expensive lesson. Real men don't read instructions anyway
Here's another media link to the TdK it's the 40km roll out.https://ormondelanguagetours.com
Walking Tours of Kilkenny in English, French or German.
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