Wicklow Peaks Cycling Challenge

Haldir

Naas Cycling Club will be hosting our annual Wicklow Peaks Challenge next Sunday, 3rd July.
This year the worthy cause is Saplings School for Children with Autism in Kill, Co. Kildare.
http://www.saplings.org

There have been a few minor changes for 2011:
The main route is now 120km and we have replaced the Wicklow Gap with Shay Elliott and Slieve Maan, cycling in the opposite direction to those that recently enjoyed the climbs in the W200
The 50km around the Blessington Lakes and family 15km along the canal are unchanged.

More info can be found at:
http://naascyclingclub.com/site/
http://www.wicklowpeaks.com/Site/
https://www.facebook.com/wicklowpeakscyclingchallenge

Daithi BC

I'll be there in Boards jersey. Hope the food stops are well stocked!

mikesp

I'm going to be there

g0g

Thinking of giving this a bash! Does anyone know:

1) Can you sign up on the day?
2) Is there any (decent) food at the stops normally?
3) Does anyone who's done it know is parking beforehand messy?
4) Is it a group start or whenever you want? I see registration early enough but it says start not til 10:00 but I don't wanna be out too late in the day...

mikesp

g0g wrote: »

1) Can you sign up on the day?

Yes you can.

g0g wrote: »

2) Is there any (decent) food at the stops normally?

I don't know, but I don't suggest to anybody to depend on the food/liquids offered in any competition. I mean: you should get enough "food" from home.
If by any reason the organisation runs out of bars, or your stomach doesn't like the bars/gels they offer or something like that, you will have problems.

g0g wrote: »

4) Is it a group start or whenever you want? I see registration early enough but it says start not til 10:00 but I don't wanna be out too late in the day...

It seems that the first 20km will be neutralized, that means that the whole group will be cycling after a car or a motorbike at a given (not too fast) speed, and after that... the party will start.

Daithi BC

g0g wrote: »

4) Is it a group start or whenever you want? I see registration early enough but it says start not til 10:00 but I don't wanna be out too late in the day...

The website now says start at 9:30, with registration open at 8.

http://naascyclingclub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=83

I'm going to aim to be there at 8:30 to register, which I reckon should be plenty of time.

g0g

Thanks for the replies, had been wondering what that neutralised comment meant! Thought it meant they picked a very flat first 20km to make it easy!:rolleyes:

09:30 suits better so will more than likely head down then!:)

Daithi BC

Met Eireann forecast looks ok: "Sunday: A mild, humid and mostly cloudy day with patchy light rain, drizzle and fog. Temperatures in the mid to high teens." The light rain is forecast to be on the west coast, so we should be fine. Hopefully.

http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

Daithi BC

Just want to say thanks to the organisers of the Wicklow Peaks for a really well run event today. Neutralised group start, lovely route, plenty of food at the intermediate food stop and at the end, only €25 and in aid of a really good cause. Puts a certain other sportive around Wicklow to shame, imo.

Good to meet a few boardsies there, and particular thanks to g0g for dragging me around the tough part of the course up Shay Elliot and Slieve Maan. Remember to put the Pinarello on the wedding list and hope someone buys it for you.

Distance: 118.45km
Total ascent: 1794m
Rolling time: 4:37.
Legs: Tired.

g0g

Daithi BC wrote: »

Good to meet a few boardsies there, and particular thanks to g0g for dragging me around the tough part of the course up Shay Elliot and Slieve Maan. Remember to put the Pinarello on the wedding list and hope someone buys it for you.

WTF!? :) Think there's a bit of mix up there Daithi! I did both those climbs pretty much solo and don't remember meeting any boardsies!!! Think you might have me confused sorry :pac:. I did see someone in a Boards jersey early on but he was long ahead of me and leaving Laragh when I arrived! Great day out and will add it to my blog when I get a sec during the week!

Really hope the lads who took photos put em up somewhere!

Sr. Assumpta

Really enjoyed this event today.

Amazing amazing weather, Wicklow looks heavenly under blue skies. There was NO WIND, really. Downside of calm conditons was a fly-fiesta. Hoards of the buggers buzzing around us on every climb; it wasn't that we weren't climbing fast enough to shake them, they are in fact expert drafters. We showed no mercy on the descents.

Route included Sally Gap (from Blesso side), Aughavannagha (?sp), Slieve Mann, and Shay Elliott. Let's say........ challenging but satisfying.

Marshals were in place & active everywhere they were needed. After it's initial duty, the lead-out car followed us around delivering water and goodies at sheduled and unsheduled stops.

Upon return to Naas cheery ladies served us delicious chicken curry (not what you might think you'd want on a sunny day I hear you say? It was perfect, almost earning a round of applause from the table I sat at!), and cous cous salad. Yes, and cake.

