2014 Race Around Ireland

Beasty

Details here

Entries now open - any Boardsies madbrave enough to give it a go this year?

I'm sure emtroche (one of the organisers) will be along shortly to provide more info and answer any questions you have

They are running a workshop/seminar on how to prepare for the ultracycling/the RAI on Saturday 15 February at Bewleys in Leopardstown when racers Donnchra Cuttriss and Ger Flanagan together with some of the RAI organisers will be speaking - contact them via the website for details, or check out their Facebook page

Inquitus

Easter Fleche --> MF 1200 --> RAI

Its all on a plate this year for anyone brave enough!!!

macbane66

Not this year, I'm still catching up on sleep, brilliant event though and I think its a few weeks earlier next year so more light and potential for better weather

The Noble Nudge

Emmet had a thread started yesterday couldnt find it earlier??

Raam

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Emmet had a thread started yesterday couldnt find it earlier??

Beasty totally the whole thread.

Darkglasses

Raam wrote: »

Beasty totally the whole thread.

Genuinely not his fault at all in fairness

emtroche

Darkglasses wrote: »

Genuinely not his fault at all in fairness

Yep i hold my hand up for that one.

Beasty

Guys

I'm not going to go into the ins and outs here, but I deleted the original thread and had a PM discussion with emtroche about it. It was a "site-rule" issue that I had a concern about - I am happy to discuss it via PM rather than here, as this thread is really for discussion of the event, and provides an opportunity for anyone to ask emtroche any questions they may have, and for him to provide further info on the event

I would add that we have had a number of Boardsies taking part in this event in the past, and I am sure some of them will be happy to share their experiences here if anyone wants a feel for what's involved

emtroche

If the race seems like too much of an undertaking remember that there is also the 'Irish Ultra Challenge' which covers about 1100km. In my opinion this is a perfect stepping stone for somebody who is thinking about doing the full race or taking on something like RAAM.

We have also brought back the 2-person category and added 2 new categories: 'Tandem' and 'Open Bike'. The open Bike category is open to solo racers on elliptical bikes, recumbents, etc.

It's hard to believe that we're moving into the 6th year of the race but each year it seems to be growing in popularity so hopefully 2014 will be the best race yet. So far we have 14 solos, 1 tandem and 7 teams entered, with racers from 8 countries.

If anybody has any questions please feel free to fire them my way.

The Noble Nudge

One for you Emmet the admission fee to the talk any chance of a boards discount/supporters who sat up at Sally gap @ 2am in the morning the past two years?? :cool:
I haven't signed up for the event just yet but that may change come the 15th,:D:D

Donncha as he approached the gap.

Actually I have a great video of 2012 to give an idea of conditions....might try put that up later..

emtroche

This years race will also be the first ever European Ultracycling Championships in association with the UMCA. The Championships will apply to solo male and female racers. This means that the race will also have DOUBLE World Cup points which will make it the highest ranked race in the world in 2014!

macbane66

emtroche wrote: »

This years race will also be the first ever European Ultracycling Championships in association with the UMCA. The Championships will apply to solo male and female racers. This means that the race will also have DOUBLE World Cup points which will make it the highest ranked race in the world in 2014!

Hi Emmet
Will the 1100km race be part of the Europeans also

emtroche

macbane66 wrote: »

Hi Emmet
Will the 1100km race be part of the Europeans also

No. Not this year anyway.

The Noble Nudge

Great talk on Saturday well worth the few hours to gain an insight into the race.
All speakers had a great knowledge of there field and happy to share it,
You would have some night listening to Donncha Cuttris and Ger telling stories with a few pints.
Thanks again Emmet now to see if its in this years grasp. My buddy I brought hasn't stopped going on about it he has sponsors names on jerseys, camper van, diesel, cars and no crew..........and no miles in the legs yet

emtroche

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Great talk on Saturday well worth the few hours to gain an insight into the race.
All speakers had a great knowledge of there field and happy to share it,
You would have some night listening to Donncha Cuttris and Ger telling stories with a few pints.
Thanks again Emmet now to see if its in this years grasp. My buddy I brought hasn't stopped going on about it he has sponsors names on jerseys, camper van, diesel, cars and no crew..........and no miles in the legs yet

Glad you found it useful. Hopefully we'll see you on the startline.

Let me know if there's anything at all i can help with.

simonrooneyzaga

looking to find out a bit more about this event from a competitors point of view. Can anyone direct me towards a blog/diary of what it takes training wise and also during the event?

Would love to give something like this a crack next year. (the half one ;-))

emtroche

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

looking to find out a bit more about this event from a competitors point of view. Can anyone direct me towards a blog/diary of what it takes training wise and also during the event?

