Rás na mBan - discussion thread - anyone following?

fat bloke

There are quite a few sites for reading about Rás na mBan, currently being contested in Sneem - stickybottle, rasnamban.com, womenscycling.ie, but I generally come here for a lot of my cycling news, so may as well have one of Ireland's largest international multi-stage cycle races feature on boards.ie too!

Some cool compilation vids being put together by blackumbrellaphotography, here's their latest, footage from stage one:

Bloody hard, unforgiving roads down around Sneem so they are, it's a hard circuit with a fast finish. First lady over the line picked herself up from an earlier crash - some going:eek:.


I wonder what the TT course was like, it must have been fairly draggy cos the times are slower than you'd expect over a short distance.

Anyone down around there watching? There are two Orwell teams aren't there?

Any sign of the Joe Daly crew donning their mankini's again like last year?

Peterx

The TT was 3.4km long on a draggy climb from Sneem village on the road up towards Molls Gap. They had a good tailwind and I thought the times were pretty good considering the climb. It was a big ring power climb but still a climb.
I saw the girl crash coming out of the corner at the top of the hill, she did really well to get back on as she must have lost over 10 seconds to the bunch which was disappearing away into a bit of a a headwind.
Anne Dalton of team Ireland was powering up the climb controlling the bunch on more then one lap (4 laps)

Team Leinster are without a doubt the best girls down there!:D
Both Fiona and Niamh on the Leinster team (along with a few others) were very unlucky to lose time on the main bunch with a wee crash on the last lap after racing very well for the previous 3 laps.

It's good hard racing and the set-up with the apartments to stay in and the hotel to eat in looks to work well.
They were lucky enough to have their two stages yesterday mainly in the gaps between the showers but I believe it was very very wet today.

fat bloke

I see all the routes are linked to on the rasnamban.com site, done out on ridewithgps.

Wednesday looks fairly gruelling! http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1477698

A summit finish would be deadly, if they could count on the weather!

ROK ON

I was in Sneem yday for stage 1. Saw the peleton crest the first QoM of the four lap circuit & then headed to the finishing circuit to watch them pass three more times.

It is a very tough course. Roads are heavy and weather is brutal as usual in Sth Kerry.
For anyone that thought today's stage was tough then the Queen stage will be some spectacle. Three climbs two o which are very very tough.

For anyone interested in cycling head to Ballaghisheen or Ballaghneama on Wed - you won't be disappointed.
Fair play to the organisers, in that the route (particularly the Queen stage) really puts it up to the organisers of Ras Mumhan or the Ras IMHO.

Met Vlad yday and saw Niceonetom & GodIhatethehills driving team cars.

More importantly I saw both of the Mags & Anne (Maws) brigade plus Sr Assumpta.

Would love to have seen today's stage over Healy Pass but work got in the way.

fat bloke

I've done a bit of cycling myself down around there, but I've yet to tackle either of the "bealach"'s. Reputed to be tough under normal conditions, at race pace they must be horrific.

Any good pics ROK ON or anyone?

buffalo

There're at least two riders blogging while they're racing (not from the saddle though ):

http://mediconabike.blogspot.ie/ with whom I'm not familiar.

And Fi - many of you might've read her stuff during the Rás, she tweeted the entire race from the cavalcade: http://falseflat.wordpress.com/

And I see a video of Stage 2's TT on Sticky Bottle - were they not allowed use TT bikes then? But pointy helmets were okay I guess. Black Rose opening their van made me laugh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96N02S2V3AY

I have a personal interest in the race, beyond the women I know from racing here. At the beginning of my racing career (all 1.5 seasons of it), for my 4th/5th race I signed up for a five-day stage race in Wales, the Ras de Cymru. I was comprehensively dropped in the first racing stage, me and the only woman in the race, Lowri Bunn, pedalled around together behind the bunch. She's racing this, and came second in yesterday's stage. I won't feel so bad about being so **** if she turns out to be super-mega-awesome!


