Race Around Ireland 2018.

Fann Linn

This kicks off on Sunday from Trim, Co.Meath. Approx 2200 km in what is described as one of the toughest endurance races in the world. Is there anyone on here getting involved this year?

I'll be helping out and driving a support car for one of the entrants. Looking forward to it now the nearer it gets.

NamelessPhil

I'm riding the Ultra.

Hager

Rode it last year on a team. Will be support crew for a solo rider this time. Looking forward to a week of no sleep. Great craic.

doozerie

For anyone not familiar with the event, the routes for both races are here: http://racearoundireland.com/route

I searched the site for info on the tracking service, but I guess that won't be available until closer to the start time.

magicbastarder

doozerie wrote: »

For anyone not familiar with the event, the routes for both races are here: http://racearoundireland.com/route

what's the significance of the blue sections on the maps?

Mefistofelino

magicbastarder wrote: »

doozerie wrote: »

For anyone not familiar with the event, the routes for both races are here: http://racearoundireland.com/route

what's the significance of the blue sections on the maps?

AFAIK, they are sections prohibited for event campervans due to steepness, narrowness etc.

cython

Mefistofelino wrote: »

AFAIK, they are sections prohibited for event campervans due to steepness, narrowness etc.

That'd fit. The first such section is Jenkinstown/Long Woman's Grave outside Dundalk from memory, and that's the first blue section on the map.

Looks like it's passing very close to us, if there is live tracking I could take the wee one out to see some of them passing by and give them a cheer. If her reaction to seeing the Rás is anything to go by it'll be a mighty cheer indeed

daragh_

Good luck to NamelessPhil and everyone else racing this year. Feels very odd to be sitting it out.

NamelessPhil

She'll get a thumbs up and a thanks from me!

As long as you're not on the side of Long Woman's Hill in which case my response mightn't be printable.

There should be live tracking on the website. I'm rider X06.

NamelessPhil

daragh_ wrote: »

Good luck to NamelessPhil and everyone else racing this year. Feels very odd to be sitting it out.

Enjoy the extra sleep!

NamelessPhil

NamelessPhil wrote: »

She'll get a thumbs up and a thanks from me!

As long as you're not on the side of Long Woman's Hill in which case my response mightn't be printable.

There should be live tracking on the website. I'm rider X06.

Best of luck with it and a huge chapeau !!!!!

NamelessPhil

Getting ready for the off.

ford2600

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Getting ready for the off.

Best of luck.

I'll be dot watching!

nilhg

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Getting ready for the off.

A bit late but best of luck NP.

https://gps.blackblox.si/race/41
Tracking link for anyone interested

daragh_

This Dot watching is exciting stuff - much more fun than racing it.

The leading 4-man teams are still close together. Trim CC are first on the road and have a gap on Team Indreni. Hard to tell how that plays out in real terms - but they are both going well and seem to be maintaining a similar pace. That said it can all go wrong very quickly - one mistake can put you off course and mean the difference of 15 - 20 minutes so the crews will be need to be on the ball.

In the solo race Joe Barr is putting in a really strong ride - nearly at Sligo! With Stefan Schrenk coming up in second.

In the Ultra Race our own NamelessPhil is just about to turn south and hopefully get some respite from the wind.

thesimpsons

link to follow the estimated times for cyclists to arrive in each area.

davef1000

How on earth is Edward Dillon able to manage an average of 47km/h after 48 hours? Is there something I'm not aware of here?

eeeee

How are the 4 person teams faster than the 8 person teams?
Also door watching rocks. I have a friend in one of the 4 person teams, he's done loads of this kind of thing now, I'm really into the dot watching!
I'd never in a million years be able do it myself.
Big fair play to the solo people. I do not know how they do it.
I hope NamelessPhil has a tailwind now!

doozerie

davef1000 wrote: »

How on earth is Edward Dillon able to manage an average of 47km/h after 48 hours? Is there something I'm not aware of here?

He had to pull out yesterday as he got sick. Elriker Ingl Johannsson had to pull out too and his average is showing a similar figure. I guess the tracking website isn't working properly by showing them in the active riders list.

doozerie

nee wrote: »

I hope NamelessPhil has a tailwind now!

From the wind map on www.met.ie it looks like she'll continue to have a headwind all the way to Clifden

davef1000

doozerie wrote: »

He had to pull out yesterday as he got sick. Elriker Ingl Johannsson had to pull out too and his average is showing a similar figure. I guess the tracking website isn't working properly by showing them in the active riders list.

Ah, Ok, thanks. I know some of these guys are supermen but 2000km in 48 hours seemed too good to be true! Sad to hear they've had to pull out though. It's a serious challenge.

eeeee

doozerie wrote: »

He had to pull out yesterday as he got sick. Elriker Ingl Johannsson had to pull out too and his average is showing a similar figure. I guess the tracking website isn't working properly by showing them in the active riders list.

Oh no how does she do it.
Fingers crossed for a wind change in the next hour *crosses fingers*

cdaly_

The wind will go westerly after the rain (headwind and rain!) passes through. But she won't see the benefit of it until the turn at Clifden.

I was very impressed to see her climb the Mamore Gap faster than I was able to ride on the flat canal towpath last saturday!...

HeidiHeidi

I have a pal on Team Indreni.

About 2 or 3km between them and Breffni behind them :eek:

Think I'm going to become an avid dot-watcher for the next few hours....

And a HUGE hats off to all those solo guys (and gal, particularly, don't care how sexist that is!) - do not know how ye do it!

daragh_

The guys on Team Indreni are flying - chasing hard from the off but Trim aren't slowing up. Nail biting stuff. I'm having flashbacks.