Would love to give something like this a crack next year. (the half one ;-))

I've gathered together everything i could find online for the past 5 years and i'm going to link it all on the website. Hopefully be done in a couple of days. I'll let you know when its done.

emtroche

Here's a good report from French racer Christian Mauduit from last year
http://ultra.ufoot.org/2013/crrai

emtroche

Today (Sunday 31st August) sees the start of the 6th Race Around Ireland in Trim Co. Meath. The race is an Ultramarathon Cycling Association (UMCA) World Cup event and will see solo racers and relay teams from 8 countries cover a 2,200km lap of the country non-stop. This year the solo race will be the first ever UMCA European Long Distance Championship. The race is regarded as one of the toughest cycling challenges in the world and 2014 is the highest ranked ultracycling race in the World.

The route will pass through 22 counties and see the racers from 12 countries tackle 75,000 feet of climbing. Each solo racer and relay team will be helped along the way by support crews who will make sure all the nutritional, mechanical, navigational and psychological needs of the racers are covered. In order to be competitive, solo racers will cycle for up to 23 hours a day while the relay teams will hammer around the country in a constant state of motion.

This year’s race will see 12 solo racers and 8 relay teams and 1 team battle it out. Some of the toughest and most competent endurance athletes in the world are taking part in this year’s race. Among the solo racers are:

JIM CUTTRISS (Ireland – Cork). This will be Jims first time in the Race Around Ireland, but what he lacks in personal experience he more than makes up for with the experience of his brother Donncha who is crewing for Jim. Donncha is a 3 time finisher of Race Around Ireland and was the first Irish solo racer to complete the Race Across America. This experience along with Jims own experience of crewing will go a long way to compliment Jims own personal athletic abilities. Jim has only been cycling for 2 years but he played senior rugby for Sundays Well for 15 years, so he when it comes to determination and physical challenge he is not to be ruled out.

PETER SANDHOLT (Denmark). This will be Peters first time at the Race Around Ireland and the rider from Horsens will be looking to emulate his compatriots Jan Larsen and Christian Krause by becoming the 3rd Danish racer to complete the race. He has had some strong results already this year, placing 13th at Race Around Slovenia and taking victory in the Bianchi Melfar 24hr in his native Denmark. He is preparing to take on the Race Across America in 2015 but will be looking to Ireland as more than a preparation event. In Ireland he will be looking to take a podium place and possibly beat the Danish record held by Jan Larsen.

MARIO FONSECA (Portugal). We are delighted to welcome our first Portuguese racer, Mario Fonseca, to this years Race. Mario has been racing bikes for more than 20 years and has spent much of his year as a top domestic Mountain Biker. Over the past couple of years Mario has dedicated himself to marathon mountain bike races and the world of Ultracycling. He will definitely be one to watch this year.

JIŘĺ HLEDĺK - CZECH ULTRACYCLINGTEAM (Czech Republic). Jiří is coming to this years race as our first Czech entrant and one of the most experienced racers in the field. He has competed in 10 ultra races over the years including Race Across America, Race Around Austria and DOS RAS EXTREME - Race around Slovenia. He aims to be back at the start line for RAAM in 2017

MICHI HANGE (Germany). Michi is returning to the race this year having completed the race last year as part of a 2-person team. Michi is no stranger to endurance events and has completed 18 Ironman triathlons, DOS RAS EXTREME - Race around Slovenia in 2013 and the Race Across Italy this year. While it is definitely a step up from taking part as one half of a duo, he is determined to get to the finish line. German racers have a 100% completion rate in the race with 4 finishes out of 4. Michi is looking to be number 5.

CHRIS ‘HOPPO’ HOPKINSON (UK). Chris is one of the most experienced racers in the field. He has finished Race Across America 3 times, including this year. He has twice been the UMCA 24hr TT champion and this year he is aiming to win the Race Around Ireland and become the UMCA European Long Distance Champion. Along with RAAM, his preparation this year has consisted of lots of time trials, mammoth turbo trainer sessions and the Chaindriven Cycles Ultra TT series in Sligo. Chris won rounds 1 and 4 of the series. And he has the tattoo to prove it! He is no stranger to ultra-racing and no stranger to Irish roads. Hoppo will be a real danger-man in this years race.

EDUARD FUCHS (Austria). Eduard has a wealth of experience in Ultracycling and he is one of the most successful racers in the World. He is a 3 times winner of Race Around Austria and last year finished 8th in Race Across America. Over the years he has competed in over 800 bike races all over the world and his wins include 5 24hr races and 3 12hr races. He will be looking to add a high placing in the Race round Ireland to his palmares and must surely be considered one of the favourites for overall victory.

