Cycling Reports

Garhill Cup

 By Patrick Withers

Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo 10/08/03

What can I say? Other than I think I may have under estimated the major jump from under 16 racing to junior racing, it's taken me six months of the season just to finish in the main group in an open race!

After several months of Winter training I began my season with the Annaclone G.P, the first race of the season on the first weekend of March, needless to say I got around two laps before packing it. Since then its been pretty much the same story, and with exams in June the season wasn't looking to good. Since May I've had to be content with competing in 'club' races, which have went OK, and since the end of June I've got a good lot of miles in, but with a lack of open races on in Ulster throughout July I haven't had a chance to compete at that level all summer, until yesterday, when I travelled to the West, to County Mayo.

I was sent off in the front group with a couple of other juniors, a lady and a senior 'B', we got something like 3 minutes over the vets, but with no one willing to do the work in the front group we were caught within about 6 miles, as we headed out of Ballinrobe in the direction of Castlebar. I was hanging on to the back of the vets group, when one of the Mayo Wheelers' vets dropped to the back of the group and started telling us (couple of juniors) to start doing some work, I felt like saying I would if I could! After all the vets have bigger gears than us, and we can't all be as good as those juniors who are on Irish teams, but that still doesn't seem to have gotten through to the majority of vets or C.I. who continue to lose young cyclists by pushing them too hard too soon, something will have to be done within the coming years for first year juniors who aren't all as good as what Mark Scanlon was, I can understand the gear restrictions for junior riders but that being the case they should give us some kind of a good advantage over the vets and third cats in races….I remember one race this year were the third cats got an advantage over the juniors who were sent of with the vets, one third cat who had rode the rás a few years back…ridiculous

Anyway on with the race, after a few tellings off I went to the front and did a turn, by the time I got back to the back I was hanging on, and really feeling the pain, we must have been pushing an average of around 25-28 mph on the main open road, against a head wind. Coming close to Castlebar, I lost contact with the group, dropping back, at least I wasn't on my own as I was joined by a Castlebar female (Mary). Then as we turned left to head back towards Ballinrobe the 'A' and 'B' group came past, I slipped down through the gears to the biggest one I had, and jumped on to the back and managed to keep with them for 3 or 4 miles before being tailed of the back, they must have been pushing 30mph at stages, on the rolly back roads. This time I was on my own and after some deliberation I decided I might as well wait for the Castlebar girl, she came up to me after we'd done around 25 miles, of the 40 to be done.

After working together, we got in to Ballinrobe, and started the finishing circuit, we managed to get on to the main group who dramatically slowed down, there were two breaks up the road…which there were no sign of. I crossed the finishing line at the back of the main pack…with tired legs…not mainly due to the race itself but the fact I'd rode one 30 miles 'club race' and one 36 miles 'club race' during the week.

With a month of the season left I'll try and gain some experience for next year, and hopefully try the likes of the Gorey, and possibly even the junior tour (I can dream)…before that though there's a long winter's training and a lot of miles ahead…I've learnt a lot this season about open racing, and now know that 3½ hour long spins on a Saturday and Sunday throughout the winter isn't good enough.

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