Ben McKenna & Jim 'Jazzer' Wherity Memorial Races

Harrybelafonte

What's the race Sunday like? Course-wise I mean.

bcmf

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

What's the race Sunday like? Course-wise I mean.

AFAIK different to last year with some very lumpy sections and draggy roads.

Beasty

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

What's the race Sunday like? Course-wise I mean.

It's now the Swords GP course with an extra bit bringing you to the finish climbing the Nag's Head from the north. That seems to cut out the dodgy descent towards Ring Commons and it no longer goes through the Naul. I'm not sure, hill-wise, it's any tougher the the Swords GP course (Corduff/Nags Head for those who ride it in the Swords League) as the ascent of the Nag's Head is over a longer distance. However those extra roads are not in particularly good condition and there's certainly some dodgy areas (although I've not been along the final section)

I guess the main benefit for A3s and A4s is they have their own races - no worries about what happens when the faster groups make the catch

Harrybelafonte

lennymc wrote: »

im hoping to get dropped take part in both of them

Nice. Despite what I said last time, it looks like I'll be racing Sunday. Though I'll probably miss Stamullen. More frickin climbs.

bcmf

Beasty wrote: »

there's certainly some dodgy areas (although I've not been along the final section)

I know the final section well.
At the top of Walshestown ,from the Apple green SS, take a left. Its flat for a bit then drops sharply into a very fast very sharp with weird camber left hander which leads to a quick climb to Murphys quarry with another very sharp drop to the sharp right hand turn to the Nags Head.

GlennaMaddy

bcmf wrote: »

I know the final section well.
At the top of Walshestown ,from the Apple green SS, take a left. Its flat for a bit then drops sharply into a very fast very sharp with weird camber left hander which leads to a quick climb to Murphys quarry .

Past the house where Rachel O'Reilly was brutally slain (2009 I think), I always get the heebie jeebies passing that house.

bcmf

buffalo wrote: »

oh, so it's not as climby? Got a map of the new course at all?

I think its more climby. The climb up to walshestown is tough. In fact not so long back when myself,Rob Fowl and another were going up there and Rob Fowl commented that it would make a great climb in a race but getting down is a problem.

bcmf

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

Past the house where Rachel O'Reilly was brutally slain (2009 I think), I always get the heebie jeebies passing that house.

Yep. Very eerie.


Off Topic: I presume Mr. staro was in touch with ya. I dropped into him this eve (and he didn't even offer me a coffee)

Staro

bcmf wrote: »

Yep. Very eerie.


Off Topic: I presume Mr. staro was in touch with ya. I dropped into him this eve (and he didn't even offer me a coffee)

Brain still not working after a long weekend in Kerry :-) the coffee pot will be on the boil for the next visit :-)

bcmf

Staro wrote: »

Brain still not working after a long weekend in Kerry :-) the coffee pot will be on the boil for the next visit :-)

Jaysus you must be still in holiday mode after your long weekend away.

wav1

killalanerr wrote: »

Anyone know why Ollie and the boys decided to change everything,the weekend particularly the harry was getting to be one of the irish classics ?

whats the story re Sunday now?Is it just going straight through the finish now and using same circuit as Swords GP and cutting out Ollies ''Flanders section'' or is there a new bit added in?Confused

Beasty

wav1 wrote: »

whats the story re Sunday now?Is it just going straight through the finish now and using same circuit as Swords GP and cutting out Ollies ''Flanders section'' or is there a new bit added in?Confused

Looks like sign on at Ring Commons, as previously, then roll out to the Naul for the start then heading towards Ballyboughil to join the Swords GP circuit. Taking a right, as previously, half way up the Nag's Head climb but then 2 lefts to bring you back up the Nag's Head from the North to rejoin the Swords GP circuit with the finish line at the top of that climb

wav1

Beasty wrote: »

Looks like sign on at Ring Commons, as previously, then roll out to the Naul for the start then heading towards Ballyboughil to join the Swords GP circuit. Taking a right, as previously, half way up the Nag's Head climb but then 2 lefts to bring you back up the Nag's Head from the North to rejoin the Swords GP circuit with the finish line at the top of that climb

Thank you.So its still turning right where it normally finishes half way up the hill?Then going on to that narrow rd and taking a couple of lefts to go over the nags head from a different direction.They seem to be cutting out that descent bit where you used to go down and hit a ramp just before a t junction down near the ring commons.

