The 2010 Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford, Sunday August 29th

abbeyside1 wrote: »

Didn't see any of the crashes but they don't sound good.Has to be expected based on the numbers involved. Mark Power from Dan Morrissey finished with Joe Barr,they did 4 hrs 50 mins!Did 5 hrs 10 mins myself so quite pleased with that considering I was on my own from the top of powers the pot to the finish!

We didn't pass you on the long drag after Mahon, about 1-2k from the top? I was in Orwell gear with a guy in an Orange top? With a good bunch you could knock a lot of time off the 5:10.

Great Ride, very well organized. The best organized race/ride I have ever been on and the volunteers all had a smile on their face as well.

Did the 160 @30.5 kph, very happy with it, considering I have been smoking 10-15 a day for the last year-stress-and I have done only about a dozen rides in the last two months, the knees are hurting from not having a base, but it's a good pain.
Thanks to the guy in the red assos shorts and black Ekoi? kersey for helping me to Mahon falls and all the way back to Dungarvan, really helped me big time.

Love the course, got a pic with Sean Kelly and Sean Kelly the MEP together-he was my Irish teacher in Secondary, props to Lars in Dungarvan as well for putting me up last night and his wife for cooking supper, all around a great weekend, cannot think of a complaint!

Top marks for the quality of cycling today in the 90k.

[Mostly] Everyone stayed to the left and if they overtook moved back in swiftly. Lots of encouragements and brief conversations on the road too which adds to the day. I started up near the front and finished in 3 25, reckon I was still in the first half so probably stayed ahead of any potential trouble.

oh yeah - the descent out of Stradbally was great - hit 70kmph on the downhill and 7kmph back up the other side...

Did niceonetom win?

Great Day had by 7 Westernlakers. Sean Kelly even changed a wheel for one of the girls after he turned back.
Big Thanks to the guys sponsored by Richies Bike shop G.CC for the pull up Powers and the Bray Lads for the fun of a great run in for the last 15km.
Good to hear the guy who was airlifted is ok as we had just topped out when the chopper came over.

A really well run event and have to say a big thank you to everyone

I have now cycled and walked the 2 Commeragh Challenges and I can honestly say 2 of the best days out I've had

ajk24 wrote: »

Job done. Around 6hrs40 rolling. Good to meet a few other boardsies. Now for dinner.

i left the backlight on on my garmin which meant the battery ran out after 5 hours - just after the descent from mahon falls. i thought - "at least i'll have that much" - damn data transfer didn't work and data is lost. nooooooooooo

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Pretty sure I saw Raam at one point, assuming he is still 7ft tall, 9 stone in weight and riding a white R3.

A little shorter, a little heavier, right bike

A w/e of firsts, first time doing a cycling sportive and a 90km. Longest I had cycled to date has been 50k but I do like a challenge:D. Only got into my bed at 3am night before so getting up early for brekki and leaving on time was never going to happen. Luckily the road from kk is pretty good, having left my mates behind still dreaming about their beer and chips. The 160km was a great sight to see as I was driving in late. Arrived at 9.40 to register, hopefully the vests will turn up in the post, wolved down the free porridge and started round 10 on my own, think it started late coz I caught up fairly quick and thoroughly enjoyed the day, started queuing for the food in Tramore but got restless grabbed a banana and snack and left again. Absolute mortification when one of the supporters on the first of those hills decided to give me a push but I admit was nice. Found the hills hard managed to cycle most of them but it took it out of me and near the end I had to walk them damn it. 4hrs 10m in all. Great day, tough hills, great supporters and so much food at the end thought id never stop eating at one stage. One to return to.

*Long Post Alert*

Great day on the bike, exhausting but great [pretty much my opinion of it every year since it started!] Saw loads of boardsies over the day - didn't get the chance to talk to many but tried to get a 'hi boardsie' to as many as I could. Everyone seemed to be rolling really well and in high spirits

Made the route in 6h25 which I'm pleased with. RWGPS link.

