Starts today!
Mark the occasion with this great interview with Mia Griffin: https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/griffin-i-loved-camogie-but-cycling-really-allowed-me-get-out-what-you-put-in-40828547.html
Nice one. Super field of national and international riders, olympians, the whole lot. I'd love to be down there but.... someone's gotta stay at home and mind the house. :(
Going down for Saturdays stage and hoping I catch the Sunday stage in Thomastown when it passes through both times then a race into the city to see the finish. Great to show the kids top level cyclists and be close to the action.
Yeah I'm taking my girls down the city centre crit on Saturday too. Trying to encourage a few of me mates to do the same. Hope the weather is good.
Will there be eurosport highlights this year bloke?
I imagine so yeah.
Well worth going down to see if you can. Proper superstars displaying their talents :
http://www.rasnamban.com/uncategorised/stacked-field-getting-set-for-kilkenny/
A report on today's stage
Hopefully all are ok after the crash they mentioned.
There were five non-finishers but I have no idea if they were involved in the crashes or if they suffered injuries.
Hectic day…. 3 broken collar bones. Broken elbow. One unconscious and a crashed motor bike! Usually the first days nothing happens!
Got that message from a club member who's on the course
Wow!!! No way. Cripes almighty. That's rough for all concerned.
Yikes that's tough.
I hope everyone isn't too banged up and the injured are as well as can be.
Sounds like there was good racing though. The field is smaller this year than normal isn't it? Or am I imagining that?
Should be 20 teams of five gives 100 riders but one team only started with 4, so 99 starters.
Yeah a rough day for all concerned yesterday 😕 eventful for the commissionaire !
Was at the start yesterday - weather turned an hour or two beforehand, but temperature remained high so probably not too bad in terms of racing conditions
Went to Callen for the finish and Schmid looked incredibly strong. Was second on the turn into the final 300m or so of incline but had put a 5+m gap on everyone by the finish. She took a few of the jerseys and I suspect she will keep some of them throughout this race based on that performance
Roads are very 'technical' down here , so there will be more crashes.
The road when you turn off for Kilmacow, is very lumpy, with lots of tight turns, and sharp bends.
The descent down Mullinbeg is very fast and is covered by over hanging trees, so the dry/wet and light/dark could cause trouble.
The moto had trouble staying ahead of them in 19.
The finish is slightly up hill too. Could be a drag race to the line.
Stage 2 is underway. ~20 km gone, ~69 km remaining.
The new magenta Rás na mBan overall leader's jersey wearer after Stage 2 is Abi Smith of @britishcycling
!!
Stage 2 winner Loes Adegeest of Jan van Arkel.
Won by a tyre width.
QoftheM leader Jo Tindley
Leading the Kilkenny County Council Best Irish Rider Classification after Stage 2 is Linda Kelly of Cycling Munster
Wow. What happened yesterday's leader? Was it a breakaway win?
Top billing on the Irish Times!! Pretty cool! 😎
The Queen stage is underway
Anyone going to watch the finish?
Arderin would have made a much better finish than The Cut.
The new QOM on the Wolftrap was over 3 minutes faster than the previous one.
The Glendine climb?
Yes the steep one from Laois side.
Feck sake! Foiled again by fog!
Apparently there'll be a half hour highlights programme on Monday on RTÉ! 😎
Tuesday at 16:30 on RTE2 from a quick look at the schedule there.
Wow, what a great race! Savage savage sprint outta the winner of the stage. Michaela McPherson sorry if I've misspelled it. 18 year little rocketship. Won the prime half way through as well.
Last lap was the fastest at 45kph average. On a tight circuit, after an hour's racing, not to mind 5 previous stages over 4 days.
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