Barrow Wheelers GP - Sunday 27th May 2012

giannip

Hi all

The Barrow Wheelers GP events will take place on Sunday May 27th 2012 from the Good Counsel College Grounds off the ring road in New Ross.

There is a combined A1/A2 race to cater for the racers not doing the Ras, separate A3 and A4 races. Juniors /Ladies are also catered for but unfortunately no underage

Fields in each race will be limited to 80. You can enter online (limited entries on the day) and the route details, race distances and prizes are on the Barrow site here .

It looks like it's going to be a bit of a classic

michael196

anyone do this today ? What did you think of the circuit ?

michael196

P.S not my club or event however was present in support of Wexford Wheelers . Event run by Barrow Wheelers New Ross.


One rider from Laois broke away on the final lap to try chase down the leading A3 group. While he may not have known how many were in the leading a3 group, he kept going, occasionally looking back to see a large chasing group behind.

THe chasing group inexplicably disintegrated in the final kilometers of the final lap, and the solo rider went on to bridge accross to the leading group to take 5th place over all in the A3 race.

I guess just goes to show, never give up in these races.

I was on water duties on one of the hills,and once the race passed by, I followed the race back in, by car, and witnessed this solo rider between the leading and chasing group. My car then turned into his lead car.

Hats off to you sir from ( EP Mooney on blue jersey ?) Laois for keeping the fight going. I could see that the Laois rider would not have glimpsed the cavalcade behind the leading group, and would not have known how far behind he was. In the final kilometers, the rider accelerated, came up behind me, but never drafted off the car, and went ahead to join the lead group and take a place in the race results. Pure guts.


Hot temperatures saw the tar melting on the ballinamagill hill after Listerlin. Water was in heavy demand on the hill, with a local house obliging to re fill our water tanks.



Well done and congratulations to Barrow Wheelers, their marshalls and crew for providing a tough circuit ( albeit in Kilkenny !! ), and a safe circuit on the day.

sheepfield

Did A4: Was I the only one who felt that this was an outrageously tough circuit? I really do like it when a race is tough, but 80km in these conditions was perhaps a bit much. Dont get me wrong, it was an interesting race, well marshalled, but Thank god the organisers started handing out water on the second lap or else I would not have finished. :eek:

Huge number of abandonments on the day in all of the grades I believe: how many actually finished A4? The recurring comment from many after this race was "never again" which is a pity, but I suppose if it was too easy it wouldnt be any fun at all. Congrats to the savavge beasts who actually manged to win; I will review my "schedule" for next season, if I lose 2stone I might return...:rolleyes:

MichealD

The climb from the finish line back to the sign on venue would do me in!

michael196

sheepfield wrote: »

Did A4: Was I the only one who felt that this was an outrageously tough circuit? I really do like it when a race is tough, but 80km in these conditions was perhaps a bit much. Dont get me wrong, it was an interesting race, well marshalled, but Thank god the organisers started handing out water on the second lap or else I would not have finished. :eek:

Huge number of abandonments on the day in all of the grades I believe: how many actually finished A4? The recurring comment from many after this race was "never again" which is a pity, but I suppose if it was too easy it wouldnt be any fun at all. Congrats to the savavge beasts who actually manged to win; I will review my "schedule" for next season, if I lose 2stone I might return...:rolleyes:

I understand the A4's lost 50% of the field by the finish ?

chakattack

Wasn't there myself but that's what I like to hear! Good work barrow wheelers. Longer harder races are welcome. It's too easy to sit in a bunch on a flat loop for 40/50km.

fondriest

Less than half the field finished the A4 and A3 races . It was a tough circuit alright , might not have been so bad if it was a little bit cooler . I rode the A3 race but was surprised not to see more in the A4 race , very often lads are complaining that the races are too short or too flat and when they're given a longer hilly race they stay away in their droves .

manwithaplan

fondriest wrote: »

Less than half the field finished the A4 and A3 races . It was a tough circuit alright , might not have been so bad if it was a little bit cooler . I rode the A3 race but was surprised not to see more in the A4 race , very often lads are complaining that the races are too short or too flat and when they're given a longer hilly race they stay away in their droves .

Might the location have had a bit to do with it? Bit far for the a lot of the Leinster crew, with Emyvale (possibly more established on the calendar) also on. Not sure what was on down south. Weren't the numbers limited too?

I would have loved to give the A3 a go but my iffy back and family commitments put paid to that idea.

joker77

fondriest wrote: »

Less than half the field finished the A4 and A3 races . It was a tough circuit alright , might not have been so bad if it was a little bit cooler . I rode the A3 race but was surprised not to see more in the A4 race , very often lads are complaining that the races are too short or too flat and when they're given a longer hilly race they stay away in their droves .