Was an amazing sight right off the start seeing the huge stream of cyclists both ahead and behind stretching over the hill ahead and back over the one you've just covered - just class and great to see so many people out on bikes.

Had though all weekabout cutting Seskin out (had been suffering the Seskin Trembles - a from of PTSD after climbing it the last three years) but when the turn off came the bike turned left and I was along for the ride. Tapped up to the hairpin and tried to recover for the second half. The bugger beat me for the 1st time, had to pause about 2/3 up to catch my breath... some hill...

Powers was fine, better than fine actually and rode well up it [I now suspect there was a slight tailwind]. Scratch that. I was in the zone. It was all me and a previously untapped, and unfortunately transient, climbing prowess

Mahon Falls was everything I knew I was getting into - loads of lactic acid. Was soooo happy to have a 27 to put with my 39T coz anything less and I was f*cked! The chopper passed overhead about 1/3 of the way up and then left just as I reached the top - having climbed (mountaineering climbing) a lot in Kerry and assisted Kerry Mt Rescue I'm not a fan of seeing it as you know it's serious when you see 'big bird' on the scene. Little did I know who was in it...

Anyhow - rolled on from there with two clubmates that helped tow my sorry tired ass over the Mama road (in the unlikely event they see this - Cheers Donnacha/Brendan - was on vapors at that point so it was well appreciated). Was delighted to see the main road and the tailwind on it and the rolling/falling road gave the chance let loose the TT/descender-fu and leave whatever was left in the legs on the road.

I think any route that leaves you so well tested that you arrive in well exhaused but with a smile on your face from the completion of it is a great one and the SKT hasn't failed in 4 years to deposit me back in Dungarvan like that.

The whole thing is a credit to those involved in it; all the marshalls, those staffing the food stops, and those that make it happen, Sean Kelly, An Post, WLSP and the various sponsors.

Only 364 days till the next one. Count me in.

---

alanucc wrote: »

And the high drama with the rider being airlifted from the mahon falls descent. Hope they are ok

Unforutnately he's one of my lot - one of our junior riders. Was talking to him last night - just said the brakes weren't up to the task of braking him down into the left hander, gave it everything to try to anchor up but went off the road. Apparently rolled over x 3 while while still attached to the pedals which carried him in the distance making it look worse than it was. Happy to be able to say injuries are limited to a few scrapes and bruises with nothing broken and a full recovery expected.

As a club organiser I was in the horrors myself when I got back to the finish to be told...

tener wrote: »

Hi all...just wondering does anyone have any info on the cyclist that went down a few km before coming into clonmel????

Another member of the Gang was first to stop on this one, he's a medic thankfully so knew what to do. Came to enough to provide a phone number for a family member before being moved to hospital. Last I heard was the diagnosis in hospital was a broken femur, hip and cracked shoulder - hope he recovers well, and he gets back to enjoying his cycling

Great day. Did the 90km. Bike computer went on the blink and only registered 77km in 3hr 18, so delighted to read earlier posts that it was actually 88km which is the most I've ever ridden.

Hills on the way back were no joke, at one stage I thought my legs would explode. Great to see local support out cheering us on, though something told me that the locals at the top of the town in Annestown were a little sadistic waiting at the top to see who'd make it. Then again, I guess we did the same as youngeters at the top of Patrick's Hill in the Nissan Classics!

Hats off to to all volunteers and organisers, will definitely be back.

Any news about how Lumen is feeling?

Anyone have data from a Garmin for the the gradient of some of the short sharpe kicks on the second half of the 90km? Curious as to what it would be as saw a lot of people walking them. Strangely I really enjoyed all those little hills, out of the saddle and attack stuff. Nice day out but the one complaint was the size of the queues for the goody bag and food at the stop and the end. But was extremely well marshalled and signed so congrats for that! Really enjoyed it although I did it with 3 of my brothers who weren't so happy about the hills and spent most of the cursing me, so they might not be so keen next year!

Well done to all who completed the 160, as we left we met a large number of groups coming in the Clonmel road.