2013 Season Update (Des Hanlon, Ras Mumhan, Training & Stamullen)

(Me On the right in red arm warmers winning sprint for 5th in Stamullen GP)

It’s been close to 3 weeks if not more since my last update, I have ridden 4 very good races since the last post and these include the Des Hanlon Memorial, the 4day stage race in Kerry "Ras Mumhan", The Pat & Monie Nolan Memorial and The Stamullen GP. 3 of these races are the peak of Irish racing, they are very tough and of long distance, The Des is 158km in length and Ras Mumhans stages range from 100km - 150km, With The Stamullen GP of 110km. The terrain in all is that of hills and tough roads. I found the distance in all no issue but it was more the Intensity that caught me out in the Des Hanlon and Ras Mumhan due to the lack of work in this part of my training, mainly down to knee issues back in Feburary.

Des Hanlon: The Des is a 158km One day race which covers 3 tough laps of a local circuit before finishing in Carlow town. The terrain is mainly all climbing; the hills are both steep and long. On the day the temp was very cold, almost too low for racing with an average of 1 degree Celsius. I found the race ok starting off, I felt I was capable of climbing in the front and making my way into any splits that were going clear, these constant increases of pace were catching me out though and I was left lacking strength in the final finishing in what I presumed was about 17th place, the result was not bad but I had been hoping for a top 10 in the race which unfortunately didn’t work out.

Ras Mumhan: It’s hard to detail Ras Mumhan for a reader, it’s one of the toughest amateur sporting events in the country comprising of 4 stages each in excess of 100km in length on some of the toughest terrain in Ireland. Day 1 was fast and aggressive I did my best to be in the front but did too much early on and ran out of steam missing the main break of the day and having to come to the finish in the main bunch. Day 2 took us over some serious climbing and was 150km in length; I stayed in the front until the final climb with 20km to go but was distanced into a chase group and finished 2min behind the leader. Day 3 again was a very tough day, I made my way into the front group of no more than 40 in the tough cross winds that caused chaos from the off, on this stage we went to Valentia island off the coast of Kerry and it was upon coming onto the Island that the group split in 2 and unfortunately I was caught in the back and left behind. For me this was my Ras mumhan hopes virtually gone, I lost a lot of time on the run in to the finish which put me down in 30th overall. Day 4 is a shorter stage of 110km which is quite flat and finishes on the local laps around killorglin town. I made my way into the early break of the day which stayed clear for 60km but we were eventually reeled back in and the mass effort I put into the breakaway left me lacking in the final and after been caught out by a crash I was left chasing for the rest of the race.

After Ras mumhan I had to rethink my training approach, during the race I had been lacking slightly when the intensity really turned on, after putting away a very large base in the winter I feel I may have slightly neglected the vital intensity work needed to prepare me for the top end of racing. Over the last 2 weeks though I have began including more intense workouts into my routine lowering the mileage and introducing more intervals and sprints. I have also began doing quite a lot of motor pacing which I’m hoping will bring on my speed for races where it will be needed to keep up when the hammer goes down.

Pat & Monie Nolan Memorial: This race is more of a warm up to the larger race known as the Stamullen GP, It still attracts a great field and mainly all the contenders are out in force looking for a win. I travelled up with my Girlfriend who followed me with wheels as well as making sure I was ok if I needed a bottle of water or energy drink. This would not be needed though as the race distance was only 60km and would not span long enough for me to demand more than one bottle. The route itself was hard and fast with a tough climb each lap, on the first time up the climb the bunch held together good and it was not until the second lap of 6 that I put the pressure on and managed to split the group riding clear with 7 or 8 others. It was this group that rode strongly all the way to the finish and contested the sprint where I finished 5th (Placed as 6th on Sticky Bottle even though I was announced as 5th after race and at prize giving).

