2017 Friends First Laragh Classic

daragh_

St. Tiernan's Cycling Club presents the fifth Friends First Laragh Classic with a new exciting route incorporating the Wicklow Gap.

Saturday the 2nd of September.

The 2017 programme of races includes the Friends First Laragh Classic (A1/A2), The Women’s Friends First Laragh Classic and The Martin Vereker Memorial (A3/Junior). Both the Friends First Laragh Classic and the Women’s Friends First Laragh Classic are the respective final rounds of the Cycling Ireland National series 2017 with both races carrying double points. The ambitious new route is a fitting end to two exciting 2017 series.

The prize fund for both the Men’s and Women’s races is equal with the victor of each receiving €200.

The classic style course of the past four years has been altered to include the renowned Wicklow Gap which has not seen competitive bike racing since the 2014 An Post Rás. Beginning as always at the Brockagh Center in Laragh Village, the race will incorporate some familiar roads as it heads to Rathdrum and returns to Annamoe via Moneystown. Taking in the old course from Annamoe to Laragh it then heads up the Wicklow Gap descending to a right turn toward Valleymount. After Valleymount the race begins to turn for home and returns to Hollywood via the N81 before heading back up the eastern side of the Gap. The descent to Glendalough is followed by almost 2km of flat to the finish line outside the Brockagh centre. The course details can be seen here.

The winner will require the full range of abilities on a testing course. The fifth name on the Wicklow Cobble trophy will be a deserving one and we are looking forward to presenting our ladies prize for the first time. High end racing through some of Irelands best scenery, we look forward to seeing you there.



2017 Friends First Laragh Classic Road Race Details

The featured 2017 Friends First Laragh Classic Road Race will be open to A1/A2 riders with a supporting race for the A3/Junior category. A standalone Women’s Friends First Laragh Classic completes the programme of races. Both Men’s and Women’s Friends First Laragh Classic races are the closing events of the Cycling Ireland National Series 2017.

• A1/A2 for the Laragh Classic Cobble: 97km
• A3 Martin Vereker Memorial: 97km
• Womens Laragh Classic: 97km

ALL races LIMITED to 60 riders. Enter online to avoid disappointment: ENTER HERE

Races commence at 10.30am. Sign on will open at 8.30am in The Brockagh Resource Centre, Laragh, Co. Wicklow, where there is limited parking and changing facilities are available. Showers are not available.

buffalo

Something's always clashed with this race for me, but calendar's clear this year. Looking forward to it already, love any chance to race on Wicklow roads!

Pawlie

Why just 60 riders each race,

Miklos

Sounds absolutely brutal! Fair play.

eeeee

Tempted...but the only hills bar races I've been on this year are the bankings at Sundrive :pac:

When's it on daragh?

Derrydingle

No A4 this year?

daragh_

Pawlie wrote: »

Why just 60 riders each race,

Easier to manage and safer Pawlie. Hope you can make it!

daragh_

nee wrote: »

Tempted...but the only hills bar races I've been on this year are the bankings at Sundrive :pac:

When's it on daragh?

Saturday the 2nd. Can't believe I left out the date!

You'll eat those hills! Hope you can make it.

Glass Prison 1214

Just signed up. Looks like a class course, no other race with hills like this in Ireland.

daragh_

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Just signed up. Looks like a class course, no other race with hills like this in Ireland.

Good stuff. Those hills are made for you!

daragh_

Derrydingle wrote: »

No A4 this year?

Sadly no. This is from a similar query on our Facebook page.

Unfortunately we are not in a position hold an A4 race this year as we are a small club and do not have the resources to run four races on a large course on the one day. We do hope to reinstate a race for this category on our programme in 2018 but did have to reduce the programme slightly this year.


More info on our website and Facebook.

Miklos

Sure there are countless A4 races throughout the year, it's great that the women are going to have their own one.

harringtonp

Course looks great but savage.

Any heavies here (as in not light weight wise as opposed to heavy hitter) plan on doing the A3/Junior race ?

daragh_

Thread Bump!

Filling up fast folks - get your entries in.

mathie

What are the chances this will turn into a handicapped race like last year?

daragh_

mathie wrote: »

What are the chances this will turn into a handicapped race like last year?

