Cycling Reports

All Ireland Under 16 Championships

 By Patrick Withers

Bray, Co. Wicklow - 6th & 7th July 2002

It had finally arrived, the event we'd been waiting for all season (no, not the Tour), the All Ireland Underage Road Championships 2002.

We arrived in Bray on the Friday evening, we went to find our accommodation first, which was about 5 mile on the far side of Bray, before heading back into Bray to sign-on at about 7:30pm. After that it was off to get something to eat before heading back to the B&B for a good nights rest.

1.5KM Prologue Shortly after we arrived at the race headquarters Mrs. Scanlon was speaking to us and said that Enda had forgotten his cycling shoes, he was due to ride in the Under 12's, and after asking what size he was, I lent him mine even though they were a size or two to big, he put insoles in, and off he went. As I was the last rider of the Under 16's to go, I knew I had plenty of time to get my shoes back and get a good warm-up after he'd finished. I estimated my start time would be in around half twelve, or quarter to one. After 3 hours of warming up I was on the start line, and the countdown begun, a few deep breaths, then 3-2-1 and I was off. I started off in the bigger chain-ring, and in the second sprocket at the back (42-23), about 10-15 metres in and I was changing gear, into the biggest I had, and was sprinting out of the saddle, riding along the seafront. After a few hundred metres, I could feel my legs beginning to tire but continued to try and get out of the saddle to increase my speed, knowing the course wasn't that long. By the time the finish line came into sight my knees were beginning to burn, and I had just about enough energy left to get out of the saddle and give it one last effort before the line.

After the finish and a brief warm-down it was time to get the bike(s) into the mini-bus and get something to eat.

30 Minutes + 3 Laps Criterium After going back to the race headquarters to sign-on, I changed my numbers from my skinsuit to my jersey, and then rushed back down towards the sea-front with my sister, as she was riding in the Under 11's.

After a further two hours of waiting, watching a few very fast races, and the odd crash it was my turn again, back onto the startline. I had planned to be at the front for the start, knowing it was going to be fast from the start, but unfortunately I wasn't, I was near the back. The usual countdown was giving, and we were off, a bad start in which I had a few problems getting my foot into the pedal, and I was racing to get on to terms with the group. Into the first corner, and a crash, I went around it, on the left handside, and was up out of the saddle trying to stay with the Bray wheeler's rider in front. I was already feeling the pinch and was starting to lose contact with the group, after only half a lap. Round the bend and back down through the gears, out of the saddle, and then back down, into a right hand corner, then a brief descent, and another right hand corner, then it was through the start/finish area again, and I was out of the saddle doing my best to not lose sight of the main-group. After approaching the only climb on the circuit for about the fifth time I was beginning to tire, and as I was turning on to the short descent before the start/finish area the group lapped me. After an attempt to stay with them it was round the first corner on the circuit, and up the climb, I was again losing contact. As I came through the start/finish area I got a mention from Eamon Duffy, who was doing a kind of race commentary, this continued for the next few laps nearly everytime I came round, "give around of applause there to number 186, Patrick Withers", a few laps later and it was "Paddy Withers." It was a bit off a lift, and the next the last few laps seem to go by quicker, the group were on there final lap as I was lapped again, on the descent before the start/finish area, and after some shouting by Kanturk's Danny O'Connor, it was into the start/finish area again, I pulled over to the left to let the riders in the group contest the sprint finish. I finished on the wheel of a Killorglin rider one lap later.

After I'd finished I felt a bit stiff, and rode back up to the race headquarters, I went in and saw the results from the morning's time-trial, I'd finished with a time of 1:33 and got 71 points, finishing third from bottom.

After that it was back to the B&B, for a shower and change of clothes, before getting something to eat, and heading into Roundwood to find the GAA pitch, where the race was due to start from on Sunday morning.

32 Mile Road Race A change of venue for the road race saw us in Roundwood, we arrived to sign-on at about 9am. After looking at the results, some of them seemed to be a bit confused, riders who had been lapped had finished above others who had lapped them, unfortunately this was not the case for me, I had got 69 points in the crit, giving me a total of 140, I was now in second last place overall, the overall leader was now Danny O'Connor (Kanturk), who was four points clear of David Watson (Northern C.C./Dave Kane)

Me and my team-mate (Anthony Devlin), rode into the finish line to see, the Under 11's and Under 12's. After about a 20 minute wait, the Under 12's came across the line, followed about 15 minutes later with the first of the Under 11's. After this it was into the mini-bus to get changed, and get the race supplies, before riding out towards the race start. Again it was another wait, as we watched the Under 13's and Under 14's go by.

After getting my headset tightened I went to warm-up, the we were called to the start line. The start was then delayed, as one of the Killarney lads phoned his mate who was due to start in the Under 16's also but was sitting at the finish line in the town. About 15 minutes later and he arrived, off we went, the pace was very fast and I was in the biggest gear I had after only about 15 metres. It was a pretty long descent before a very short climb, then some flat. I was just managing to hang in, but was suffering, we turned left and I was out of the saddle sprinting just to stay with the wheels in front. Over another brief climb, and we turned left, then over a bridge, and we hit the first real bit of climbing, I went down through the gears and was losing contact. About half-way up the climb I got some support from the Scanlon's who were on the side of the road, but I was still losing touch with the group. Over the top and as a few others began to lose contact upfront also, the cavalcade began came by. After a brief spell of some flat road, I was climbing again, and I still had the cavalcade in sight. Over the top and I was slowly but surely losing touch with the race altogether. After turning left I was beginning to feel some tiredness, but was still going ok. After a few more ascents I came to where the race started, and after some encouraging support from the spectators I turned left onto the descent from which we had started on.

As I approached the climb on which I had got dropped on, the leaders of the Under 15's came past, I moved over to the left to let them through, and continued on at my own steady pace. As I approached the end of my second lap I got into a group of 4 riders and we rode together for a few mile, before a Duhallow Wheelers rider increased the tempo splitting the group up. I entered the third lap alone, but could still see a few stragglers of the race up ahead. As I turned left on to the flat before another ascent I saw my club-mate, Anthony walking along the side of the road, after a brief look, I saw that his back wheel was flat, and I was wondering whereabouts on the circuit my team vehicle where as there where spare wheels in it. The climbs seemed to be getting longer and steeper, but I battled on, and as I came round towards the start area for the final time my team vehicle was there, and I got a bit more of encouragement.

After the descent it was left again, over a bridge, and up a climb, I was beginning to feel some cramp twinges in my right leg at this stage, was in the lowest gear I had. Over the top and I continued to spin the legs, before attempting to put it in to a bigger gear to rider the last 3 or 4 mile. Instead of continuing to go left towards the start area, it was straight on this time, into the finish in Roundwood. I turned left and got out of the saddle, giving my last bit of energy as I crossed the line.

I was happy to have just finished the championships, it was another great experience, in my 8th year of racing.

To see more on me and my club, go to www.fcc.sports-page.com  or www.go.to/fintonacc