 Stamullen GP: This race took place last Sunday and was a very hard and well contested event, it covered 110km over 6 laps each taking in a tough climb. From the off I could feel the previous days efforts having taken their toll on my legs, but I dug deep and held in for the few initial laps, even giving a sever attack on the climb second time round escaping with two riders Damien Shaw of Aqua Blue & Paudi O Brien of Planet Tri, this was to end up unsuccessful and we were closed down very quickly. Unfortunately I missed the main break away of the day (8-9 riders) and was left chasing as all the main contenders had escaped up the road. Luckily though I managed to forge away from the main bunch in pursuit joined by 5 others, we worked hard and closed the gap on those out front catching them on the last lap. We hit the climb the final time and nearing the top Paudi O'Brien surged ahead in what would be the race winning move, I was left wanting as my chase effort had drained my legs leaving me only capable of staying with the others. We chased Paudi hard on the run in to the finish but unfortunately none would commit fully and the win was his. Behind we fought it out for the remaining places and with 3 others escaping in the final few km's I managed to pull off a good sprint to take 5th, race report and video below.
http://www.stickybottle.com/races-results/paidi-obrien-takes-lone-victory-at-stamullen-gp-sees-off-six-man-breakaway-2/

As for my equipment, I have my TT bike back on the road as I’m attempting to bring on the discipline especially with the Team TT in the Nenagh team time trial. The bike has been posting some rapid times on the road and I feel I really have my current position tweaked to the maximum with the help of http://www.fitscience.ie/. As for my Road racing equipment, I’m currently running a Bottechia SP9 Supernova which has been supplied to me by Stephen Mullane of www.chaindrivencycles.com The bike has been performing great its solid, stiff and I found it rolled well on both tough and rough roads, weight wise it’s on the good side with 2 full water bottles it still climbs good and is an acceptable weight which I will post up in the next blog. On the bike I am running campagnolo record 11 speed, with a set of fulcrum zero wheels. It really showed its worth during the Stamullen GP riding well in the wind, On the Climbs & really accepting the power well in the Sprint to the line   Well that’s it for this week, with a few more races coming up Ill soon post again and keep you up to date on my progress.

A new chapter 2013

It has been over 7 months since my last post, Apologies to all whom have been waiting patiently for updates on my cycling. When you last heard from me I was finishing off my season in Belgium and was awaiting news on whether or not I would be joining a British Continental / Premier Calendar team. I left Belgium in September and returned to Ireland, at that point I continued to train lightly until taking a full break in October. During my break I made the most of my freedom from regime and training but as any cyclist knows sooner or later the thirst for the bike always wins and after 4 weeks away I was back on the road. For the first year in a long time I was going to attempt a full winters training developed by myself and without the aid of a coach. I spent a lot of time studying old programs and reading up online on new training sessions I could adapt to my winter training. Anyone who knows Ireland knows the biggest obstacle for any cyclist is the harsh weather, Cold, Wet & Ice are the plagues which make long mileage and intensive work hard to complete. It was for this reason that I decided to join a local gym "Functional Fitness Ballina" and take part in there spin classes and core/circuit sessions to rebuild condition in my body. I religiously began attending the classes’ day in day out mixing it in with some road work when weather permitted, this steadily brought on my fitness and soon the month of December was upon us. For December I upped my work in functional fitness to 2 spin classes in the evening after 3-4hrs on the road in the morning, my ambition was to put away as many hours on the bike as possible before the new year at which point my brother was getting married and I was always under fear that bad weather would hit, snow etc. I put away a solid 4 week block of 20-25hrs a week for December which helped my fitness develop and has provided me with a solid base to slowly begin building some intensity on. Luckily enough the wedding came and went without too much disruption to my training. January again followed much the same lines as December but I began introducing some low end threshold work for 10mins at a time as well as some longer tempo work which I hoped would develop my ability to ride steadily at a higher pace for my long rides, I also did some heavy gear work on a local climb "The Windy Gap in Bonniconlon" 10mins from bottom to top. As the month went by I stayed focused on my training and did my best to eat healthy and get plenty of rest, but unfortunately I was struck with a dirty chest infection that demanded anti biotics to move. This slowed me for a week but I managed to keep going after and again put away over 80hrs of training in the month. In February I focused heavily on developing my intensity side of training, I dug deep on sessions to bring my threshold work up to 2 X 20min efforts. I started introducing some Vo2 work as well which would help me survive at high intensity during races. It is in February that the Connaught training races take place and I rode strongly in both which I was very pleased with. I really felt things were looking up until I was struck with what seemed like a nasty knee injury. I spent close to a week with very little training attempting to reduce the inflammation and get it diagnosed. Luckily enough I have a solid support crew and my Physio Simon Walsh, Based in Garden Court Ballina sent me to a great contact of his whom diagnosed it as one of my hamstring muscles which were in spasm and in turn was pulling the tendon at the attachment point on the knee. Simon treated me for the injury and steadily brought me back to full competitive fitness which allowed me to complete a 7 day block of training in Lanzarote and then move forward to my first race of the season in limerick.