PS thanks for that video fat_bloke - had heard that particular story, but never witnessed it. Maybe that was for the best...

fat bloke

buffalo wrote: »

PS thanks for that video fat_bloke - had heard that particular story, but never witnessed it. Maybe that was for the best...

Ha ha yeah. Should have marked it NSFW

Not suitable for watching

fat bloke

Why are TT bikes disallowed I wonder? Probably a pain in the ass for competitors and organisers to transport two bikes per person, but on the other hand if you had a TT bike you could be forgiven for moaning about not being allowed to take a advantage of it.

Some lovely looking machinery in the vids. I liked the look of that white boardman that Louise Moriarty (I think? - is she the only Look Mom No Hands rider?) is riding in the video above.

DaveR1

I took a long weekend in Sneem to watch the first three stages and in fairness I wasn't disappointed. I didn't know anyone doing it I just went down to watch and have a weekend away.

It is really aggressive racing which is far more fun to watch than this years bore of a TDF. The quality of the top riders is really high with the Irish National Squad along with the Dutch, Danish and some British teams really strong.

Yesterdays stage just went so hard from the start the whole race blew up on the Cat 2 climb before they even reached the Cat 1 Healy Pass. It was really good to watch. They were so fast I nearly missed the finish as I wasn't expecting them back so quickly. It was impressive stuff.

Overall it is a great race and I think it deserves a bit more support and media coverage. The Sneem Hotel do a great job sponsoring and hosting the race.

fat bloke wrote: »

Some lovely looking machinery in the vids. I liked the look of that white boardman that Louise Moriarty (I think? - is she the only Look Mom No Hands rider?) is riding in the video above.

That's not Louise in the video. Its her team mate Helen McKay! Look Mom No Hands have a pretty strong team at the race. Louise is in the county rider jersey and Siobhan McNamara has the mountains jersey after yesterdays Healy and Caha passes. (Siobhan rides for inverse so she might be guesting with Look Mom No Hands this week - Not sure)

buffalo

fat bloke wrote: »

Why are TT bikes disallowed I wonder? Probably a pain in the ass for competitors and organisers to transport two bikes per person, but on the other hand if you had a TT bike you could be forgiven for moaning about not being allowed to take a advantage of it.

I believe it encourages the foreign teams to take part, for the reason of transport as you said. They cant travel with one bike* and not be at a disadvantage.

*per rider

DaveR1

fat bloke wrote: »

Any good pics ROK ON or anyone?

A few pics from the 1st 2 days.... Nothing special!!! I wouldn't consider myself a photographer! :cool:
http://s1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj593/DaveRR2/?start=all

fat bloke

http://www.stickybottle.com/races-results/moriarty-boylan-best-of-irish-after-decisive-split-at-epic-ras-na-mban-stage/

Race sounds deadly. Lots of lead changes, lots of riders in contention, racing seems really positive and aggressive.

Decision not to give stage win time bonuses ("bunificaaaations":pac:) is keeping the results really close.

buffalo

fat bloke wrote: »

http://www.stickybottle.com/races-results/moriarty-boylan-best-of-irish-after-decisive-split-at-epic-ras-na-mban-stage/

I thought that was today's stage, you bastard!

http://twitter.com/rasnamban for updates

fat bloke

buffalo wrote: »

I thought that was today's stage, you bastard!

So did I!?

What's the latest?

buffalo

Press release for today's stage:

Karla Boddy of High Wycombe CC took the Fixx Coffeehouse fourth stage of An Post Ras na mBan in a group sprint at the end of 78km on Valentia Island today.

Boddy edged the tight sprint finish from double stage winner Femke Van Kessel of the Dutch NWVG Bike 4 Aires-Dames team and her fellow countrywoman Talisa Van Der Fluit (District Team NH/WTC de Amstel).

Danish rider Kamillla Vallin of Reelight/Bike Toyz-Kvickly finished seventh in the 31 rider lead group at the finish in Chapeltown and so retains the overall lead for a second day with a six second lead over Lydia Boylan of the Ireland team.

