Cycling Ireland 2024 road calendar

Reality_Check1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932929#Comment_121932929

Thanks you too and congrats on a great result yesterday

I’m just home from the Des today. Happy enough I’m not too far away 😬 overall can’t be too disappointed with my first weekend in A3 but it was a HARD weekends racing

beggars_bush

Two days, two races.

Did well today until the approach to the two corners at Castlecomer 2nd time around, lost position then it was chasing until the finish line

dahat

Still cleaning the bike after the Boyne GP Saturday, it will never be the same!

Credit to Drogheda Wheelers for quick results & all updated on CI in full by yesterday.

As for the Des, only the main events got results but again it’s takes finding online for those interested in top 10 riders for any of the races.

seamusk84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121934939#Comment_121934939

Same, missed the split. But I did try and chase them down initially for a bit (I'm the guy in the Kilcock green and amber gear).

Good group we then formed with that Athy guy getting us into formation.

Genuinely felt like I was about to bonk as we hit the 50k mark but held it together. Great race, had a blast.

Reality_Check1

Anyone doing any of the stage races over the weekend?

dahat

Two week training block now for me, 4 races in the bag so let's let the legs recover now.

Donal Crowley RR April 28th, is the A3 route a pure climbers day?

wav1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121944639#Comment_121944639

Bohermeen 21st April your type of circuit

lizzylad84

Coombs Conor next weekend

Killinchy GP 14th

Bohermeen 21st

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121946166#Comment_121946166

Yes, raced there last year when there was an incident of sorts that stopped the A3 race for 15-20mins.

I think however i might travel to Kerry on the same day if it's on to keep the Munster clubs ticking over.

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121943079#Comment_121943079

Three wet days in Gorey with sun coming out at end of each race. Dry tt.

Tough, hard racing

secman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962558#Comment_121962558

In fairness the weather was a lot better than the forecast for the weekend. Great racing and deserved wins for Conor Murphy and Marina Lenehan.

dahat

Cycle Ireland points for Gorey were given for first x riders over the line and not seperate male & female categories.

Is the normal process for Gorey?

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964248#Comment_121964248

That does not sound right at all.? The whole thing seemed a bit confusing— were the women in the same race or a different one? Marine Lenehan won the stage but was is she in the same race? She and the others rode the same route etc but there was a separate classification? I've no idea myself

dahat

Ladies were given a timed head start for each stage so does this mean it was effectively one big handicap stage race?

If so this should have be clarified at the start for those racing.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964248#Comment_121964248

Most likely an error, the timing sheet looks like its done in order of crossing the line but you can tell the equipment different groups started at different times, (they have added 15 minutes on to the womens race as presumably they left 15 minutes earlier). Is it up on the CI website? I imagine it is a clerical error with the new staff in there just going in order.

Chips Lovell

I'd assumed it was a single handicapped race but then I saw they were adding the 15 minutes to the women's overall GC time, which seemed a bit unfair. What's the point in giving them a handicap if you're going to take it away off from them in the results?

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965964#Comment_121965964

Yes, the results are on CI so you would imagine that it will be corrected asap.

Morris Garren

They do things a bit different down in Wexford. I'm sure it's all above board.

wav1

I have the height of respect for anyone that promotes races and a lot of time for the crew that put Gorey together but the format is seriously confusing.

dahat

To be clear I didn’t race it so not effected but that format would put me right off for next year. It’s hard enough to race jnrs as is.

I know of a couple of riders looking for 2/3 pts for A3 that may have been effected.

secman

Screenshot_20240402_185920_X.jpg

Stage 2 results above, were the points not just awarded for the overall GC results and not for the stages ? Overall GC showed actual times for everyone, Marine the first lady was 57th overall @ 45 min behind winner . A lot was made of stage 2 as it was first time the leading lady wasn't caught before the finish.

dahat

Each stage is a race on its own merit in any stage race so points awarded accordingly.

The Dan Morrissey rider won the ladies race overall so this should be a seperate event for any classifications. I’m sure there is ladies who may have thought they had achieved CI points over the weekend.

Chips Lovell

I did the Gorey for the first time in ten years and it was my first stage race in eight years, since my kids were born. Last time I did it, it was the old format, racing from Blessington to Gorey on day one and back again on the final day. It's a very different race now and a hell of a lot harder, but I have to say it's become an absolutely cracking weekend. In particular, the finish to stage two was absolutely epic. Major kudos to Derek Webb and his team for bringing the race onto a new level.

For me, aside from how competitive the women were, the best thing about the race was the sheer number of strong Juniors competing. Despite low overall numbers in open races, it's the bright spot on the horizon, the number of Juniors coming through. Ten years ago there might have been four or five "super Juniors", now there's dozens of them. Any one of them would have been hyped up as the next big thing not too long ago. It's not just the Juniors, a lot of the A2s and A3s in the mix are young fellas too, U23s. Great to see. Makes it harder for an aul lad like me, but what's the harm in that?

secman

Passed on your post of Gorey 3 day to Derek, chuffed with feedback and said the sleepless nights paid off 😀

seamusk84

Signed up for Coombes Conor. A4. Think it will be a big field.
Anyone done it before? Is that big steep hill towards the racecourse part of the circuit?

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967282#Comment_121967282

Could you enquire as to why the CI points are awarded as is?
Why aren’t the men’s & ladies races classed as seperate?

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971457#Comment_121971457

No. Not part of the circuit

It is much flatter and fast

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971457#Comment_121971457

Flat & fast so balls out all day 😂

eeeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971580#Comment_121971580

It was one race, there wasn't a separate women's race, its a handicap so points are for first x over the line on each stage and overall.

Gorey was always like that.

Adding 15 mins to the women's times makes no sense, it's a handicap 🤦‍♀️

Seadin

Few questions I have from a past ex racer of the A3 grade.

Why in some races are A3s thrown in with the A1s and A2s? I know it may be a numbers issue etc but there is no way a A3 is going to compete with a top A1 rider and if he can he isnt doing something right in the A3 grade. Makes no sense.

Why are juniors all thrown into A3? Or has that changed? Why can't they have their own race? When I last raced in 2017, the juniors dominated the A3 races and every week they were there and destroying the field. Some of them are at a different level and made it impossible to compete with them. Not taking from their abilities but some of the juniors were of the quality of top A1 riders.