The plan is to hold the 3 races as described. We will be doing everything in our control to avoid running a handicapped race.

rigal

mathie wrote: »

What are the chances this will turn into a handicapped race like last year?

Hi, just a quick update following Daragh's post above. Both men's races are now well over half full so the A3/juniors will definitely have there own separate race this year.

bwalsh1983

Pre-registration for all races will close at 6PM today.

As stated all races have reached numbers that allow them to proceed as standalone races without any handicap.

This also means that they are almost full with the A1/A2 Friends First Laragh Classic and the A3/J Martin Vereker Memorial both over 2/3 subscribed as of this morning.

Entries will be taken on the morning but only until max capacity is reached.

Best to get you entry in online if you intend on racing. Link here -
https://register.primoevents.com/ps/event/LaraghClassic2017

rigal

LARAGH CLASSIC RIDERS -

Please note that racing starts tomorrow at 1030am sharp.

Sign on at the Brockagh Centre will be open from 8:30-10am. The forecast is looking perfect and we look forward to seeing you all in Laragh.

Farloo

Cheers for a great race today, very safe and enjoyable even on a tough course!

Andy Magic

Jesus that looked scary in the A4 finish today :eek:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclare.conway.75%2Fvideos%2F1657889720920129%2F&show_text=0&width=560

albert kidd

Andy Magic wrote: »

Jesus that looked scary in the A4 finish today :eek:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclare.conway.75%2Fvideos%2F1657889720920129%2F&show_text=0&width=560

thats not laragh.

great course lads and very well run..brutally hard..but you know what your signing up for..hopefully the gap is a feature in future races.

buffalo

Andy Magic wrote: »

Jesus that looked scary in the A4 finish today :eek:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fclare.conway.75%2Fvideos%2F1657889720920129%2F&show_text=0&width=560

That's Stage 1 of the Charleville 2 Day.

Andy Magic

buffalo wrote: »

That's Stage 1 of the Charleville 2 Day.

Wrong thread, apologies..

daragh_

Full Results

Friends First Laragh Classic

A1-A2

1 Philip Lavery (H&R Block Pro Cycling)
2 Adam Stenson (Team Bikeworx)
3 Sean Lacey (Aquablue Academy)
4 Dermot Trulock (Lucan Cycling Road Club)
5 Conn McDunphy (Raleigh GAC)
6 Matteo Cigala (Aquablue Academy)
7 Mark O’Callaghan (Aquablue Academy)
8 Sean Moore (Team Bikeworx)
9 Greg Swinand (Aquablue Academy)
10 Mark Dowling (Unattached)
Unplaced A2s
1 Aaron Kearney (Team Planet X -Carnac)
2 Cian Hanley (Swords CC)



Women’s Laragh Classic

1 Lydia Boylan (Team WNT)
2 Alice Sharpe (NCCgroup-Kuota-Torelli)
3 Clair McIlwane (Phoenix CC)
4 Catherine Smith (Team Madigan CC)
5 Sharon Bird (Team Madigan CC)
6 Fiona Guihen (Black Rose Racing)
7 Orla Walsh (Scott Orwell)
8 Maeve Gallagher (Castlebar CC)
9 Laura Blair (Ballymena CC)
10 Nichole Evans (South East Road Club)



A3-Jnr Martin Vereker Memorial

1 Luke Smith (NRPT-Titan Containers)
2 Liam Curley (NRPT-Titan Containers)
3 PJ Doogan (Powerhouse Sport)
4 Cian May (Lucan Cycling Road Club)
5 Sean Murnane (Scott-Orwell)
6 Liam Hanley (Lucan Cycling Road Club)
7 Paul Forristal (Scott-Orwell)
8 Steven Darby (Cork County Cycling Club)
9 Richard Bourke (Slievenamon Cycling Club)
10 Paul Bolger (Slaney Cycling Club)

CramCycle

That was awesome to drive, or saunter round over a day as a Sunday spin. As a race, jebus, I am glad they didn't run am A4 so I had an excuse not to go out. It was an epic one to watch and great for the viewing. Descent from the gap was awesome though and the ascent had a great buzz with fans at all the car parks and turn offs.

Glass Prison 1214

albert kidd wrote: »

great course lads and very well run..brutally hard..but you know what your signing up for..hopefully the gap is a feature in future races.

I second this, it was a great course to race on. A real sufferfest.