Tour of Omagh - 2014

couerdelion

Just a week to go till Stage 1 takes place on Friday evening 27th June 2014.

Stage 1- http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/349510479
Stage 2- http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/349509937
Stage 3- http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/403834056
Stage 4- http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/349511299

Rumour has it there is a few Boardsies taking part - should be a good but tough weekend.

Inquitus

Looking forward to it, racing in Strabane this Sunday so should get a look at some of the locals. Took two and a half hours to get up to Omagh today from Swords as a guide.

greenmat

I'm Inquitus domestique next weekend. Looking forward to this, just have to stay out of the fridge and the bread bin for the next week.

couerdelion

So that's Lucan and Swords with teams - also know St Tiernans have a team going up. Hope the weather cools down for next weekend.

Inquitus

couerdelion wrote: »

So that's Lucan and Swords with teams - also know St Tiernans have a team going up. Hope the weather cools down for next weekend.

Dublin Alliance! (and a shout out to Blanch Wheelies who have 2 riding with us on the Swords team)

daragh_

Yep, we've a team, including a few Boardsies. Looking forward to it.

wirelessdude01

Think Limerick CC have a team as well.

greenmat

couerdelion wrote: »

So that's Lucan and Swords with teams - also know St Tiernans have a team going up. Hope the weather cools down for next weekend.

What, Lucan only have 1 team? There's normally millions of them at open races.

Team sky

Emyvale cc strong team in again this year with sprinters and climbers on team!

dermabrasion

Really looking forward to this. I'd my best day racing there last year: On day 2, I got into a bit of trouble as the road kicked up. Without realising it, I began to go backwards until I got dropped on a the 3rd of three consecutive long drags. I was now in trouble and angry at myself for not paying attention to the wheel in front of me. Comms, cars and ambulance passed me, with the worst words a cyclist can hear coming from the open car windows: 'yer going fine, keep it up'. I crested the hill, gulped a gel, and decided to chase gagnam style. I was in a rage. Coming down the hill, I was full gas 53-11, legs screaming and going into corners like a F1 motorcyclist. Rubber needed to grip or I was hamburger.
After about 15 minutes, I made contact on the back of the cars, froggering, weaving and drafting up until I made it to the lead car. I now saw the tail of the bunch ahead. I waited until the road entered a wood to shelter from the wind and put the head down for what seemed like an hour until I made it back on, totally cooked. As I made contact, a group of about 6 joined the bunch just after me. I could have saved some matches if I had I didn't known they were there. Crap. But, as the bunch speed picked up, they got shelled one by one. After all that, I was not going out the back again. No f#$%ing way. The only way to survive was to get up into the middle to recover, so I put another effort in and made my to the front 15. I had a few minutes and another gel to gather myself. As I arouse from my haze, I put the periscope up to see what was happening in this unfamiliar surroundings, and saw the 2k to go just as we turned into the long wide finishing straight. I was incredulous at this. After all that, I was in the mix at the pointy end of the race. Adrenaline surged and a feeling of invincibility came over me.
The finish was a long long 2 lane road with wide hard shoulders. I could see the cluster of parked cars ahead with what I assume was the chequered flag huddle. Without explanation, the wheels in front of me evaporated and I was out front, in the wind. Decision time. Too late to get back in and shelter, too far out to go for it. Go for it. I clicked up out of the saddle and sprinted. I looked back under my armpit and I had a gap. Keep going... harder, c'mon, just bury it. Legs responded. 75m out, I gasped for air, the pain overwhelmed my quads and the pistons began to slow. Then the swarm came around me, to the left to the right and ultimately in front, just was we rolled over.
I think I came in around 25th. Important thing was the '@same time' designation in the results.
Fairly proud of that effort, and while it does not end in a blaze of glory, it was a personal lesson: Don't ever give up.

daragh_

dermabrasion wrote: »

it was a personal lesson: Don't ever give up.

I was looking forward to going to the Pub on Saturday night. Now I've to keep going? Ah here.

maloner

daragh_ wrote: »

Now I've to keep going?

Damn right

daragh_

I'll do what my Directeur sportif tells me. Sorry boss.

Inquitus

Only 1 more sleep! I raced up in Strabane at the weekend, apparently half of the North have been sandbagging ahead of this race according to the locals. I have to say the lads raced the race harder then some of the slackfests we have had in our neck of the woods and we went at a similar pace to the A1/2 race 39.2 on my garmin over a rolling course. I expect some hard racing over the weekend.

greenmat

^^ That's really cheered me up.