(Limerick Climb)

 Limerick was a pretty solid race over 6 laps which included a tough climb every round. The scratch group rode a solid race reeling in the A2 group but unfortunately we were unable to bring back the few remaining A3 riders and I had to settle for around 13th place. The following weekend I raced in Kinnegad on Saturday and it was at this race that I would be debuting my new bike a "Bottecchia SP9 supernova" The Bike had been supplied to me by Stephan Mullane from http://www.chaindrivencycles.com  he generously has sponsored me the frame for the 2013 season and I will providing you all with feedback on the bike and how I feel it is performing beneath me and its account was opened with a 9th, I put a lot into the break away, possibly too much and was left wanting in the final dash to the line. 

(In the Break in Loughrea)

On the Sunday however my luck changed as I took part in the Loughrea GP I managed to get my way into the break and we set about reeling in the A3 Group up the road. The original break of 8 riders steadily whittled down to a mere 3 as we came into the final kilometre. My two break away companions Charles Prendergast and Liam Frawley were both ahead of me and I took my chances jumping both with a mere 200m to go coming by with solid momentum I managed to keep the gap until the line and took the win. This was my first vistory of the season and to take it so early on was great, I felt the Bottecchia performed well during the race, the road surface was rough and the route was flat and the stiff make up of the bike allowed me to transmit the power to the tyres without to much issue, I also found it comfortable to ride especially over the rough tarmac.

(Sprint to the Finish)

 After a solid week of training which consisted of 2 turbo sessions and 2 long rides I focused in on Ras Mayo in Westport on the Monday after Paddy's Day. I prepared for the race as usual but unfortunately things didn't go to plan and I woke the morning of the race with a bad stomach. From the off I could feel my legs were weak and this was verified when I began struggling on the climb out of leenan, but I stayed committed and did my best to keep with the front over the climbs. Upon reaching the summit of Maam Trasna I began feeling that if I could hang in maybe I could do something in the sprint if it came to that. Attack after attack went off the front and the Castlebar team did a superb job of ensuring we were represented in each. But it was not until leaving Partry with 15km to go that something began to develop and with a lot of tired legs in the group about 8 of us managed to slip away. I put my head down and worked hard creating a gap to the chasing bunch behind I was aided by about 4 others in this, but unfortunately all wouldn't commit which always makes things hard for those working in the break away. My brother Ciaran rode flat out on the front doing his best to keep the group moving forward until the final few km were those with fresh legs began their attacks, at this point I had to give it everything but with my bad stomach and fatigued legs from my work in the breakaway I could only manage 3rd.

(Sprint were I took third in Ras Mayo)

I am now taking 2 days rest to ensure my body can get back into full health and will be providing another update come Monday after this weekends Des Hanlon!!

Keep an eye on this blog for constant updates on Diet, Nutrition, Training and My Race Reports!!

The Final Leg

(Pictured above at Wambeek Daniel Patten my house mate was the winner)

Hello,

In my last blog post I described how the Suir Valley 3Day stage race went. So in this one I want to speak about my return to Belgium and the races I have done and the end of my season.

In the 3weeks that I have been here I have raced 5 times, 2 professional races and 3 amateur races.

