Skoda Cycle Series

Hollywood130 · 07-04-2014 2:04pm

Was a great event! Well organised

tartanarmy · 07-04-2014 2:41pm

Looks like you can sign in on the day, presume you must have entered online beforehand. Might make it easier for some.

http://www.bray.ie/bray-cancer-support/

2x4 · 07-04-2014 4:08pm

With less than a week to go to The Skoda Cycle Series Tour of Wicklow, which takes place this Saturday 12th April, we hope you are as excited about the event as we are!

Pasta Party

The Friday night Pasta Party & registration is at Spirit Skoda in Rowan Avenue, Stillorgan Industrial Park, Sandyford, Co Dublin from 7.30pm to 9pm. Directions can be found here: http://www.skoda.ie/dealers/spirit-skoda/Pages/spirit-skoda.aspx

At the pasta party, you can sign on, collect your number and Skoda Goody bag. This will save you time on Saturday morning.

(If you cannot make the pasta party, you can sign on at Bray Emmets GAA Club on Saturday morning from 8am to 9am)

Start/Finish Details:

The start and finish will take place in Bray Emmets GAA Club, Old Conna Avenue, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

Directions to Bray Emmets GAA Club can be found here: http://www.brayemmets.com/brayemmets/about/directions.aspx

Parking, changing & shower facilities available at the start/finish.

Start Times:

110km Route starts at 9.30am

60km Route starts at 9.40am

Route maps:

110km:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/346423501

60km:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/346411557

Feed Stop:

The feed stop will take place at The Brockagh Centre in Laragh http://www.brockaghresourcecentre.ie/contact/
And at the finish.

Social Media:

Follow Tour of Wicklow updates on Twitter www.twitter.com/braycancer @BrayCancer and use the hashtag #TourofWicklow

Follow updates on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRAYCANCERSUPPORT?ref=hl

Thank you to the following for making the event possible:

Skoda Ireland, INM Regionals, Bray Emmets GAA, Bray Town Council, Bray Tourism, Bray Summerfest, www.bray.ie, Dunnes Stores, Everest Cycles, Bray Cancer Support Centre.

Proceeds from the Skoda Tour of Wicklow will go to Bray Cancer Support Centre's services in Wicklow & Dublin. For more information please see www.braycancersupport.ie

If you wish to raise more funds for the charity, you can set up an online fundraising page here http://www.mycharity.ie/charity/braycancersupport/

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday in Wicklow!

From the Skoda Tour of Wicklow organising team at Bray Cancer Support Centre.

HivemindXX · 10-04-2014 10:30pm

This says you must bring your confirmation number but I can't find it. Anyone able to tell me the sender or subject line of this email so I can try to find it or was it just on the web page?

bazermc · 10-04-2014 10:41pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

This says you must bring your confirmation number but I can't find it. Anyone able to tell me the sender or subject line of this email so I can try to find it or was it just on the web page?

My email came from fit magazine race entry confirmation

It's not a race though!!!!!

bazermc · 10-04-2014 10:45pm

Ernest Oreo wrote: »

no its still a mockery in my book
this whole skoda series seems a little amateurish if i'm honest - getting that mcfadden one involved was a bad start..
i wonder what the uptake is like??

It is an amateur event

It's not the world tour we are talking about here!

HivemindXX · 10-04-2014 11:00pm

bazermc wrote: »

My email came from fit magazine race entry confirmation

It's not a race though!!!!!

Thanks. Definitely no sign of this mail then, I'll have to hope they have a record.

bazermc · 10-04-2014 11:43pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

Thanks. Definitely no sign of this mail then, I'll have to hope they have a record.

Check your spam folder.

HivemindXX · 11-04-2014 8:45pm

They looked my name up on the list and I got registered no problem. Pasta and salad was nice too.

bazermc · 11-04-2014 10:35pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

They looked my name up on the list and I got registered no problem. Pasta and salad was nice too.

Cool. I will register in the morning.