Inquitus

Savage weekend, full report later. A4 racing as it should be, hard, fast and safe. Race is an absolute credit to the Omagh Wheelers, organisation right out of the top draw.

Finished with the front group on each of the 3 road stages, riding the short TT on the road bike cost me, and others, too much time in the GC against the lads with the disc wheels and TT rigs, to trouble the podium. Finished 2nd in Stage 1, 6th in Stage 2 and cramped on the sprint in the reduced 20 man Stage 4 sprint still finishing on the same time for 11th on the GC.

Shout out to the 2 Blanch Wheelies who kindly padded out the Swords Team and got 18th on GC and the 4th in the Sprint classification, while the combined Team finished 2nd in the Team Competition, pleasure riding with the lads.

Stage 1 - 71.3 km 39.3 kph avg - http://app.strava.com/activities/158882523
Stage 2 - TT - http://app.strava.com/activities/159136311
Stage 3 - 67.3 km 37.4 kph avg http://app.strava.com/activities/159136355
Stage 4 - 69.6 km 38.4 kph avg http://app.strava.com/activities/159608094

smcclaw

Well done, sounds like savage racing and a great weekend away to boot. Not a whole lot in it at the top of the leader board alright.

Maybe LuskDoyle will sponsor the team a fancy disc equipped TT bike next year now that it's UCI legal!

daragh_

Inquitus put in some great rides over the weekend. Was a pleasure to watch from a distance. Inspiring stuff.

couerdelion

Well that was the toughest racing I've ever done in my short racing career.

111 A4 racers started the Tour of Omagh.

Stage 1 started well enough and even though I was off the back I battled back through the cars and rejoined the bunch. Just settled in and was getting my breath back when I got a puncture. Fair play to the lads from Foyle for lending me a wheel to help me get back on. I wasn't too impressed as I was busting myself to try and minimise time losses to see a rider holding on to his team car to get a tow back on to the group. I lost 8:32 mins in the end - once I was out the back it was hard work into a headwind. Overall 96th place out of 109 and 27:09 down on GC. 2 did not finish.

Stage 2 TT was ok. Left a bit of time out there but did a 5:40 which was 12th overall. Left me 8:50 down in 94th place out of 107. 2 did not start the day.

Stage 3 was a disaster. On the rollout I had nothing in the legs and as soon as we hit the first climb I was out the back and struggling big time. A few of us started to work together but as we were making our way through the cars two lads went into the back of a team car and I got hit from behind as I had to brake to miss them. I stayed up but it was a long day. Eventually ended up with a couple of people but was bonking badly and struggled. We made our way to the finish well behind the first finishers - 18 mins 19s behind. So I was now 101st out of 106 . Another 1 person DNF'd the day.

Had 2 dinners that night to try and get energy into me. Lots of water too and slept as much as I could. Woke up and seriously thought of pulling out. Big breakfast and a vague hope I'd got some energy back and wasn't going to bonk again.

Stage 4 and I was at the back early on. Main aim was to survive over the first KOH and see what happened from there. Legs felt empty early on but warmed up for the climb and I hung on. Avg for 1st hour was 40kmh over a fairly undulating course. Going towards the second sprint there was a pretty bad crash and I nearly lost the wheel in front - managed to hang on and was doing ok till we came to a hairpin right and then the elastic snapped. A couple people went down and a gap opened that I was never going to shut.
Starting to work with a couple of lads and we were going ok till we hit the main climb of the day when I let them go. Towards the top another LCRC lad joined me and then we started to work together to finish the race. Finished the stage 7:42 down and overall 34:51 down and 95th out of 102 finishers. Another 4 DNF's for the day.

Really well organised race from the rollouts for each stage with the PSNI stopping traffic and letting us through red lights, motor bike marshals stopping traffic, all the marshals on the road and the results people who got the results out so fast (plus loads of people I've forgotten).

Only real negatives were the amount of gel wrappers being thrown and the couple of lads who decided it was fair to hold on to cars to make their way back to the groups.

