Cycling Reports |
The Ben McKenna Memorial, Balbriggan Report by Cian Lynch
6th April 2003
For some reason or other, I’m not quite switched on/nervous/apprehensive about the afternoons’ racing. Not having raced in a couple of weeks, I know I’ll be lacking (no more than usual) the hard miles, and the realization that we’ll be lapping Naul village for the fun of it….. The race is drawn to a halt at the top of a drag outside the town, and we await the usual car trying to pass the bunch on a road 5m. wide scenario, move over and allow the car up before the race starts type thing. Mick Mulcahy tells me he must start working on his sprinting, that he had taken 3rd in the Des Hanlon, with no sprinting record! “Keep that to yourself, Mick”, I muse, “There’s not many here that don’t know you can’t sprint!” Beep Beep, honk the ‘oul horn, and off we race down the road, avoiding the inevitable Sunday back road driver, with that scared bunny look – you know that rabbit stopped in the middle of the road on a dark night, who suddenly finds itself in the line of beaming headlights belonging to an accelerating car? I found myself in a break on the first lap, but we weren’t going to get up to much, fresh legs in the bunch and all of that. Incidentally, I do recall Greg Swinard giving Mick Mulcahy a shout, trying to stop him riding solo into a headwind, and this was on the first lap – funny that they should end up 3rd and 4th overall…. As our group was caught, I noted Martin Maguire on the inside of the bunch. Mart is making a gradual return to cycling after the birth of, and first addition to the family, Astrud. It was on the second lap that a group took off up the road, and we were to spend another couple of laps bringing them back. Many of the hitters were up there, including Ritchie Cahill, Paddy Moriarty, Ray Clarke and co., but with a bit of organised riding, they never got over the minute. When I say organised, I mean to say that it wasn’t a question of leaving them out there, more of a case of riding, and then closing it down when we had the opportunity. We got up to the group on the overbridge heading towards Naul, and I got into a small group of 4 for a short time, but then when the next acceleration saw another group take off, e-git here was left in the second group encore….. Although I suffered on the third lap up the Naul, it was only a temporary lapse, as I was able to ride in the chasing group afterwards. Company Commander Cassidy seemed determined to get a gap on the group ahead of the Naul, in retrospect I assume this was to get across to the leading group going up the drag. During the race I thought he was getting it hard on the climb – I take it back! Another fine performance from Cass. Phil Finnegan was impressive in his attacking style – the amount of it I was about for! Indeed, the Cycleways team seems inspired after Heddermans’ Classis win. Through the 5th lap, and once again, another acceleration saw our group split. Unfortunately for me, I was having one of those – come on, everyone through – moments, and the blind indifference from those on the back ended up in my blind indifference shortly thereafter, as my former comrades accelerated away….. Hedderman, Crowley, Laurence, Mark Kiernan and co. My little group had in it Andrew Mc Quaid, Eugene of Finglas, Seamus of Newbridge, Ciaran of Dublin Wheelers rolling along, deflated. All the hitters had taken leave….. when Andrew Mc Quaid jumped us to try and get across. No better man than myself to shout an expletive, not that it was going to stop him… As he (inevitably) came back to see we were alright (or had he not made it across to the group ahead par chance?) my gaze was fixed on the road ahead…. I told you so – you should have asked me, and maybe we might have made the group together …… One rider, who was very impressive yesterday, certainly on the “new boy on the block” front, was the diminutive lad in Killorglin colours. Compact build, can climb, no bother riding - my choice for the Gorey, if this lad is not dishing it out on his home patch at the Tour of Munster that weekend, that is... For my race, I did a turn on the front through the finish, and swung around the corner with the half arsed intention of doing another lap. Having ridden the race up to that competitively, I decided against, and pottered off, taking a shortcut to catch the finish. “Write that in your diary” was the shout from Robert Moore, as he passed me in what must have been the bunch, as I was stopped at the side of the road, wondering why the f*^k my chain was slipping most of the day.. refer to first line, of first paragraph. Boy, did that lead group look – tired! No hand in the air, shouts of joy. A sprint, nonetheless, and a pat on the back from Ritchie Cahill for his old training buddy, Paddy Moriarty, Mulcahy and Swinard failing to pull off the team advantage and take the race. The leading group really fell apart on the last lap, as many of those who had gone up the road towards the end managed to infiltrate the top positions. Laurence, who said he was stuck to the road all day, came in on his own, having been left behind coming in the road. Serious climbing session lined up for Tuesday evening…… On the race safety front, I must congratulate Balbriggan Wheelers on a magnificent race – all those involved from Oliver McKenna to the Gardai and First Aid – a brilliant race. It really sets the precedent! Cian Lynch. Asst. D.S., North Kildare CC |
I
got the new chain on Saturday. Of course, a new block, probably a new derailler
and a bit more form would have been a bonus, but we do with what we have…. And
the annual dash across the north county, passing the start/finish area in and
around Balrothery makes me wonder what changes have taken place that has given
rise to this re-arrangement…..