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Des Hanlon Memorial Classic 2015

  • 25-02-2015 10:04PM
    #1
    bikenut74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭


    This years Des Hanlon takes place on Sunday 22nd March 2015. There were will be seven races up for decision on the day. A1+A2 150km, A3+Jnr 110km, A4 75km and separate Woman's race 75km. The A1+A2 race will be the third race in the new National Series. All will be held on the usual tough circuit around the ridge above Carlow town. There is a generous €2000 prize fund plus in race Prime's in all races. New for this year we will be adding youth races to the program. U16, U14 and U12 will be catered for with prizes for the first six in each race. Riders can pre register for their event at Cycling Ireland Events Calender. Sign on will open on the day from 9.30am to 11.30am in Graiguecullen GAA clubhouse with the senior races starting at 12.00 and youth races starting at 12.30


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Comments

  • #2
    bonzie1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 173 ✭✭bonzie1


    bikenut74 wrote: »
    This years Des Hanlon takes place on Sunday 22nd March 2015. There were will be seven races up for decision on the day. A1+A2 150km, A3+Jnr 110km, A4 75km and separate Woman's race 75km. The A1+A2 race will be the third race in the new National Series. All will be held on the usual tough circuit around the ridge above Carlow town. There is a generous €2000 prize fund plus in race Prime's in all races. New for this year we will be adding youth races to the program. U16, U14 and U12 will be catered for with prizes for the first six in each race. Riders can pre register for their event at Cycling Ireland Events Calender. Sign on will open on the day from 9.30am to 11.30am in Graiguecullen GAA clubhouse with the senior races starting at 12.00 and youth races starting at 12.30[/quote


    Really looking forward to this. Bring it on.


  • #3
    royrogers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭royrogers


    bikenut74 wrote: »
    This years Des Hanlon takes place on Sunday 22nd March 2015. There were will be seven races up for decision on the day. A1+A2 150km, A3+Jnr 110km, A4 75km and separate Woman's race 75km. The A1+A2 race will be the third race in the new National Series. All will be held on the usual tough circuit around the ridge above Carlow town. There is a generous €2000 prize fund plus in race Prime's in all races. New for this year we will be adding youth races to the program. U16, U14 and U12 will be catered for with prizes for the first six in each race. Riders can pre register for their event at Cycling Ireland Events Calender. Sign on will open on the day from 9.30am to 11.30am in Graiguecullen GAA clubhouse with the senior races starting at 12.00 and youth races starting at 12.30

    Whats the A4 race like, surely not a mass bunch sprint??


  • #4
    Hmmzis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭Hmmzis


    The only time I did the A4 there the bunch got torn to bits on the Castlecomer climb and further damage to the grupettos was done by the subsequent climbs. Maybe 10-15 people were in the final leading group that contested the prizes. Certainly not a sprinters race.


  • #5
    royrogers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 230 ✭✭royrogers


    Hmmzis wrote: »
    The only time I did the A4 there the bunch got torn to bits on the Castlecomer climb and further damage to the grupettos was done by the subsequent climbs. Maybe 10-15 people were in the final leading group that contested the prizes. Certainly not a sprinters race.

    Is that climb in Castlecomer the same one in the Deenside race last season??


  • #6
    wirelessdude01
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,474 ✭✭✭wirelessdude01


    royrogers wrote: »
    Is that climb in Castlecomer the same one in the Deenside race last season??

    That hill tore the A4 group to bits in the Deenside race last year.


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  • #7
    bikenut74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭bikenut74


    The course for those who haven't been with us before is available on Carlowcycling.ie in the events section. There's no doubting it's a tough race and probably the toughest A4 race of the year but the women cover the same course. It's a strong man's/woman's course rather than a pure climber. The climbs are short but steep but the last 15km is downhill. A surprisingly large group contested the sprint in the A4 race but the other three races were won by solo attacks, little known riders Brian McCrystal, Eddie Dunbarr and Fran Meehan. We request anyone competing to register online. It's not common place yet but does help out the host club massively. It doesn't cost the rider anymore than the normal €15 but is more secure and less time consuming at sign on. Looking forward to seeing everyone that day.