Beasty

Yes - here's the map from their website:

wav1

Beasty wrote: »

Yes - here's the map from their website:

Thanks for that.The loop after J6 looks a bit crazy.Personally I think the Swords GP circuit would do the job nicely and be a whole lot safer.Maybe somebody likes the sound of carbon mangling.

pprendeville

Does the road between 6 and 7 pass McNally Joinery? If it does, it was in dire straits early in the new year. Hope it has improved.

This actually looks like a pretty god course if the roads are decent. Hard climb to the finish. I think the Swords hill climb up the Nags Head takes the right turn and finishes at the same spot albeit from the opposite direction?

Beasty

pprendeville wrote: »

Does the road between 6 and 7 pass McNally Joinery? If it does, it was in dire straits early in the new year. Hope it has improved.

Drove along it on Monday evening - no it hasn't!

pprendeville wrote: »

I think the Swords hill climb up the Nags Head takes the right turn and finishes at the same spot albeit from the opposite direction?

Yes

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Drove along it on Monday evening - no it hasn't!
Yes

Awful road.
Last 2 times I've gone along that someone has punctured after hitting a pothole....

smurphy29

http://www.balbriggancc.ie/race-weekend-2013.html

Looks like a super day's racing this weekend. Race appears to finish at the summit of a not-insignificant climb. This will be a hard day's work and possibly a chance for the skinny fellas to have their moment.

Course is different to last year by my reckoning, a shorter circuit with an extra lap so you do the climb not twice but thrice.

Can anyone tell me this: the race is after the April 1 cut-off so shuold there be some sort of online registration, and will they have to limit the field to 140 A4's as per the recent memo from Cycling Ireland?

wav1

smurphy29 wrote: »

http://www.balbriggancc.ie/race-weekend-2013.html

Looks like a super day's racing this weekend. Race appears to finish at the summit of a not-insignificant climb. This will be a hard day's work and possibly a chance for the skinny fellas to have their moment.

Course is different to last year by my reckoning, a shorter circuit with an extra lap so you do the climb not twice but thrice.

Can anyone tell me this: the race is after the April 1 cut-off so shuold there be some sort of online registration, and will they have to limit the field to 140 A4's as per the recent memo from Cycling Ireland?

Pre reg is not mandatory until 2014 and is still up for discussion as far as I know.
As far as the max 140 rider field is concerned,this only applies in a handicap race where all categories are together and theres a possibility of the A4s coming in to contact with other cats.There is no max on the size of the fields in stand alone races for each category.

pprendeville

RidewithGPS link. Close to 1000m of climbing there so it'll be a hard one.

RobFowl

pprendeville wrote: »

RidewithGPS link. Close to 1000m of climbing there so it'll be a hard one.

Its a hilly route all right so will be good for climbers. Very rare to get a "lucky" winner on that course.
Surface apart its a great circuit.

MichealD

Tweet from Ger Campbell this morning.

After doing a reccy on the narrow rd loop on the b/briggan circuit for tomorrow..my suggestion is to use the training wheels.not for carbon.

Wishbone Ash

On child minding duties tomorrow so it won't be easy persuading an 11 year old girl ("cycling is so boring") to head over to watch!

bcmf wrote: »

Its flat for a bit then drops sharply into a very fast very sharp with weird camber left hander

Took me by surprise this morning and I wasn't exactly pushing it.

Harrybelafonte

First race so far I didn't finish. Have my excuses, but still am disappoint. Surfaces were alright, rough but nothing scary. Hills weren't that bad either. Makes not finishing a bigger kick in the teeth.

Beasty

A few photos from yesterday's and today's races here

padjo5

Any results available anywhere?

colm_gti

UCD rider won the A4, Gary Scully from Team DMG won the A3, think I read Damien Shaw won A1/2.

That's all I can offer.

Watched from the finishline this week, looked like a tough old course!