Looking forward to this spin. Might see you on the road.

vektarman · 12-04-2014 2:49pm

I did the 60k, well organised and a great variety of food in Laragh and at the finish, the only downside was I didn't see a marshall or signs in Enniskerry on the way back so I ended up (and others apparently) taking a longer route back via the N11. I would definitely do another Skoda series cycle.

Lambretta · 12-04-2014 3:25pm

Very enjoyable but tough event and impressive organisation for a great cause - well done Bray cancer support, Bray Emmets, Volunteers and Skoda.

Great to see so many volunteers giving up their time to help others.

HivemindXX · 12-04-2014 4:39pm

vektarman wrote: »

I did the 60k, well organised and a great variety of food in Laragh and at the finish, the only downside was I didn't see a marshall or signs in Enniskerry on the way back so I ended up (and others apparently) taking a longer route back via the N11. I would definitely do another Skoda series cycle.

I did the 110k, Was a nice route, I thought they were a bit short of signs but really just in places where one would be nice to confirm you are on the right track. I thought everywhere that you needed to make a turn there was a marshal there. Someone told me that people got lost, which is always possible since it is easy to miss a sign (which is why I like to see regular signs even if there is no possibility for confusion, if I go 5k without seeing one I get suspicious). At Enniskerry the route turned left before you actually entered the town. When I got there there was certainly a marshal waving people through. I really think the marshals deserve a lot of praise, I'd way rather pay €30 and cycle than stand all day at a junction in the middle of nowhere.

Food was fine and no queuing. The start was a bit peculiar in that we were supposed to line up in the order of Fast People, Regular 110k People, 60k People which sounds fine but there was no way to tell which group you were standing in. Am I in the 60k? Do I need to move forward? Maybe I'm too far forward! Some events have different colour race numbers so you can tell what group the people around you are in. Just let people self identify their group.

Weather was poor though. Drizzled for hours and a couple of heavier showers. Fairly strong wind as well. Not a lot you can do about that though, and to be honest it could have been a lot worse.

Thanks to everyone involved and I'm looking forward to my next one (the Dragon in Enniscorthy).

desertcircus · 12-04-2014 5:35pm

I hope I'm not breaking some rule of which I'm unaware, but would anyone experienced who did the 60k route be able to tell me if just over three hours is a good time? I've just switched sports from rugby to running/cycling (possibly triathlon next year), and I've no context for knowing if I did well or poorly.

HivemindXX · 12-04-2014 7:24pm

It's always difficult to say if a given time/speed is good since without knowing the conditions on the day and the route. There's a big difference between a flat 60k on a still dry day and one which is in gale force winds with driving rain and tough hills.

The best way is to compare to other people and luckily that's easy since the results are already up. Just over three hours seems to put you in the 85th percentile which seems good to me.

Buzwaldo · 12-04-2014 9:21pm

First cycle in wicklow. Expected it to be lumpy. Wasn't disappointed.
(By far my slowest pace for a 100k cycle)
+1 for the stewarding.

3102derek · 12-04-2014 9:40pm

HivemindXX wrote: »

They looked my name up on the list and I got registered no problem. Pasta and salad was nice too.

We did you get the pasta.? I got just past 5hrs on the 116k and I was told there was no hot food left..

AnswerIs42 · 12-04-2014 10:47pm

We were the same on the 110k. Got to the food stop...told no sandwiches left. Got home and there was no hot food...not impressed on the food front.

Marshelling was great and course was tough. Glad to see the finish line.

zindicato · 12-04-2014 10:52pm

desertcircus wrote: »

I hope I'm not breaking some rule of which I'm unaware, but would anyone experienced who did the 60k route be able to tell me if just over three hours is a good time? I've just switched sports from rugby to running/cycling (possibly triathlon next year), and I've no context for knowing if I did well or poorly.

Its not a race man the most important thing is you enjoyed it and arrived back safely..... make that as your target time to beat the next time you do a spin in the same area

brayblue24 · 12-04-2014 11:04pm

Due to a bit of a time restriction on the domestic front I did the 60k. Must say great organisation/marshalling. Hope nobody confused the guy doing the parking at Ballinastoe for a marshal-would have been an easy mistake to make had you gone down the wrong way because of him and his arrows.