C'mon NamelessPhil!!!

Charlie69

Was on four person team last year... very close race this year, dot watching gives a whole new perspective.. exciting stuff but Trim look unstoppable.

doozerie

daragh_ wrote: »

C'mon NamelessPhil!!!

Roughly 21 hours (or maybe closer to 20.5 hours) left to cover 300km. She has done that and more in the past but the weather conditions are rubbish (headwind and rain) and it has been a tough ride so far so it won't be easy.

daragh_

doozerie wrote: »

Roughly 21 hours (or maybe closer to 20.5 hours) left to cover 300km. She has done that and more in the past but the weather conditions are rubbish (headwind and rain) and it has been a tough ride so far so it won't be easy.

She's made of stern stuff.

daragh_

Charlie69 wrote: »

Was on four person team last year... very close race this year, dot watching gives a whole new perspective.. exciting stuff but Trim look unstoppable.

Agreed. Hard to cross a gap like that. Unless they make a mistake. Lots of tricky bits on the route still to come.

Paul_Mc1988

If you go to the RAI website it has links to the teams Facebook pages. Watching the trimCC videos was entertaining. One of the lads looked like he was having a ball

barrabus

davef1000 wrote: »

How on earth is Edward Dillon able to manage an average of 47km/h after 48 hours? Is there something I'm not aware of here?

he is out .

Paul_Mc1988

Trim now have a 22km lead while the 2nd to 3rd place only have 4km and 3rd to 4th only have 3km between them.. how can looking at dots on a screen be so entertaining

daragh_

Paul_Mc1988 wrote: »

Trim now have a 22km lead while the 2nd to 3rd place only have 4km and 3rd to 4th only have 3km between them.. how can looking at dots on a screen be so entertaining

That's very similar to where we last year in the race for second place. Nothing was certain until the end which kept the pace right up. They will all be feeling the pressure tonight.

TGD

And the Czech guy is breathing down Barr’s neck - decisions about sleep will be interesting.

Paul_Mc1988

daragh_ wrote:

That's very similar to where we last year in the race for second place. Nothing was certain until the end which kept the pace right up. They will all be feeling the pressure tonight.

Yeah its still all to play for. 400km left at the current avg of 30 has them home at 10:15 in the morning hopefully its stays close throughout the night.

daragh_

Paul_Mc1988 wrote: »

Yeah its still all to play for. 400km left at the current avg of 30 has them home at 10:15 in the morning hopefully its stays close throughout the night.

Few bumps to get over on the way. Some of the hardest hills in the whole thing as you know ;-)

Looks like NamelessPhil might finally get a Tailwind. Not far from Galway and the push for home.

Paul_Mc1988

daragh_ wrote:

Few bumps to get over on the way. Some of the hardest hills in the whole thing as you know ;-)

daragh_ wrote:

Looks like NamelessPhil might finally get a Tailwind. Not far from Galway and the push for home.

Tracking her using both windty and the dots and shes had a tail wind the last 40 mins. Avg 26-29kph at the moment

Looks like one lads been home and hosed in the short course for some time today, he was there around 4pm last I checked.

I don't know whether to say chapeau or call them lunatics

Serious question can you actually enjoy the scenery on something like this? Ok maybe not if it's pissing rain and horrible but it is all about the focus on keeping going and willing yourself on planning stops and thinking of feeds and drinks or can you take in the view along the way.

HeidiHeidi

Talk about a drag race!

Nearly over for the lead 4s, and still the same.... although the gap between Team Indreni and Breffni looks like it's closing......

Gallant_JJ

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Talk about a drag race!

Nearly over for the lead 4s, and still the same.... although the gap between Team Indreni and Breffni looks like it's closing......

Breffni briefly took the lead over Indreni, but has since swung again

HeidiHeidi

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

Breffni briefly took the lead over Indreni, but has since swung again

:eek:

daragh_

Great progress by NamelessPhil overnight. On the home stretch.

Paul_Mc1988

Trim are just about to crest the gap 11km ahead indreni and 13km ahead of breffini. All downhill from there so its in the bag for them.

HeidiHeidi

Breffni have snuck ahead again.....

daragh_

She's looking strong on the road by all accounts. Nearly there.

In the 4 Man Trim have it in the bag. Just through Kilcock so TT effort through Summerhill and the finish on their home roads. Great show.

Indreni look set to take second over Breffni. Delighted for them.

Joe Barr is nearly at Mizen with about a 30k gap. That's not much in this kind of race - will be an intense day for him.

Mefistofelino

NamelessPhil finished in 69:01(TBC) - great result!

buffalo

Mefistofelino wrote: »

NamelessPhil finished in 69:01(TBC) - great result!

Superb stuff, well done NP!

ford2600

Mefistofelino wrote: »

NamelessPhil finished in 69:01(TBC) - great result!

She seems to have increased her average a little since yesterday.


A real race between Barr and Bozak now, Barr is stopped in Goleen and Bozak is within 4km or so.


Great race for 5th at moment with 3 riders, including Bill Finnane, within 10km of each other.


I'll try and get out to see him in Knockmealdowns.

py

ford2600 wrote: »

She seems to have increased her average a little since yesterday.

Favourable wind conditions once she turned east would've helped a lot. Fair play NP on a fantastic ride.

cdaly_

ford2600 wrote: »

A real race between Barr and Bozak now, Barr is stopped in Goleen and Bozak is within 4km or so.

Bozak is still heading west. There's more like 28km between them.