Paddy Flanagan 2-Day - This weekend

Im doing the Sat...

I'm doing the Sat as well

Sound lads see you there

don't forget your rainbow coloured arm bands steamers!

See you guys there tomorrow.

I plan to be there too.

I won't be there jesus the thoughts of it !! Well best of luck to you loonies, I love having so many roadies in the Club..lets fire a team in to the RAS next year !

O.k quick report, on Saturday there was 2 separate races one for the A4/A3's which was a handicapped event and the 2 day event for A3 upwards, in the A4/A3 event we had a full EPIC team looking very pro in the new gear, Oz, Donough Colm, John Dorris, the race was 80km in one loop around Kildare, hopefully one of the lads will put up a report on the race, anyway I met up with Oz, Donough and Colm after my race as they were waiting for prize giving as Colm pick up a prize for 3rd Unplaced A4, this is only his second road race and second placing, well done, I have put you in for the Gorey next year Colm, along with RL, Yes RL you have read it right, myself and Alfie were talking and you have no choice!!

My race was a bit of a mess, it was meant to be 120km, then got reduced to 90km without telling anyone but I don't mind that, it was the fact that with 4+ groups on the road and me in the 3rd group of 6 killing ourselves to bridge across to the next group having distancing ourselves from the bunch for over 50Km and putting in a least a 1min on the bunch, a motorbike marshal paced the bunch up to us, because they needed to keep the race together as they hadn't enough marshals, strange! anyway did the TT on Sunday morning and the crit in the afternoon, picking up a prime for 3rd rider across the line on the 3rd lap! Finished up 18th overall and was happy as it was the first race back after the RAS.

Niall Quinlan did the support crit on Sunday and was working very hard when I seen him, on the front driving it and in the end got the 1st unplaced A3, well deserved.

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On Saturday the A4s got (apparently) a 40 second head start on the A3s leaving Kildare... we were caught by Monesterevin after about 10km - the route went on to Abbeyleix, Stradbally, Athy, back to Monesterevin and then a small loop back to Kildare.

Just after Abbeyleix with something like 20km of the advertised 80km done a break of 5 got away - there had been several efforts but this one stuck. This break had some strong riders in it, Eric Downey who had won all around him in A4s before being promoted to A3 and Aaron O'Donoghue who has a few A3 wins and placings to his credit this season. This break was to stay away and see Eric win in his first race at A3 level and Aaron take third and depart for A2 - the break took places 1-4 (one rider was dropped).

I sat in for most of the race, first time racing with the A3s and was unsure how the pace would go, saw Colm a few times cruising along, John was riding along up the front keeping an eye on proceedings, Oscar was about also. Pace was steady enough, tended to go mental occasionally and line out as lads would try to break - my speedo said the average was 39.4kmph - max 71kmph - I was amazed at the later as there were no steep descents and the course was mostly flat. It was a breezy day and there were a few spots where it was tough to stay out of the wind, fair play to the strong men in the break.

Before the race someone said the race was 73km as opposed to the advertised 80, at 71km 2 riders went up the road and I went after them, we worked away and I watched the speedo, 73, 74, 75, jaysus I was knackered, but we had a decent gap! Race ended up being 77.6km in the end, I got caught by the bunch with 250-300m left to the line, my heart sank, on my birthday and all, the injustice - the other 2 A3s also got caught and swamped by the bunch.

Colm got up for 3rd unplaced A4 in the ensuing bunch sprint - fair dues, I didn't see too much, too busy wiping my tears away. The rest of us rolled in with the bunch.

Great report DOK, sounds tough, any 50k RR's coming up? ;-)

well done colm, was that with or without your mudguards ??

Great report Donough, fair play, happy birthday by the way, keep up the racing and you will have a win before your next birthday

Good write up Donough, I'm very much learning what all this road racing is about but it appeared to be a strange race. A4s started off very slow and wasnt long till we were swamped by the A3s. I didnt quite know what to do or how to know what race I was now in but a few words of wisdom from John soon sorted that out so thanks a mill John! I spent the first 50km trying to stay up the front and actually thought that we had pulled away from the bunch but that wasnt the case so I stopped pushing it at the front and sat back a bit. As Donough said it was hard to gauge where the finish was as the distance wasnt quite accurate. I saw Donough going up the road and thought hell it must be close but the group wasnt chasing so I sat a little longer and then pushed when the rest did. Was v happy to get 3rd A4, starting to enjoy this road racing now! Thanks to Oscar and John for all the advice on the day and answers to my many questions.
Canto, I tried the mudguards-less tactics this time and the weight saving seeems to have helped so its defo teh way forward!!
Was great to see Morty, the legend and hear a few stories from the RAS, amazing stuff!!