  • #8
    daragh_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,131 ✭✭✭daragh_


    wirelessdude01 wrote: »
    That hill tore the A4 group to bits in the Deenside race last year.

    Yes indeed. Was a brilliant climb. I was destroyed on it!

    Thinking of having a go at the Des Hanlon A4 if I can get a pass. Will see how this weekend goes.


  • #9
    colm_gti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭colm_gti


    Wish I was fit enough to do this....next year....


  • #10
    wirelessdude01
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,474 ✭✭✭wirelessdude01


    daragh_ wrote: »
    Yes indeed. Was a brilliant climb. I was destroyed on it!

    Thinking of having a go at the Des Hanlon A4 if I can get a pass. Will see how this weekend goes.

    You doing Slane and Summerhill?


  • #11
    daragh_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,131 ✭✭✭daragh_


    wirelessdude01 wrote: »
    You doing Slane and Summerhill?

    Westport on Sunday.


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  • #12
    Buzwaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 740 ✭✭✭Buzwaldo


    royrogers wrote: »
    Is that climb in Castlecomer the same one in the Deenside race last season??

    Not a racer myself, but fairly sure it's a different hill.


  • #13
    wirelessdude01
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,474 ✭✭✭wirelessdude01


    daragh_ wrote: »
    Westport on Sunday.

    I'm still hmming and hawwing about where to go on Sunday.


  • #14
    JK.BMC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 724 ✭✭✭JK.BMC


    bikenut74 wrote: »
    The course for those who haven't been with us before is available on Carlowcycling.ie in the events section. There's no doubting it's a tough race and probably the toughest A4 race of the year but the women cover the same course. It's a strong man's/woman's course rather than a pure climber. The climbs are short but steep but the last 15km is downhill. A surprisingly large group contested the sprint in the A4 race but the other three races were won by solo attacks, little known riders Brian McCrystal, Eddie Dunbarr and Fran Meehan. We request anyone competing to register online. It's not common place yet but does help out the host club massively. It doesn't cost the rider anymore than the normal €15 but is more secure and less time consuming at sign on. Looking forward to seeing everyone that day.

    The best - and probably hardest - one day race of the year; not many of these great races left in the calendar. I will be there once again to get a total hiding; looking forward to it.


  • #15
    bikenut74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭bikenut74


    Due to the improving Junior racing scene Carlow RCC propose to offer equal prize money for both A3 and Junior riders in this year's Des Hanlon race. While both categories will still race against each other and the first man home will be the champion there will be prizes for the first 6 A3 riders and the first 6 Junior riders. Maybe soon again the Junior category will be a stand alone race.


  • #16
    ryan_sherlock
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 885 ✭✭✭ryan_sherlock


    One of my favorite races of the year. Tough course and there is never an easy winner. A few years ago it was my first road race (I was racing internationally on the MTB so was straight away into S1/S2 category (A1/A2 equivalent)). It was so hard (weather was crap), I think 20 of the 150 starters finished (and I was 12th or so). Loved it and thought all Irish road races were like this one (my n=1 experience at the time told me this was the norm).


  • #17
    doozerie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,830 ✭✭✭doozerie


    I rode this for the first time last year in A4. I seem to recall spending much of the race praying for a puncture to give me a valid reason to pull out so I could just lie in the ditch and cry. The puncture finally did arrive, at the top of the last major climb of the day just as I’d adjusted to the very real prospect of getting to the finish line with the front group. So I lay in the ditch and cried.

    Me and my fickleness hope to race it again in A4 this year. I’m simultaneously dreading it and really looking forward to it, arguably a good indicator of a great race. :)


  • #18
    markusz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 198 ✭✭markusz


    doozerie wrote: »
    I rode this for the first time last year in A4. I seem to recall spending much of the race praying for a puncture to give me a valid reason to pull out so I could just lie in the ditch and cry. The puncture finally did arrive, at the top of the last major climb of the day just as I’d adjusted to the very real prospect of getting to the finish line with the front group. So I lay in the ditch and cried.

    Me and my fickleness hope to race it again in A4 this year. I’m simultaneously dreading it and really looking forward to it, arguably a good indicator of a great race. :)

    these are the kind of races we need... I seen grown men cry at the Fitscience race 2 weeks ago and the Westport race this week will be all over the road as well. bring on the pain! would love to do the Des but its too far away when there are races closer to home.