CIARAN SMITH (Ireland - Dublin). Ciaran was the first racer to enter and complete the Irish Ultra Challenge (formerly the 'Race Around Ireland 1100') in 2013. This year he has taken the step up to the main race and he is relishing the event. In his day job Ciaran is a winchman on Coastguard helicopters so he is no stranger to tough conditions. He has prepared well and he has surrounded himself with a great support crew. He will be looking to make his mark as the top Irish finisher of the race.

SEAN HERNON (Ireland – Galway) This will be Seans 4th time in the Race. In 2009 he came as a total newcomer to the sport and will be the first to admit that he was quite underprepared. He DNF’d that year but came back in 2010 much stronger and wiser. That he year not only did he finish the race but he took 3rd place. He came back again in 2012 but was forced out of the race at an early stage due to illness. This year he is in the best form of his career and he will looking to improve on his 3rd placed position of 2010.

VALERIO ZAMBONI (Monaco) The UMCA World Champion and fan favourite comes back to the Race Around Ireland for the 5th time this year. Valerio is a real tough man and he took victory in the race in 2011 when only 2 people actually managed to finish the race due to the brutal effects of Hurricane Katia. He puts in more racing miles each year than practically anybody else in the world and his dedication to his sport is unparalleled.

Full details of the race can be found on our website at www.racearoundireland.com. The race will also feature live 24hr gps tracking of the racers. This can be viewed here race.blackblox.si

The extreme nature of an event like this means that encouragement on the roadside can sometimes mean the difference between finishing the race and abandoning. If the racers are in your area please make an effort to get out to the roadside to cheer them on.

The Noble Nudge

Chapeau to all who finished and who are still out on the bike...
Headed up my usual spot Sally gap at 8.30ish to cheer on last of the solos to go over....
Seamus had a few supporters to brave the midges and give him a cheer as he passed seed in good spirits got talking to his crew and they were in great form considering the effort they all put in to get Seamus round. Quote of the day to hear one of his kids shout "come on daddy"...
Stayed on then to see Michi as he was last still out. Arrived about 11ish was freezing cold so he stopped and changed before taking on the last 100km.
He looked to be on his last legs shuffling to the team bus but he changed and seemed in very good spirits as he got back on the bike...
Was hoping to get to cheer on Ciaran Smith as met his gang at the RAI meetings previously but it wasn't to be this year. No doubt he'll be back next year.
An immense achievement to get as far as he did...well done lad.
Enjoy the rest after everyone and well done...

ford2600

Since I first stumbled across this race 2 years ago it has fascinated me; f r om the Irish guys like Jim Fitzpatrick and Donnacha Cuttriss to Strasser and co.

However 2 guys this year are the pick of the crop for me; Seamus Smith and the younger Cuttriss.

From his brief bio on RAI webpage Seamus Smith got on a bike 4/5 years ago at 40 odd and 19st. He completed RAI this weekend. What a tough man and a gent also.

Cuttriss started cycling over two years ago and attempted RAI this years. While he didn't complete it, that effort took some balls.

While I enjoy many professional sports, the most inspirational people I've met or heard of are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Well done lads, enjoy the recovery

The Noble Nudge

Would I be right in thinking looking at the thanks they're might be enough interest in forming a team and crew for next year???

biomed32

I have followed the RAI for a number of years but none more so then this year.

The Average Joes RAI team consist of many of my friends in the Maynooth Students for Charity, The Galway Cycle, from the cyclists themselves to the support crew.

No longer called Average these ordinary guys from various walks of life have won the RAI 2014 and broken the Irish record raising awareness for Prader Wili syndrome in Ireland along the way.

Here is the facebook page which has a lot of info and of course photos and videos of the race including the infamous chicken incident.
https://www.facebook.com/racearoundirelandgcstyle?fref=ts
http://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/features/kildare-s-ordinary-joes-face-their-biggest-test-with-europe-s-toughest-cycling-race-1-5839215

macbane66

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Would I be right in thinking looking at the thanks they're might be enough interest in forming a team and crew for next year???

I done the 4 man rai in 2013 with Naas tri. we also had a charitable element to it (10k raised) IMO If your thinking of getting a team together I'd put a charitable element (barring your a team of maybe a1-a2 riders). I think it help keep everyone's feet on the ground and a common goal.

You really depend on the crew and you need to be well organised (if you want to do well) so its important all members know what's expected and what's involved. Lots of thankless jobs like finding a manhole to empty your campers jacks into !

Beasty

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Would I be right in thinking looking at the thanks they're might be enough interest in forming a team and crew for next year???

Well, it's certainly been done before

Don't underestimate the commitment required, but if you can get a team together and people prepared to act as crew, we certainly have some collective experience of undertaking this event on Boards