Beasty

A1s had caught A2s by Ballyboughal first time round

A3s were well spread out after the first lap, with the large A4 group not far bahind a lot of the stragglers

Towards the end of the 2nd lap there were 20 or so a couple of minutes clear in the A1/A2 race, with an Orwell guy having a 30s lead on 2 others with the main bunch nearly another minute back in the A3s - that race was even more spread out by then. There was still a largish A4 bunch with a lap or so of their race to go

buffalo

Beasty wrote: »

A1s had caught A2s by Ballyboughal first time round

A3s were well spread out after the first lap, with the large A4 group not far bahind a lot of the stragglers

Towards the end of the 2nd lap there were 20 or so a couple of minutes clear in the A1/A2 race, with an Orwell guy having a 30s lead on 2 others with the main bunch nearly another minute back in the A3s - that race was even more spread out by then. There was still a largish A4 bunch with a lap or so of their race to go

:cool:

buffalo

Fkn Garmin! No graph/GPS data saved. Pushed it hard today, was looking forward to seeing the HR data.

Pre-race prep was not good. Spent yesterday with some bad news, which meant I forgot to eat after breakfast, because I was drinking whiskey on my bedroom floor, and I got to sleep around 4am. With my performance already likely diminished, I figured I'd use today as a training ride, so dug out the winter bike and rode out. Race was a perfect distraction - there's nothing but you, the bike, and the people you need to beat.

Some lad's tube exploded in the neutralised section, poor fecker. Nothing was going away on the first lap, so as we approached the old finish line I told a few clubmates to move near the front, and I rode hard. Rolling terrain, tiny roads, crap surface - accordion effect multiplied by the inability to move up in the bunch. Coming to the new finish line it had fractured, with a group of 20 (including the three clubmates) or so getting a 20s gap by the left turn.

A group of maybe 50 came together at Ballyboughal, so I counter-attacked from where I'd been sitting in with the chasing group. Then the bunch stalled. Nobody came with me, and I'd said this was going to be training, so I put the head down and went for it. Stayed away for an entire lap, pulling out 30s at one point. I really don't know how. They reeled me in the headwind on the Naul Road though, caught me shortly after Ballyboughal.

The winning move of three went then, and I left it too late to get across to it. Had given too much already, couldn't chase quick enough when they were still vaguely close. Slipped into a small chasing group instead, until a mechanical a little before the bell put me back into what I think was the bunch at that point. (The downside of using the winter bike, don't quite look after it that well.) There was a split on the bell climb, with the break staying clear, a group of maybe 15 chasers, and then another 15 further back. Was spent, sitting in the second group collecting tickets. The two groups came together on the R132. I moseyed up the final climb with a clubmate, a good bit down.

From what I understand though, coming to the line there was the break, and maybe four chasers? Then the big group which split on the way up, but the front riders mopped up a couple of the chasers on the way up. and overhauled them.

Fair play to anyone who completed today's course, it was a tough one. I may be partially to blame for that, but no regrets! :P Legs'll be sore tomorrow, but hoping it stands to me next weekend.

And now you all understand why I'm pissed off at the Garmin malfunction. Great race though, apart from the surface. Felt like the Strade Bianche at times with the dust.

Beasty

buffalo wrote: »

:cool:

Surely not? He looked far too young and handsome to be you buffalo

Beasty

buffalo wrote: »

Was that you with the camera that I was shouting at for a gap?

T'was - there was around 30s to the next 2 and then another 30s to 2 more with the bunch a few seconds behind

buffalo

Beasty wrote: »

Surely not? He looked far too young and handsome to be you buffalo

Epilogue: on the ride home, I fell in with another poster. Let's call him Cillian L. He was unaware of my boards.ie identity. When I told him my age (late twenties), he was surprised, he thought I was much younger, maybe 22, based on looks. Then we were chatting about boards.ie, and he asked if I knew who that aul' fella buffalo was. :D

edit: Actually, I'm not sure if those two lads that the gap was to were in the A3 race. I overtook two lads on the R132 that had been dropped elsewhere. Was that you with the camera that I was shouting at for a gap?

foxd3

Well lads. Second race today in the A4 bunch, thought I'd get a quick report up for you.

Got a nice warm up on the ride up from Portmarnock. Found it was a handy pace on the first lap until the hill. I was settled into a relaxed pace and didn't realise i was getting dropped from the front bunch until it was too late.