  • #19
    bikenut74
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭bikenut74


    doozerie wrote: »
    I rode this for the first time last year in A4. I seem to recall spending much of the race praying for a puncture to give me a valid reason to pull out so I could just lie in the ditch and cry. The puncture finally did arrive, at the top of the last major climb of the day just as I’d adjusted to the very real prospect of getting to the finish line with the front group. So I lay in the ditch and cried.

    Me and my fickleness hope to race it again in A4 this year. I’m simultaneously dreading it and really looking forward to it, arguably a good indicator of a great race. :)

    Sure isn't that why we all do it, sado masochists the lot of us.


  • #20
    Amprodude
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Amprodude


    JK.BMC wrote: »
    The best - and probably hardest - one day race of the year; not many of these great races left in the calendar. I will be there once again to get a total hiding; looking forward to it.

    All races are hard. Sure if they were easy you would be winning them all I guess.


  • #21
    foxer3640
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 218 ✭✭foxer3640


    A3 fields becoming really huge this year. Ive done 4 a3 races this season and I think there's been a crash in all of them. Race organisers are doing their best but at the end of the day crap roads and big groups will lead to crashes.


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  • #22
    buffalo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,212 ✭✭✭buffalo


    Amprodude wrote: »
    All races are hard. Sure if they were easy you would be winning them all I guess.

    An easy race is hard to win, because there's so many people still in contention at the end.


  • #23
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    I've moved some off-topic posts to our newly created Discussion on Vets and Juniors in the A3 category megathread.


  • #24
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,515 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Amprodude wrote: »
    All races are hard. Sure if they were easy you would be winning them all I guess.
    Many races are hard to win but the Des Hanlon is particularly so because it's prestigious and so attracts a quality field, particularly in A1/A2. It's also significantly hilly so there's no hiding.

    Winning aside, it's hard even to avoid the experience turning into the "Des Hanlon Sportive".


  • #25
    doozerie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,830 ✭✭✭doozerie


    I’m doomed! Due to recent unexpected events I have to update my previous post to:

    “Me and my fickleness hope to race it again in A4 will ride it in A3 this year. I’m simultaneously dreading it and really looking forward to it *really* dreading it, arguably a good indicator of a great race reason to take early retirement from open racing. May god have mercy on my soul, etc.“

    Phrases like “baptism of fire” are coming to mind, which fall short of being comforting.

    In a twist of fate though, I printed off my A3 license just now in case the real one doesn’t arrive in time, and it prints in A4 format. Size is everything, as tall people have been telling me for years, so its A4 size trumps its A3 contents which means I can sign on in A4 …right?!


  • #26
    maloner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 340 ✭✭maloner


    doozerie wrote: »
    I’m doomed!

    Course suits ya, you're in form, new to the field, so they'll never see you coming. I'm expecting points at least.

    Due to back issues I'll probably not be racing it, so feel confident in my position of imposing high standards on my club mates that I certainly wouldn't achieve myself :)


  • #27
    smurphy29
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 872 ✭✭✭smurphy29


    Odd that this clashes with the Aqua Blue Classic this year. I wonder will that impact the numbers a little bit. Which race will Michael O'Loughlin do (and win!) I wonder...


  • #28
    mathie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭mathie


    If you signup online do you need to sign in on the day?


  • #29
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    I think so. The confirmation email I got said:
    You have successfully signed onto the event Des Hanlon Memorial Race


  • #30
    bwalsh1983
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 254 ✭✭bwalsh1983


    smurphy29 wrote: »
    Odd that this clashes with the Aqua Blue Classic this year. I wonder will that impact the numbers a little bit. Which race will Michael O'Loughlin do (and win!) I wonder...

    Aquablue is cancelled as a result of this clash, dissapointing as the AB is one of the toughest races also. A different weekend and there would be space for 2 great races rather then one and a trip around another flat rectangle some other week.


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  • #31
    mathie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭mathie


    mathie wrote: »
    If you signup online do you need to sign in on the day?
    Jep Gambardella wrote: »
    I think so. The confirmation email I got said:You have successfully signed onto the event Des Hanlon Memorial Race

    I'm even more confused now! :)


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