Siobhan McNamara of Look Mum No Hands had a great battle with Laura Massey of Abergavenny RC on the day’s two second category climbs of Coomaciste and Geokaun after which she retained her lead in the IVCA Queen of the Mountains Competition with a three point lead.

The Sneem Hotel County Rider jersey will be worn for a third day by former overall race winner Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) who finished comfortably in the lead group and remains fifth overall, 15 seconds behind Vallin.

The 78km stage featured plenty of attacking riding from the peloton including repeated efforts from Ishbel Taromsari (Pedal Power Race Team), Orla Hendron (Orwell Wheelers Dundrum Town Centre) Amy Brice (Ireland) and Charlotte Lenting of NWVG Bike 4 Aires-Dames.

However, the Reelight/Bike Toyz-Kvickly Odder team of race leader Vallin were alert throughout and half the field was still in contention on the finishing ramp into Chapeltown Village on Valentia Island where Boddy, having been third on both road stages so far, finally made it to top spot.

Van Kessel produced another podium finish to go with her brace of road stage wins while Van Der Fluit produced her team’s first important placing of the 2012 race.

Tomorrow’s An Post ‘Queen’ Stage is an epic 95.5km slog includes the category one Ballaghabeama and Ballaghasheen climbs followed by the second category Coomaciste is sure to see changes in the general classification.

fat bloke

Christ. 15 seconds only back to 5th place! I'd love to follow tomorrow's stage. Don't suppose there are any eurosport-style live updates??

buffalo

All I know of is https://twitter.com/rasnamban Usually there'd be @fi_cooke as well, but I don't think she's allowed tweet while racing!

emtroche

Anybody know what time todays stage start is? Says 12:00 on website but theres a pic of them at the startline in Sneem at 10:30??

buffalo

emtroche wrote: »

Anybody know what time todays stage start is? Says 12:00 on website but theres a pic of them at the startline in Sneem at 10:30??

Looks like it's already kicked off from the twittering.

emtroche

buffalo wrote: »

Looks like it's already kicked off from the twittering.

Ah jaysus....

buffalo

emtroche wrote: »

Ah jaysus....

Might be just sign-on though, get to Sneem for 12, might be worth it.

Sign on / Start
11.00am Sneem Village; 12.00 noon start

Raam

Queen stage, the parcours would make you pooh your pants.

DaveR1

More crazy attacking racing today!!!
3rd overall missed the break and so did local favourite Louise Moriarty!

Suprised Lauren Creamer didn't make it. She was supposed to be the Irish National Team Leader for the week. It's all up to Lydia Boylan now!

buffalo

From Twitter, riders in the lead group: 1, 6, 8, 19, 22, 32, 35, 54, 60.

That's:
1 Lydia Boylan (Irish Nat Team) - 2nd overall on GC
6 Amalie Dideriksen (Reelight|BikeToyz-Kvickly Odder) - 8th
8 Kamilla Sofie Vallin (Reelight|BikeToyz-Kvickly Odder ) - 1st
19 Lowri Bunn (Abergavenny) - 4th
22 Laura Murray (Abergavenny) - 21st
32 Karla Boddy (High Wycombe CC) - 11th
35 Siobhán McNamara (Look Mum No Hands) - 10th
54 Fiona Meade (Munster) - 12th
60 Anne Ewing (Black Rose) - 15th

Now, back to work for a bit...

edit: do I need spoiler tags? Is anyone waiting for the highlights later?

buffalo

Provisional winner at http://twitter.com/rasnamban

Peterx

A savage stage apparently.
Some real gutsy racing on show down in Sneem, tis a pity none of our broadcasters could spare a motorbike cam as a highlights reel would be great.
With so many close on GC and ability the attacks are just constant.

I can't imagine tomorrow will be any different, the motto appears to be - attack all day till you stay away:D

ahem - Go Leinster!

fat bloke

Peterx wrote: »

A savage stage apparently.
tis a pity none of our broadcasters could spare a motorbike cam as a highlights reel would be great.