So I'm out on my own in no-mans land into the headwind on the second lap. I was feeling like i'd never catch the lead bunch (like last week) but I kept at it since I had a club mate up the front and I couldn't let him have all the fun! So I dropped into a chase group and worked with them along the n1. They weren't all pulling their weight so it was tough going. I got to the front to pick up the pace because I knew if we didn't catch the lead group by the climb the second time round I was out of the running.

We had a good run along the n1 and manged to catch up to the leaders just before they took the turn where the roundabout was. So I was back in the race!

Didn't let them get away this time. Led out most of the last lap with my club mate (we're DUCC (that's Trinity college)) and held second place right up to the final ramp. Went into the ramp with a little too much enthusiasm (too high a gear) and had to sit and shift down half way up. That was enough time for 6 lads to swarm me!

Got 8th place and my first point. Absolutely delighted. Had a great day out. It'd be fair to say i'm addicted now!


And the fella who won it was a 23 year old UCD lad named Joseph. Nice fella, led the group all through the final climb and held it, fair play to him.

531

Foxd3, well done!

bcmf

foxd3 wrote: »

Well lads. Second race today in the A4 bunch, thought I'd get a quick report up for you.

Got a nice warm up on the ride up from Portmarnock. Found it was a handy pace on the first lap until the hill. I was settled into a relaxed pace and didn't realise i was getting dropped from the front bunch until it was too late.

So I'm out on my own in no-mans land into the headwind on the second lap. I was feeling like i'd never catch the lead bunch (like last week) but I kept at it since I had a team mate up the front and I couldn't let him have all the fun! So I dropped into a chase group and worked with them along the n1. They weren't all pulling their weight so it was tough going. I got to the front to pick up the pace because I knew if we didn't catch the lead group by the climb the second time round I was out of the running.

I got very lucky to come up to a group of cars stuck behind the ambulance on the n1 and manged to draft and leapfrog my way up to the leaders just before they took the turn where the roundabout was. So I was back in the race!

Didn't let them get away this time. Led out most of the last lap with a team mate (we're DUCC (that's Trinity college)) and held second place right up to the final ramp. Went into the ramp with a little too much enthusiasm (too high a gear) and had to sit and shift down half way up. That was enough time for 6 lads to swarm me!

Got 8th place and my first point. Absolutely delighted. Had a great day out. It'd be fair to say i'm addicted now!


And the fella who won it was a 23 year old UCD lad named Joseph. Nice fella, led the group all through the final climb and held it, fair play to him.

Well done to ya. Told ya you dont need a fancy carbon bike

CillianL

@ Buffalo

Just shows you learn something new everyday hahahhahah

After the first lap there was a lot of chasing
to bring everything together so once order was restored no one wanted to ride, the move was a good one alright I seen an Orwell lad on the following ascent pulled in thought it was you for a second but I heard Buffalo doesn't do DNFs

On the second ascent I tailed off, but got a cheeky tow with a couple of lads off a generous motorist and made contact again. On the third ascent I wasn't climbing well again and chased for ages with a couple of lads from various clubs and we stayed together for the final lap. I was just happy to finish, the shapes not great.

Was grinding my teeth on the way back, so much for recovery after the race!

joe50

foxd3 wrote: »

I got very lucky to come up to a group of cars stuck behind the ambulance on the n1 and manged to draft and leapfrog my way up to the leaders just before they took the turn where the roundabout was. So I was back in the race!
.

so, you cheated.. :rolleyes:

foxd3

lads, I'm learning the hard way what goes in a report and what doesn't!

bcmf

Its only your 4th post and second race.
You already have points.
Everyone else is just jealous.

GlennaMaddy

joe50 wrote: »

so, you cheated.. :rolleyes:

And brought a group of riders across to a break containing a club mate!

colm_gti

GlennaMaddy wrote: »

And brought a group of riders across to a break containing a club mate!

Team tactics in full swing there :P

Fair play to you on the point foxd3

Huff n Puff

colm_gti wrote: »

UCD rider won the A4, Gary Scully from Team DMG won the A3, think I read Damien Shaw won A1/2.

That's all I can offer.

Watched from the finishline this week, looked like a tough old course!

I think it was Gary's better looking brother Shane that crawled over the line first.

colm_gti

Huff n Puff wrote: »

I think it was Gary's better looking brother Shane that crawled over the line first.

