Team Voicegrid

fondriest

Hey , Barrow Wheelers are entering a team in this years Ras under the sponsors name of team Voicegrid , if anyone here is on twitter they can follow them @teamvoicegrid . It should give a bit of insight to the Ras from the perspective of 5 Ras virgins .

michael196

Mod, can u insert the image please


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the Barrow entry is unique in that, over the recent decade or so, county riders from anywhere in the County Wexford Clubs, have had to participate in the RAS as members of other county teams, e.g. Carrick, Waterford etc.


Barrow set out the ambition in May 2012 under then club chairman Adrian Delaney, to enter a full Barrow Wheelers team into the 2013 RAS.


Of the initial 8 / 9 candidates of may 2012, only one had previously rode the RAS, again as a member of another team.


What transpired over the autumn / winter of 2012 -2013, was to turn this mostly A3 ( 1x A1 ) crew, into a team, capable of successfully participating in the 2013 RAS.


The team quietly worked in the background, initially building a team spirit, by helping each other in the 2012 SRAM Comeragh League, run by Sinead Power in Carrols Cross, Waterford.

Team Member Hugh Byrne won the SRAM training league over 10 weeks, in 2012, strongly helped by Barrow Riders David Whitty, Wing Man Brian Cullen, Pat McCaffrey, Gerry Byrne, Greg Dempsey and Mike Doyle. These were early testing grounds for a potential future RAS team.

The SRAM league, provided competition from strong rider, local clubs, such as Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers, Waterford Racing, Dungarvan Cycling, Fermoy Cycling, on a testing circuit, against such names as Martin Mizgajski, John Dempsey, Robin Kelly Keith Gater.


Other clubs looked on, noticing the massive form that Barrows were building, unaware of the clubs RAS ambitions.


Barrow then ran a particularly tough Barrow GP circuit in June, keeping the route under wraps , until close to the race date. The route was particularly hilly and tough and reflected the clubs ambition to ride and run tough circuits.

Into the early autumn, training wound down, to soon restart, in the November timeframe. Long base distances, merging later into strength and interval training, the usual for a highly aspiring club based team. What was particularly evident around the wexford roads in early 2013, was the size of the barrow group, the structured training, the disciplined groups, out all training together on the roads.

In December 2012 the news released that the barrow wheelers were determined to put a team, into the RAS, all from Barrow Wheelers. Quite unique for a County Wexford Club.


More tomorrow.........................

michael196

Today saw the first stage of the 2013 Ras and the first Ras for the five team voicegrid.a 134 km stage from dunboyne to Longford. A fast paced first stage covering the first 94km in two hours. Maintaining a high pace of 50 km throughout the remaining stage, with the stage finishing time in 3 hours 18minutes. Team voicegrid riders outlined their goals for today's stage in a per stage meeting on Saturday night. Each rider held the goal of finishing the first stage in well placed groups within the overall stage race. Today the team voicegrid first stage ambitions were met with the team riders coming in 18 minutes down on the race stage winner.

Today's stage featured rolling terrain, draggy grippy terrain.a 3rd category hill at 65 km brought large crowds out to partake in the 2013 an post Ras.
The supporting crowd adding an exciting race atmosphere on the cat 3 hill.

Voicegrid coach paddy doran dropped by in dunboyne to send voice grid on their first stage today.

The pace was explosive from the start, and the peloton maintained a high pace right through.

Stage 2is onto Nenagh, with local team carrack wheelers iverk produce defending the yellow jersey of Conor Dunne.

The. First stage perhaps the best to win, as the stage winner gets the yellow jersey straight up, and takes a stage.



Team voicegrid Wexford cycling.

michael196

Stage 2 completed the 160 km stage from Longford to Nenagh. Rider Dave Whitty made the sticky bottle video report for the day,captured en route on cameras posted onto sticky bottle.com. Today the riders found the course lumpy, with the final hill of the day at 145 km taking Brian Cullen out of his second group,for Brian to ride the final ,25 k back in on his own . Brian was the first voicegrid team member back in closely followed by Greg,Hugh,nick and Dave.


Greg Hugh and nick were forced to stop en route at 90 k into the stage when an express train barrier descended across the route.the delay at the ba rier lasted 4minutes. Greg Hugh and nick had established a 10 minute gap over their nearest group.

Rider Dave Whitty lost ground early in the day, was addressed by the team car, and began to recover, to arrive at the stage end just 3minutes down on his team mates.an extraordinary recovery over the course of the stage. Dave already looking forward to tomorrow's 169k stage to listowel.

A age speeds remaining high today at 47kmph.

Tomorrows stage is 160 k into listowel co Kerry. Starting with a 300 meter climb just 8 km into the stage, and 2 mor category 3 climbs at 115km and 135 km.