Really is isn't it. Would be cool to sit down in the evening and watch it on tv, cos you would wouldn't you. It's the chicken/egg tv coverage scenario - I'm a firm believer that -if you broadcast it, it will be watched. Surely better than "When surgery goes wrong!" or whatever the fcuk:rolleyes:

morana

hats off to all the sponsors of the stages.....;)

buffalo

http://falseflat.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/the-race-of-truth/

Great riding and writing by Fiona Cooke.

Peterx

Done and dusted. Drier roads, no change on GC.

Well done to all involved, including all the support team managers, mechanics and masseurs.

Tough racing.

fat bloke

And well done and kudos to Valerie Considine who's been organizing the race since this time last year for free and for nothing but the good of cycling generally & women's cycling particularly, and indeed devoting a full week of our "holidays" to it.

manwithaplan

fat bloke wrote: »

And well done and kudos to Valerie Considine

Hear hear. She's some woman altogether.

buffalo

Final stage press release:

Karla Boddy of High Wycombe CC made it a hat trick of wins in the sixth and final stage of An Post Ras na mBan in Sneem today as Denmark’s Kamilla Vallin was confirmed as the overall winner.
Boddy’s blistering sprint finish was employed to good effect once more as the riders raced down from Moll’s Gap to the finish where the Englishwoman got the better of Fiona Meade (Munster) and Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands).
Vallin controlled the efforts of Ireland’s Lydia Boylan to close the six second gap and took the final pink leader’s jersey of the event she has led since the third stage.
Her Reelight Bike Toyz Kvickly Odder team mate Amalie Dideriksen took the IVCA Queen of the Mountains Classification and the Danish squad also wrapped up team honours.
Meade, from Cork, finished sixth overall and won the Sneem Hotel County Rider Classification.
With a short 58km loop to finish after five hard days of racing on the Ring of Kerry, the action was hectic right from off in Sneem with Ishbel Taromsari (Pedal Power Racing Team) the first to try her luck off the front.
Silja Visser then went clear and opened up just under half a minute lead before she was absorbed by the bunch offering an opportunity for her Distric Team NH-WTC de Amstel team mate Riejanne Markus to solo clear.
She too was reclaimed after seven kilometres out front as the field turned left in Kenmare for the five km slog to Moll’s Gap.
A series of attacks on the lower slopes came to nought and it was IVCA Queen of the Mountains jersey holder Amalie Dideriksen that led a depleted bunch over the top of the category two ascent.
Lydia Boylan of the Ireland team was nicely paced into the climb by team mate Anne Dalton but Boylan couldn’t shake off the attentions of race leader Vallin
Dideriksen already had an unassailable lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition going into the final stage but asserted her status with top spot on the climb ahead of Lowri Bunn (Abergavenny RC) and Iona Sewell (Geoffrey Butler Cycles).
The third cat climb to Carraig na Gaoithe failed to split the group any further and Sara Ortiz of Black Road Racing decided to take her chance on the fast drop back into Sneem. Ortiz opened up a 15 second lead but the bunch were ever vigilant and by five km to go it looked certain to be decided in a bunch sprint.
Boddy is only racing for 18 months but has already carved a niche as a sprinter, a reputation she enhanced with a string of top results in stage finishes this week.
The downhill sprint favoured a long lead out and it was Boddy who fired first, opening up a narrow advantage that Fiona Meade (Munster) and Louise Moriarty (Look Mum No Hands) could not quite cancel out.
Boddy’s third win in a row to go with fifth overall made it a successful week’s racing for the Buckinghamshire rider.
Vallin, meanwhile, finished safely in the main group to rubberstamp her overall win. Having held the lead since the third stage, the 19-year-old from Denmark fought off the challenge of Boylan and cruised in for a narrow but convincing win.
Her Reelight Bike Toyz Kvickly Odder team took the overall team award while Black Rose Racing won the Irish county team award.
Top junior was Riejanne Markus with the veteran’s award going to Tonya Moran of Black Rose Racing.