I'm in A4, but both this and Emyvale were 2 hours drive away from me - and with the weather the way it was I just didn't fancy 4 hours in the car.

fondriest

joker77 wrote: »

fondriest wrote: »

Less than half the field finished the A4 and A3 races . It was a tough circuit alright , might not have been so bad if it was a little bit cooler . I rode the A3 race but was surprised not to see more in the A4 race , very often lads are complaining that the races are too short or too flat and when they're given a longer hilly race they stay away in their droves .

I'm in A4, but both this and Emyvale were 2 hours drive away from me - and with the weather the way it was I just didn't fancy 4 hours in the car.

Wouldn't fancy 4hrs in the car either , and obviously location is a factor being that it's not very central but with places limited to 80 it still didn't fill . Maybe a better turn out next year .

Chips Lovell

fondriest wrote: »

I rode the A3 race but was surprised not to see more in the A4 race , very often lads are complaining that the races are too short or too flat and when they're given a longer hilly race they stay away in their droves .

People who are unhappy with something are often vocal about it. Those who happy with the status quo, less so. Perhaps there's a silent majority who're happy enough with the current crop of race circuits?

531

manwithaplan wrote: »

Might the location have had a bit to do with it? Bit far for the a lot of the Leinster crew,

It took place in Leinster!

531

fondriest wrote: »

Wouldn't fancy 4hrs in the car either , and obviously location is a factor being that it's not very central but with places limited to 80 it still didn't fill . Maybe a better turn out next year .

Could it be that people did not want to turn up and sign-on on the day because it was limited to 80, and risk being turned away?

Plastik

I wasn't arced with the 3 to 4 hour round trip in the car. I like racing, but feic that. The Wicklow countryside more than compensated in the glorious weather.

crashoveroid

Great race great course managed a 9th place in the A3 race. For the people moaning as my coach says HTFU.

levitronix

crashoveroid wrote: »

Great race great course managed a 9th place in the A3 race. For the people moaning as my coach says HTFU.

i done the a3 race, toughest race ive done so far, i got dropped a total of 3 times managed to chase back on twice when it stopped going up
Need more power or loose loads of weight for a race like that

fondriest

crashoveroid wrote: »

Great race great course managed a 9th place in the A3 race. For the people moaning as my coach says HTFU.

Well done , anyone who got a result of any sort on Sunday has obviously listened to there coach . Would I be right in guessing youre the St. Finbars rider who would rather be on an Argon than a Ridley ?

amjon.

Who won the A1/A2 race?

MichealD

No results on any of the cycling sites or even the Barrow Wheelers website!

Agree with comments about A4 riders. Not happy when races are flat and short. Then when harder, hillier races are put on they get poor numbers. Last weekends Betty Darcy race a good example. Less than an hour from Dublin, on the Gorey 3 day course that these guys apparently aspire to and how many show up? Maybe 40? Hard to know what race organisers need to do.

Joe6Pac

Congratulations to Barrow Wheelers on holding an excellent race on a very testing circuit!

I rode in the A4 race and it was an absolute war of attrition! Its great to have a few hills to breaks things up somewhat. We are all sick of the bunch finishes in A4 so it was a refreshing change to see a break get away. Sometimes the A4 lads pick up a few stragglers from the A3 race - however, yesterday was my first time seeing stragglers from the A1/A2 race being mopped up by the A4's. It a sure sign of a tough course.

I will definitely be back next year . Thanks again to Barrow Wheelers

Joe6Pac

A1/A2 - I think it was won by Martin O'Loughan from Carrick Wheelers

Kebel

Winner of A1/2 Race was Daniel Kirwin, (Lucan), Martin O'Loughlin (Carrick) was second, with Mark Nugent (Waterford Racing Club) in 3rd.

I gather results are gone to Irish Cycling and Sticky bottle already and the Barrow Site should updated tonight. Very Impressive Ride by Daniel, who took off alone with 18-20k to go and came in about a minute up on the chasers.

manwithaplan

531 wrote:

It took place in Leinster!

I know that! It was still a bit far for a lot of them and there was another option in the opposite direction (not in Leinster in case another impromptu geography lesson is in store for me).

Obviously it's good to have a decent spread of locations to serve everyone but I suspected that it was a long trip for many regular racers and that this, as much as the tough circuit, contributed to the small turnout.

crashoveroid

fondriest wrote: »

Well done , anyone who got a result of any sort on Sunday has obviously listened to there coach . Would I be right in guessing youre the St. Finbars rider who would rather be on an Argon than a Ridley ?

Ahh to be on an Argon again.