The NI racing seems much harder than anything else I've done this year - I did one a couple of months ago and it was hard and hilly and I was on the back for most of what Iamanged before I got dropped. For me the weekend was a bit of a shock. I know I can't climb but never realised just how bad I was - a good example of the importance of power/weight ratio - on the final climb of the day Inquitus was still in the lead group and put out 300w to avg 23.2 kmh. I was taking it easy (relatively) at that stage and put out 311w for just 16.7 kmh. Simple reality is I'm still just too fat.

Good to see a few of the Dublin lads promoted to A3 now - hopefully will make the A4 races a bit easier

Lusk_Doyle

smcclaw wrote: »

Maybe LuskDoyle will sponsor the team a fancy disc equipped TT bike next year now that it's UCI legal!

He will but he'll be riding it himself!

dermabrasion

That was really tuff! Really really tuff. The countryside was beautiful, a lush part of the world, and he roads were great.
The 1st stage was a bits nervous and i got rammed from the right from a guy coming in from over the while line. Other than that, I did not have any issues with the riding. Well marshalled and signage was perfect.
Personally, I got found out big time. Did not have the fitness to meet the demands of this race, which was very hard. My demise started when dropped a chain at the start of the first climb on the 1st stage. Took me only 40 secs to sort it out, and I got back on and chased like a demon for an hour to get back on. But, there is no chance to get back on a race like that. Effort like that becomes a catch 22. On your own, you can't keep the pace of the bunch into a headwind, and your killing yourself trying to do so. Not possible. I rode threshold for over an hour, but could not get over 34kph, and the pack were faster at 38kph. Lost 8 mins.
Did a decent TT, 25th at 5:49, 26 secs off the winner. Again reality comes back. Too old to recover from the previous nights effort, having destroyed myself the night before. I clung on until the road went upwards, and then cruised into sportive cyclist. Another 8 mins.
Final stage, was fun,asI couldn't care. Just wanted to finish. I really struggled to hold wheels over the 1st 1/3. As you know, you can ride yourself into a race and I began to feel great. It was great sight watching the bunch meandering though the Sperrin's. I knew the final climb was going to be a bitch. Settled in and made my way up, well within limits. Lots of support and cheers from the roadside, which added to the atmosphere. Came in 5 mins behind the leaders. Better than expected. My teammate won! Woohoo!
Perfect day, best A4 event of the year by a country mile. Omagh Wheelers rock!

wirelessdude01

dermabrasion wrote: »

That was really tuff! Really really tuff. The countryside was beautiful, a lush part of the world, and he roads were great.
The 1st stage was a bits nervous and i got rammed from the right from a guy coming in from over the while line. Other than that, I did not have any issues with the riding. Well marshalled and signage was perfect.
Personally, I got found out big time. Did not have the fitness to meet the demands of this race, which was very hard. My demise started when dropped a chain at the start of the first climb on the 1st stage. Took me only 40 secs to sort it out, and I got back on and chased like a demon for an hour to get back on. But, there is no chance to get back on a race like that. Effort like that becomes a catch 22. On your own, you can't keep the pace of the bunch into a headwind, and your killing yourself trying to do so. Not possible. I rode threshold for over an hour, but could not get over 34kph, and the pack were faster at 38kph. Lost 8 mins.
Did a decent TT, 25th at 5:49, 26 secs off the winner. Again reality comes back. Too old to recover from the previous nights effort, having destroyed myself the night before. I clung on until the road went upwards, and then cruised into sportive cyclist. Another 8 mins.
Final stage, was fun,asI couldn't care. Just wanted to finish. I really struggled to hold wheels over the 1st 1/3. As you know, you can ride yourself into a race and I began to feel great. It was great sight watching the bunch meandering though the Sperrin's. I knew the final climb was going to be a bitch. Settled in and made my way up, well within limits. Lots of support and cheers from the roadside, which added to the atmosphere. Came in 5 mins behind the leaders. Better than expected. My teammate won! Woohoo!
Perfect day, best A4 event of the year by a country mile. Omagh Wheelers rock!

We had some chase back onto the main group in the 3rd stage. Apologies to everyone in that group as Daragh and myself were a little shouty to get people to work.

Agree with courdelion re the car grabbing and being towed back on. One chap who will remain nameless finished very high up with in GC and a few other categories after being dropped on the first stage. I personally saw 3 people being dragged/towed back onto the main group/up hills. The gel wrappers were a big issue. People literally dropping them on the ground or flinging them over their shoulders.