I have a copy of the GC, but can't copy and paste in a readable format.

niceonetom

I've just finished crewing for one of the provincial teams down here. What a week. What a race. What a bunch of women.

This really is the *Rás* na mBan, a worthy sister event to the other Rás. The stages may be a bit shorter but, my god, they're tough. It would be hard to find a tougher 97km loop than was used for the queen stage. The two cat1 climbs are monsterous. Walls they are and the descents are super technical narrow gravel strewn things too. The only thing that comes close would Mamore gap. The Healy Pass stage was nuts too.

Its a brilliant event and one I hope continues to grow. Valerie is a hero for making this happen.

Any woman who takes on this event has my total respect. It's awesome. Some are here to win, some are here to do better than last time and some are here just trying to survive it - just like the men - and to become Women of the Rás.

We have a few boardsies out there this week, some dictating the race, some withstanding it (and some just here to help). I'm really looking forward to hearing their take on it once we've all had the chance to sit down and recover a bit.

ROK ON

If I could make one suggestion as someone who lives in Sth Kerry and having seen stages for the past three years.
It would be to strat mid week and finish at the w/e.
I think you would be able the organisers would be able to get more supporters on the road I the queen stage was a Saturday and the finale was on a Sunday.

Other than that I really enjoyed watching the stage that I did.
Well done all.

Also I am not sure if local cycling clubs were asked in anyway to help out with marshalling etc. I could well ask in my own club for next year.

morana

I have to get to it next year! its just that bit far for a day trip but next year definitely!

Hats off to val she is a great woman!

fat bloke

ROK ON wrote: »

If I could make one suggestion as someone who lives in Sth Kerry and having seen stages for the past three years.
It would be to strat mid week and finish at the w/e.
I think you would be able the organisers would be able to get more supporters on the road I the queen stage was a Saturday and the finale was on a Sunday.

It would be cool alright, but Friday/Saturday are prime wedding slots for the Sneem hotel & needs must. One of the competitors will have to "mBan-up", so to speak, & tie the knot there September next year

fat bloke

Irish Times, Page 2!!!!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0914/1224324007063.html

The Tour de France hardly got that!:cool:

Sr. Assumpta

niceonetom wrote: »

I've just finished crewing for one of the provincial teams down here. What a week. What a race. What a bunch of women.

This really is the *Rás* na mBan, a worthy sister event to the other Rás. The stages may be a bit shorter but, my god, they're tough. It would be hard to find a tougher 97km loop than was used for the queen stage. The two cat1 climbs are monsterous. Walls they are and the descents are super technical narrow gravel strewn things too. The only thing that comes close would Mamore gap. The Healy Pass stage was nuts too.

Its a brilliant event and one I hope continues to grow. Valerie is a hero for making this happen.

Any woman who takes on this event has my total respect. It's awesome. Some are here to win, some are here to do better than last time and some are here just trying to survive it - just like the men - and to become Women of the Rás.

We have a few boardsies out there this week, some dictating the race, some withstanding it (and some just here to help). I'm really looking forward to hearing their take on it once we've all had the chance to sit down and recover a bit.

I was lucky enough to start Ras na mBan calling niceonetom my mechanic (well, the team's mechanic anyhow!), I was even luckier to finish it calling him my friend.

My account of the race, the whole experience, is here http://falseflat.wordpress.com/

buffalo

Sr Assumpta! I feel like Dougal did in that episode with the blue jumper! I honestly, have not read a better account of the suffering a racing cyclist undergoes than your account of the Queen stage.

I hope I have the honour of meeting you again, the tables have turn ed from when you met me at trhe end of the men's Rás - you are getting a giant hug!

Also, it took me 6 minute to write this, I have been drinking. But well done to all who took part!

wav1

Well done to all involved here.Never easy to put something like this together at any level.A mention also for the late Ian Gallaher who was instrumental in putting on the TQ Womans 2 day which would eventually lead to this full blown stage race.From little acorns and all that.