Race Report by Emmet Roche:

 

Too windy for windmills and too rough for surfing. This was the case as Hurricane Katia battered the north west of the country at the start of last week. As the riders of the 2011 Race Around Ireland stood on the startline in Navan on the Sunday evening, they’re anxiousness to get going was met by an equal measure of nervous anticipation of the hardships they were to endure.

The teams and solo racers set out from Navan at 5 minutes intervals starting at 5pm on Sunday the 11th of September. Before them they had the prospect of cycling 1,350 miles, over mountains and along harsh Irish roads. They would have to contend with sleep deprivation, exhaustion, blisters, saddle sores, a multitude of aches and pains along with the threat posed by stray wildlife. On top of all this they faced the worst weather of the year in the shape of driving rain and winds gusting upto 130km/h, courtesy of the tail-end of Hurricane Katia.

 

Day 1:

The racers started in mostly calm and dry conditions from the Market Square in Navan. The weather remained relatively unchanged as they made their way along the Boyne Valley and northwards toward Dunleer. By the time they reached Time Station 01 at Balllymascanlan near Dundalk the race saw its first casualty, with John MacCormaic forced to abandon due to illness. All the teams went through this Time Station within 15 minutes of each other with the Flandriens leading the way. The solo racers were spread out over half an hour with Wexford rider Seamus Harding at the head of the field. Darkness had set in as they rounded the top of Long Womans Grave in the Cooley Mountains.

By the time the Race was making its way northwards towards Time Station 03 at the Giants Causeway, the nerves had calmed but the rain had begun. A strong tailwind drove the racers north however the intense rain made road conditions difficult. Shortly after the Giants Causeway, UK racer Wyatt van Wendels struck a large puddle and came off his bike. The resulting hip injury saw him having to withdraw from the Race. As the conditions worsened the crews were instructed to ferry their racers over the Foyle Bridge outside Derry by car rather than cycle.

Day 2:

The dawn was breaking as the racers made their way into the Inishowen peninsula. The brief respite of a strong tailwind from Derry was cut short as the racers turned at Quigleys Point in the direction of Time Station 04 in Malin Head. The Flandriens were once again the first to reach the Head which was being buffeted by strong winds. Belgian rider Dick Crispyn and Valerio Zamboni from Monaco were neck and neck reaching the Head with US racer Stephen Bugbee not too far behind. As the morning wore on the storm was in full affect. The riders battled onwards into ferocious head and side winds.

The teams and first couple of solo racers managed to get themselves over the Gap of Mamore but by the time the rest of the field arrived conditions were deemed too dangerous and racers were once again ferried over the climb by car. At this point the Race Officials decided to extend the solo time-cut by 12 hours to give them some breathing space. By this time the teams were slowly but surely making their way south through the wind towards Time Station 06 at Sligo. In the 4 person category The Flandriens were now holding Team Microsoft Base 2 Race at about 45 minutes while in the 8-person category Team Sunflower Pedal Power were leading Team Youghal by about 40 minutes. It was still all to play for as the teams entered the Ox Mountains. However by the time they reached Time Station 07 at Castlebar, The Flandriens had pulled the gap out to an hour and a half. UK racer Philip Field became the 3rd abandon of the Race as the Irish weather combined with his height of 6 foot 7 inches made his Race unbearable.

Day 3:

Daylight broke over the solo racers as they made their way through Mayo in conditions which were still wet albeit much calmer than the previous day. The leader through Castlebar was Valerio Zamboni with Derry rider Jim Doyle in 2nd at about an hour and a half. Behind, Dick Crispyn and Stephen Bugbee were within half an hour of him. As the weather calmed the racers could once again focus on the Race rather than the battle for survival. In the early hours of the morning the teams hit Time Station 08 in Clifden and this is where they experienced the first real tail-wind they’d had since Derry. The average speeds increased greatly with Team Sunflower Pedal Power covering the section to Galway City at an average speed of nearly 35km/h. By the time darkness came again the gaps where beginning to grow. The teams where making their way into the Kerry Mountains while the solo racers where feeling the rugged power of the Atlantic Ocean as they made their way along the coast of Clare. Due to the terrible conditions which were still not fully gone the race organisation decided to extend the solo time-cut, once again by 6 hours.

Day 4:

Meathman Ricky Geoghgean was next to abandon the race due to a knee injury suffered as a result of a crash earlier in the Race. The solo race was down to just 6 racers. After making their way through the toughest section of the Race in Kerry and West Cork the teams were glad to feel wind on their backs once again as they turned at Mizen Head and headed in the direction of home. Having started the day 2 and ¾ hours behind The Flandriens, Team Microsoft put in a great effort to pull the gap back to an hour by the end of the day. The solo racers meanwhile where starting to feel the effects of the bad weather and sleep deprivation. Stephen Bugbee began to develop Shermer’s Neck at this stage. Shermer’s Neck is a condition that is more or less exclusive to ultra-marathon cyclists. Due to the duration of time spent in the same position on the bike, the neck becomes increasingly more painful and eventually it becomes impossible for the racer to hold their head up. This condition affects some racers worse than others and having experienced this before, Stephen’s crew were ready with a neck brace which helped him to continue.

Day 5:

As the dawn came the gaps in the solo race where showing signs of the difficulty of this year’s event. The gaps were opening as racers slowed and stopped for sleep breaks more regularly. Jim Doyle fell from his bike on the climb to Molls Gap and injured his knee. By now, the racers where once again in survival mode. In the meantime the teams where powering their way to the finish. First to cross the line in Navan were Team Sunflower Pedal Power who finished in a time of 86 hours and 27 minutes. The Fandriens were next over the line in a time of 89 hours and 54 minutes to win the 4-person category. 8-person Team Youghal were close behind this with a time of 89 hours and 25 minutes. That evening the only ladies in the race Team Pocket Rockets crossed the line in a very respectable time of 100 hours and 20 minutes.

Day 6/7:

Over the next few days the remaining solo racers did their best to battle on. Jim Doyle was forced to abandon due to his knee injury. This left just 3 racers out in front. The gaps however, where insurmountable and Valerio Zamboni crossed the finish line in Navan to win the 2011 Race Around Ireland in a time of 131 hours and 36 minutes. This was inside the original time limit and despite the fact that Valerio was starting to feel the pain of Shermer’s Neck. Not only did he win the Race but his successful completion of the Race saw him take victory in the 2011 Ultra Marathon World Cup. Dick Crispyn continued with the steady pace which had seen him being very consistent throughout the race, to finish 2nd in a time of 139 hours and 29 minutes. Unfortunately the neck problem became too much for Stephen Bugbee and he was forced to abandon at Mahon Falls. Despite not being classed as a finisher of the Race Stephen was awarded 3rd place for his efforts.

This year we were delighted to have gps tracking for the Race which was kindly supplied by Blackblox. This made watching and following the Race much easier than in previous years. The racers asked us, to pass on their thanks, to people who came out in the middle of the night to stand on mountains and shout their name. It doesn’t take much in a Race of this nature for a rider to be lifted and they were grateful for all the support they received whether on the road or online.

Race organisers would like to give a special thanks to all the officials who made this race possible and main sponsors Meath Local Sports Partnership, Ordnance Survey Ireland, Carvalho Custom, Planet X bikes, Enterprise Rent-a-car, Irish fit, Cyclize bike shop, Essence Coffee and Blackblox.