Turnout wasn't great (unfortunate clash with ROK weekend) which was a pity, not just because we all got very spread out (read: small groups=more work (luckily my Super Domestique was in peak shape:))), but because it was for a good cause (aside: I don't have anything to do with 'Saplings'). I'd do this again, it took the procrastination out of tackling some of Wicklows hillier hills.

I met Daithi BC, and lots of other pleasant people from all over Leinster; and looking forward to seeing you all again at Tour de Kilkenny. Thanks to Naas CC, & to friends and parents of Saplings.

Daithi BC

g0g wrote: »

WTF!? :) Think there's a bit of mix up there Daithi! I did both those climbs pretty much solo and don't remember meeting any boardsies!!! Think you might have me confused sorry :pac:.

Oops - apparently I don't cope with real names vs boards names! It was Geoff who hauled me up the hills - I assumed his boards name was g0g.

G rock

that'd be me you met daithi!

although i couldn't possibly take credit for dragging anyone up those climbs, i'm glad i just managed to drag my own sorry ass up them

pleasure meeting you, enjoyed the company!

all in all a great day out, great route and like daithi said, loads of food at both halfway and at the end (chicken curry, lovely) and well marshalled.

def one to put on the list for next year!

mikesp

Great Sunday morning. Thanks to Naas CC and Saplings, and the guys on the roads with flags. Their attention, kindness and food will drag me to be there next year.
The friendly ambient between you cyclists was also amazing.

I was wearing a Caisse d'Epargne jersey and riding a pinarello, just in case any of my climbing mates were here.

See you on the roads (and in Meath at the end of July)

Leroy42

I took part in this event yesterday, and my feedback in very positive.

Obviously, the weather in all these events makes a massive difference in our overall impression, yesterday was an almost perfect day for cycling. Little wind (is that the first time in 2 months?), hot but not baking, sunny but periods of clouds so sunburn was never really an issue.

A good turnout and a neutralized garda escorted start out of the centre of Naas gave a nice starting point. The Garda directed us out of town, but the lead vehicle stayed throughout. Only small note I would make was I thought the naturalized section was actually pretty fast, the group certainly got split up right from the start. I think it would be nice to give everyone a chance to at least stay together for a few kilometers.

That, very minor opinion aside, the route was well marked (some road markings were a bit close to the corners) but with every corner (at least I cannot recall one which was not) being marshaled even someone like me who didn’t really know the way had no problems navigating the route.

Either the lead car, a motorbike or some other car were at each junction signaling the traffic and you certainly felt that you were being looked after. The food stop in Laragh was great, plenty of everything.

The food at the end was also brill, chicken curry (I agree it is not what I would have thought on the day, but it worked a treat) and some nice cake!! All the volunteers were really welcoming and friendly, and knowing the money goes to help a good cause made me feel better and it is nice for the cyclists to be able to give something positive and we generally have to put up with negative comments for others!

The route itself was very good, I thought when looking at the profile that they had planned it the wrong way as the mountains were done by 70K, but the next 30K were tough and it was nice to get a flattish/down section for the last few kms. Well done to the route organizer, spot on. It was a tough course, but I got into a good group and we managed to keep the miles going by.

Well done to all that were involved in the planning, organizing etc for this event. A really good job. Only idea I would throw in would maybe having a dedicated ‘finish’. I know that the town hall was it but there was little signage etc to show it, a bit of pomp is always good. Still have the town hall as the centre but maybe have the official ‘finish just before the town proper to avoid the traffic. I know it’s not a race so it’s not a finish line per say but it would be a nice sign of achievement. How it would be organized, well…..haven’t a clue!!!!

Great event, great volunteers, definitely will be looking out for this on next years calendar.

maloner

Thumbs up as well for a great day.

I thought the road signs could be better. I had the route on gps so it wasn't a problem, but my buddy (who dropped me on the Sally Gap climb) missed the right turn for Roundwood at the bottom of Luggala. Plus side is this allowed me to overtake him and he was shocked to then pass me on the way to Laragh .

Generally though there were plenty of marshals and you can have people on every turn for a course that big so no real complaints, but a few bigger arrows, a bit before the turns might be one for next year (when I'll be back for more I'd hope).

Well done to all involved.

therightstuff

Well done Haldir. You did good.
Next week I will be mostly biking to work on this;
http://vannicholas.com/8/Yukon/bike.aspx

g0g

I know it's ages ago but I sent an email at some stage asking about pics and they just replied to say they're up today. LINK

Sr. Assumpta

Wow, I'd forgotten what photos of people cycling in sunshine (in our green and pleasant land) look like, we're even smiling through the suffering, thanks!

Daithi BC

Thanks for that. A couple of me and GRock pretending not to suffer going up Shay Elliot. Then again, given how fast he went up Slieve Maan, he probably wasn't pretending.

I'm impressed with the guy in full leg and arm warmers. He must have been roasting going up those climbs. Training for the Etape?