Race Diary of Cian Lynch,
Kildare Hire Equip Team

Race: FBD Milk Rás, Stage 5,  24th May 2000
Listowel to Kenmare

One of those mountain type stages. With a cat.2 at 22 miles, fun was the business of the day. Tralee, of course, was only around the corner, at about 15 miles, which meant that Griffen was going to be going ballistic all the way in. Kerry man lead the Ras (through Tralee) reads the Kerryman. Which brings me to another point. It takes an awful lot of training to get form. It takes an awful lot of form to get placed, let alone wins. I find it difficult to believe that this time last year I was on such good form, and this year to have little or none (on the back of little training mind you). Today’s lesson would be something along the lines of not skimping on the training….

Through Tralee, and the bunch is still fairly much together. The climb is very fast, and the couple of kilos create a couple of problems. Dropped. Not before I dig in for a bit. Then wisely site up, compose myself, into the cars, and chase down on the descent. Back in the bunch, happy as Larry, there are a few lineouts. Now the problem facing me is the number of cat 3 climbs up ahead. Again, having the knowledge as to what climbs are like from both sides is handy. So too is the form which got you over them comfortably in the first place. The first cat 3 was merely a pimple; the second required more effort and marginally more on the third. Thinking that sitting in would solve all my problems (my knee was hurting big time) the lineouts were not what the doctor ordered.

The approach to Coomakista was fast to say the least. With a group hovering up the road, and the jersey and company in tow, it seemed that we were in for a rode to the finish. Indeed, we rode fairly easily up Commakista until I tailed off the back towards the top. I did however get to witness Dave O’Loughlin getting a wheel change, with his team mate Simon Kelly, a horse of a man, and basically attack the cavalcade to get back on. Yours truly was still scrambling along in the cars. Thinking that this particular car was going to bring me back onto the cavalcade, over the top I realised a gap of some 400 metres or so. Chase or chase. Despite breaking my ass for 5 or six miles, the gap remained, and it was easy to see that the lineout on the descent meant that some hard riding was going on up the road. The hell with it. Sit up and spin in. And this is where the problem started…..

Coming in the road when you have blown your lights is bad. Coming in the road when you have punctured and failed to get back on is worse. Dropped and my knee was killing me. I couldn’t believe it. Not one problem during the week so far, and now of all times….

At one stage, I am doing track stands in the middle of the road, because I cannot turn the right crank. And twenty miles to go. I would love now to read all those essays from the class of the Ras 2000 entitled “Why I love the Ras”. A van pulls alongside. Some very understanding (Kerry Cycling Mad individuals) offer me the chance of hopping into the van. “No, no – Mickey Robb is probably hiding in a bush somewhere”. Despite the repetitive offers, brute that I am (or pure stupid bas***d), I pushed for home. The knee was only causing fierce problems. At one stage I careered across the road towards a ditch. In the middle of nowhere, not a sinner around, and there I am ditch bound. Needless to say, I roughed my way home, coming in some 20 minutes down on my former climbing colleagues.

Up ahead, the Irish team was riding, and Brian Lennon did some work to help the pace for Crowley. He took the gallop, and 15^th place to boot. Earlier on in the day, I related story about my knee hurting to Martin. He thought that I was sympathizing….

I met Eamon McConvey this evening. Former International triathlete, he qualified as a Physiotherapist, and was able to give me advice on my knee. It would appear that anti-inflamatories will sort it out. So Lynch gets to ride another day. Davy McCann was in good form also this evening. I imagine he is waiting for that stage win again. With more fecking climbing tomorrow, we’ll see what it brings

IrishCycling.Com: Would like to thank Cian for his excellent report