The preparation and organisation of this race is top class. Chapeau to everyone who finished.

Personally I had a really bad day at the office today but did learn yesterday that when I need to that I actually can descend with the best of them.

ht9zni1gs28crp

Next time don't be afraid to use your own car too to get back on, every is doing it right up through the categories. Its about being smart with it too! I see lots of it driving the team car at the likes of Ras Mumhan etc

Well done though on competing, its interesting to hear the amount of sandbagging going on but im sure everyone is at it in some form or another!

Lusk_Doyle

Adelynn Flaky Herd wrote: »

Next time don't be afraid to use your own car too to get back on, every is doing it right up through the categories. Its about being smart with it too! I see lots of it driving the team car at the likes of Ras Mumhan etc

Well done though on competing, its interesting to hear the amount of sandbagging going on but im sure everyone is at it in some form or another!

That's cheating plain and simple. Use of the cars to draft is a different thing but hanging on is wrong unless you have a mechanical or medical issue. Rationalising it because everyone else is at it is wrong IMO. This is the same mindset re doping and everyone else is at it. It shows a complete lack of respect for your fellow competitors.

dermabrasion

I agree. Drafting a car is okay after a mechanical to a point. Once you on the back of the cavalcade, thats it, your on your own. A tow up a hill is cheating, plain and straight. Drafting back to the bunch after being dropped is cheating. There was a bit of that in Omagh.
A4 is the lowest rung of the amateur racing ladder. Cheaters need to put it in perspective; your not getting a pro contact, and outside of the few 100 or so that do this, no one gives a crap. If you need to cheat to advance, then you are not good enough anyway and will be found out.
I know some lads are desperate to get out of A4, because of the dangerous riding of the inexperienced or moronic. I would agree with that to a point. But, A4 is a valid level (it is my level), not just some sort of apprenticeship on the way to A3. The crashyness is another thing altogether, which needs a different type of solution. For me, IVCA will be a solution next year.
Back to the OP. The TOO was cosmic!! A4 cheaters are intellectually embarrassed.

Lusk_Doyle

dermabrasion wrote: »

I agree. Drafting a car is okay after a mechanical to a point. Once you on the back of the cavalcade, thats it, your on your own. A tow up a hill is cheating, plain and straight. Drafting back to the bunch after being dropped is cheating. There was a bit of that in Omagh.
A4 is the lowest rung of the amateur racing ladder. Cheaters need to put it in perspective; your not getting a pro contact, and outside of the few 100 or so that do this, no one gives a crap. If you need to cheat to advance, then you are not good enough anyway and will be found out.
I know some lads are desperate to get out of A4, because of the dangerous riding of the inexperienced or moronic. I would agree with that to a point. But, A4 is a valid level (it is my level), not just some sort of apprenticeship on the way to A3. The crashyness is another thing altogether, which needs a different type of solution. For me, IVCA will be a solution next year.
Back to the OP. The TOO was cosmic!! A4 cheaters are intellectually embarrassed.

They ain't without their share of serious crashes either!

slfcarro5

Well that was some weekend, loved every minute of it. Definitely one of the best organised races around. Finished in the front bunch on the three road stages with a best result of 9th on the last day. I'm getting far too many 9th placed finishes these last few months. Overall I'm a bit disappointed to not get something out of the race but my TT let me down big style. If only races were rode that hard every week it would be great.

ht9zni1gs28crp

lol....I did mean drafting....holding on is only codding themselves!

slfcarro5

Also well done to Inquitus and Greenmat on their upgrades. Both are well deserved as they have rode hard all year.

daragh_

We had a team of 5, reduced to 4 due to illness and we were supported by the legendary Maloner, who was on hand with advice, wheels, tips on the route and cans of coke.

Last time I did a Stage Race I ended up with a broken Collarbone and finger so I was a little nervous going into this.

Had a blast despite riding like someone who has never seen a bike before.

Friday. Was dropped at the top of one of the climbs but descended like a crazy person to get back on and finished comfortably with the bunch.

Saturday. TT was just under 6 minutes. Slowest by a good bit in my Team but I was happy to get under the 6.

Stage 2. Was doing fine until the descent and sharp turn in Tempo. Went around the corner too slow and the bunch accelerated away from me. Was left on my own and had to wait for the next group to catch me. After a bit of shouting (as noted above!) we got it working and chased back on. Regained the bunch at the bottom of the last climb. I was blown after the chasing and got spat out the back at the start of the climb. That was it for me. Regrouped with my saviour Dermabrasion and finished 8 minutes down.