My bad

Made it look easy crossing the line!

CramCycle

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

First race so far I didn't finish. Have my excuses, but still am disappoint. Surfaces were alright, rough but nothing scary. Hills weren't that bad either. Makes not finishing a bigger kick in the teeth.

Nice to have some company when I packed it in though

colm_gti wrote: »

Team tactics in full swing there :P

Where were you today?

Bad myself, felt fine for most of the first lap, when we had a bit of a straight and a wide road, I tried to move up but pushed to hard and deserved to get kicked off by the Commisaire as I had moved to the wrong side, panicked, put the foot down and ended up at the front. Three lads had made a break, tried to bridge but couldn't. Sat at the front for a minute, got overtaken, sat in 2nd for 30 seconds, pushed again to try and pull the speed up but as I did, 5 or 6 lads made the jump but I didn't switch over in time. 30 seconds later the masses started to move past me. I made one last go up front but it didn't last and then I drifted to the back where I tagged on. As we turned for the start line direction I tried again to find an odd feeling when I put in effort, so I just pulled in and let the comms car past. Pulled in at the next junction to ask the marshall the quickest route to the start. Let the A4s go past and headed home.

Met Ben McKennas sister there making Tea, lovely lady, gave her the 6euro I owed to the sign on as I, humiliatingly, had found myself short at the start line, chatted to an A2 rider who took a wrong turn after blowing out and then headed home.

Fantastic marshalling, and a great route. Roads weren't great but no where near as bad as had been made out IMO (but still bad in places).

colm_gti

CramCycle wrote: »

Where were you today?

Decided to take a weekend off racing, don't live too far from there so drove over and watched from the comfort of the side of the road. Didn't realise you were racing today til Billy from Usher told me, would have brought your glove over (think I also found a pair of sunglasses belonging to you?).

Harrybelafonte

CramCycle wrote: »

Nice to have some company when I packed it in though

Should have just stayed with you instead of f'in off on my own. Spent about 10 minutes thinking I was lost. Fell asleep in the car when I got back.

Peterx

Thanks to all in Balbriggan cycling club. Very well organised, felt very safe all the time (in A3 anyway) with good marshalling and the road surfaces were grand to be honest. The poorer surfaces were mostly on climbs which was fine.
Felt very sorry for the poor lad whose tube exploded on the roll-out, at the other end a lad parked beside me was blessed, his tube exploded just as he returned to his car after the race. mad ted.
The tea and sambos and cordial and biscuits afterwards were great too

The racing was just great craic, it truly was a lap of two halves. The skinny lads got a gap on the climb, the rest of us chased them until we caught them after the climb. We all dawdled along until the climb and then repeated!
It's great fun chasing back on although it would have been better craic using all that energy staying away in a break..
The last time up the climb the 3 lads ahead pressed on to take a well deserved podium whilst the young skinny lads had fun of a different kind, surging, sitting up, surging, sitting up and eventually surging away.

The dawdling was so pronounced on lap 2 the A4's nearly caught us! The 3 lads got away at a great time in the race, good clever racing. I tried at a completely dumb time - into the headwind on lap 2. I got precisely nowhere

JoeBTheBullet

Cheers for the shout out there foxd3. First win of the season and boy did you lads not make it easy!? Legs were screaming up that last climb and I thought I was gonna start rolling backwards!? Luckily not the case!

Thought the course was a great challenge and enjoyed every minute! Roads were a bit dodgy on the climbing section but with the speed taken out I thought they were grand! I've definitely ridden on worse!

Very much looking forward to next weekends 3 races by stamullen cc but need to seriously rest the legs after today!

Thanks to balbriggan cc and everyone involved for a brilliant weekends racing! Marshalling on both days was superb!

pprendeville

Tough race today. Blew up after McNally's Joinery on lap 3. Disappointed so hoping for better later in year. Think I'm still finding my legs in A3. Marshalling among Balbriggan is top class as I helped them yesterday and had radios and constantly getting feedback and when to expect riders coming through. Was same today with guards at every major junction stopping traffic. I wonder how much is it costing clubs. For €10 we really are getting a good deal.

@Cramcycle - saw you getting warned. Thought it was a bit harsh. I guess safety is paramount.

Roll on Snowtown.