As always on Sportives a great mix of decent folk in good spirits despite the weather for the early part.

Special word of thanks to the volunteers in Laragh and Bray Emmetts for the grub-top notch (even by Orwell standards!!) and indeed all the other volunteers. I'd certainly do another of these events without hesitation.

Even the jersey we got is actually OK, so thanks all for a great morning's spin.

The only downside was the lunatic in the Punto followed by another in a 4x4 pulling a trailer on the Long Hill (the climb from Kilmac that ends at the Sugar Loaf)-I can assure anyone not from the area that that carry on is not the norm for Wicklow by and large.

bullvine · 12-04-2014 11:59pm

Savage day, did the 60k in 4.45 but I went for a spin to Glendalough with a Work Colleague and was taking it real handy, I could have easily done it around 3 hours which I would be delighted with. So well organized. Next time I think I'll challenge the 110k.

My colleague was from the states and it was so well marshaled that I never felt he'd get lost on the route, crazy stuff on the road at the back of Sugarloaf though, some people have no idea how to overtake bikes..

HivemindXX · 13-04-2014 11:03am

3102derek wrote: »

We did you get the pasta.? I got just past 5hrs on the 116k and I was told there was no hot food left..

Pasta was the evening before at the pre-registration event. I don't think they had any hot food at the food stop or the end and that's not unusual to be honest. Out of all the events I've done only a couple have had hot food at the end (and none that I remember in the middle).

bazermc · 13-04-2014 11:50am

Good day of cycle. The 110 k route was super tough. But well organised and good food.

The start was chaotic. It just appears everyone went when they could move forward. Only a minor point

Did somebody post the link to the results. I say it earlier today but can't find it now.

Wicklowrider · 13-04-2014 3:58pm

bazermc wrote: »

Did somebody post the link to the results. I say it earlier today but can't find it now.

http://www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=1833

goldenboots · 13-04-2014 6:38pm

Did the 110k and it was a tough day but I enjoyed it overall. The last climb up Glencree and the descent in the rain wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs, but I guess this is Ireland.

Very well marshalled overall and the food stop was fine. Was what you would get at most sportives.

The only gripe I have was the 'surprise' at where the 60k and 110k split on the way back. As it was downhill, the junction approached quite quickly and I was gone past before I realised that I should have kept left. Because the marshalling was so good all over, the fact that there was no marshal at that point meant I was not expecting to turn off the main road. The two lads following me were the same, with one lucky to stay upright and not smack into a jeep stopped at the junction. Maybe for next year, a sign 100 yards beforehand saying '60k keep right and 110k keep left' might be useful.

Other than that well done to all involved for a tough but enjoyable day.

bullvine · 14-04-2014 9:25am

Any photos available?

mruser2014 · 14-04-2014 11:19am

My take on the day.

Did the 110km. All in all a good day out on a very tough course but a nice challenge for those of us who cycle in Wicklow a lot. Weather wise it wasn't great but could have been worse. Windy and wet for 50% of it.

I thought the marshalling was very good. There was a marshal for me at the Enisskerry divide, so didn't get lost. Respect to the lady marshal at the top of the Glencree climb who stood on her own in the wind and rain.

Food at the food stop was only ok. Volunteers seemed quite surprised that more were arriving. I explained that most of the 110km people would be arriving around now and earlier arrivals were the 60km. They didn't seem to know there were two groups. Anyway, a few better sandwiches wouldn't have gone astray. Food at the finish was better. With some more cake etc.

The climb coming out of Laragh on the narrow road on the Wicklow way was tough but also dangerous for passing cars/tractors etc.Some dangerous overtaking went on. I am not sure if the route was great in parts. Some narrow roads etc but at least the climb from Enniskerry to Glencree was quiet traffic wise. We all know the road is in an awful state descending from Glencree. We knew where to cycle but others that didn't know the road may have found it dodgy?

All in all a good and challenging day out. Thanks again to all involved.