Stage 3 was very fast from the off and for the first 20k I felt sick as a dog and almost pulled the cord and went home. Finally began to feel ok coming out of Gortin but the crash was playing on my mind and I was sitting too far back. Back of the bunch at the hairpin, slowed behind the lead lady when she came off on the bend and that was that. Bunch went away, chased with a small group and watched them get further away. Enjoyed the last climb which was nowhere near as bad as I expected and hammered home to find out my teammate had won.

Great weekend, amazing organisation by Omagh Wheelers - if they don’t win Club of the Year again for that I’ll eat my hat.



Delighted that STCC’s Adam Greally got 3rd overall. And for the record he did that on a triple.

greenmat

What a weekend. Best racing I've been involved in since taking out an A4 licence last year. Got my upgrade to A3 sorted in first stage, bit of luck to escape being boxed in on "False" finish, it just opened up for me enough to sprint to 6th. Took the pressure off me to try get results in other stages but really fancied my chances of a stage win. Like all the Swords/Blanch Wheelies team I had no TT bike or paraphernalia, totally underestimated it's value in such a short TT. Maybe at that level would it not level the playing field to have to use your road bike, just a thought???? Stage 2 started in a panic as we never knew about new roll out time, we went to look at main climb in the stage between TT and stage 3 and had planned to view the finish too but had to make a mad dash to start area, made it with minutes to spare. This stage was fantastic, had everything. Led out one of the Blanch lads for the first intermediate sprint which he won and rode the biggest climb at my own speed and rejoined the main group with ease for the road home. Was very comfortable approaching the finish but because we never got to see the finish area, I was riding it blind. Was hopping nicely from wheel to wheel at the front, never off the 2nd or 3rd wheel for the last 4-5 km, feeling really strong, thinking I have this. Missed the 1km to go sign and didn't know I was fast approaching the finish line, then all the local riders came streaming past before I realised what happened, my chance gone of a stage win. A gap opened up in front of me but I could of caused a pile up if I forced my way through, no balls for that yet. 9th on the stage. Final stage was savage, a very hard day, we had planned to try for 1st sprint, I went to the front very early waiting for my team mates but it just never happened. Rode the rest of day in the middle of the bunch and as we approached the 2 final climbs moved to as near the front as I could. Hitting the bottom of the final decisive climb I was a little bit further back than I wanted but presumed I could do the same as the day before, ride the climb at my own tempo and make up the difference on the decent. Big mistake, by not going hard enough early in the climb lost total contact with the front of race. If only I was further forward at the bottom and dug deeper at the steeper lower slope my plan may have worked. Passed loads on the way up, could see front of race at times on the way down, but just couldn't bridge. Rode most of upper decent on my own, caught a few riders on way down, then we were caught by others. Fully expected the group to work very hard together to bridge, we got to work then one rider totally messed the flow of the turns and that was that. Gutted to not get back to front, actually cost my team the Overall Team prize, we moved up from 4th to 2nd on team GC but the time I lost cost us the Overall. Can't thank Omagh Wheelers enough for their hospitality. Fantastic event, best I've ever done. Really as near to feeling like a Pro as we can get in A4.

maloner

Was speaking with a few different Omagh lads after stage 4 and the general word I got was that the lad who came down in Gortin on the last stage had got stitches and was going to get some checkups but was going to be ok. It looked really nasty when I drove past him, but thankfully it appears he'll be ok.

Inquitus

maloner wrote: »

Was speaking with a few different Omagh lads after stage 4 and the general word I got was that the lad who came down in Gortin on the last stage had got stitches and was going to get some checkups but was going to be ok. It looked really nasty when I drove past him, but thankfully it appears he'll be ok.

What happened to him, as far as I could see he went over his bars for some reason, and noone else was involved, pothole?

maloner

Inquitus wrote: »

What happened to him, as far as I could see he went over his bars for some reason, and noone else was involved, pothole?

I was a few cars back in the cavalcade so didn't see what happened.

daragh_

He was posting on the Omagh Wheelers FB page this morning so it looks like he is in good nick.

That crash scared the bejaysus out of me. I went round him seconds after and he looked in very bad shape.