My first race back was Heusdan, which was a pro Kermesse north of Gent, it was a fast flat twisty course which had a rough section of paving capable of firing both you and your bike a foot in the air at any given time, the only incline's on the lap were two motorway bridges, one which you passed on your way out of the town and one on your return. From the beginning I rode OK, I worked hard to keep central in the bunch and out of the wind, these proved to be working good as the laps ticked by, but at the                                                

Half way point disaster struck and a large crash on a narrow lane brought my race to a halt. Luckily I didn’t crash and managed to stay up right but as those up front forged on we behind were left, doing our best to work our way through the blockade of injured riders. Eventually I got going and joined a fast chase group which pressed hard in pursuit of the bunch, catching them in the space of 3 laps. Unfortunately this left my legs heavily drained and during a tough cross wind section I was distanced in a small group and was pulled the following lap.

Wambeek: I have raced in Wambeek in past 2 seasons in Belgium where the tough terrain and unforgiving course were seared into my mind. From the gun I took off with of the mentality of riding a very aggressive race, I formed a small break away immediately after the tough cobbled climb and pressed on to achieve a large gap on the chasing peloton. Lap after lap I dug deep taking a few primes and valuable points in the Burg Classement as we crested the hill clear of the bunch every lap. It wasn’t until close on the 80km mark that a large group of riders joined the 8 up front swelling it to close to 20, It was at this point that I could feel the effects of being out front all day taking its toll. With such a large group it became very hard to keep the pace up as few were willing to dedicate to the work with so many sitting on. Steadily the attacks began and all I could do was try my best to follow but was distanced with one lap remaining and only managed 20^th at the finish.

(In action at Wambeek In a 3 Man break which lasted until 4 laps to go)

In Wambeek there was a very rough cobbled burg which tested both men and there equipment to the max. Having been supplied the Planet X Pro Carbon 50's by Planet X Ireland this was going to be a good place to test them out as the course was one of technical corners coated with gravel and dust, long wind exposed straights and a tough cobbled hill. I have been finding the wheels good, they reduced the weight as the carbon rims are very light but yet they held true on the rough concrete roads and cobbled sections. Lap after lap the wheels held strong and were 100% reliable, a lot of people claim that deep sections are not suitable to rough roads when racing but I can honestly say that I felt very comfortable as I hammered over the cobbles in the break away lap after lap. They are also very ridged and have virtually no lateral sway which is also good, as I have had problems with previous wheel sets, especially when sprinting from corners and attacking on climbs. The swinging of the bike would cause the rime to sway and catch the brake blocks and in some cases the frame itself. (http://planetxireland.com/)

The following 2 races were uneventful as I was pulled from the race in the main bunch as the gaps to the break were to big.

(Hammering up the Murr on my Planet X Carbon Pro 50's)

My final race of the season was Stad Prijs Gerrardsberegn which is one of the toughest pro kermesse races of the year, I prepared well for the race in the days before, ensuring I rested good and maintained my healthy eating. On the day of Gerrardsberegn I traveled to the race with my team mate and we got kitted up, prepared our bikes and joined our team were a photo was taken of us all. Some big names were signing on to the race such as BMC's Greg Van Avermart, and Vaconsoeil's Bjorn Leukamens & Johnny Hoogerland. The course was a tough one consisting of 13 laps of a vicious circuit which included the Murr of Gerrardsberegn each time round with an overall race distance of 173km. I lined up towards the front and very soon the race was underway, Immediately the pace rose as we scaled the murr and descended the other side, once off the climb we immediately entered a tough cross wind section were splits were almost certain to appear as the laps went by. Each time we climbed the Murr I ensured that I was as far forward as possible which in turn made it much easier on the rapid descent. But after a number of laps I began to suffer and upon entering the cross winds I was distanced in a group from the leaders and we were pulled one lap later, I wasn’t too happy with my performance but taking into account I was distanced with Niko Eckout and Stijn Devolder the two time Tour of Flanders winner I suppose I cant give out to much.

I Traveled Back to Ireland on the 3^rd of September, covering the 600km+ journey from Oudenaarde to Cherbourg in France. Luckily my Girlfriend was there to keep me company as she traveled over to Belgium to aid me with the long journey back. The ferry from Cherbourg to Rosslare is 16hrs but went by quite fast with the on board entertainment and then the overnight journey which allowed us to sleep. Once In rosslare It was a 350km trip to Ballina but one that I enjoyed being on Irish roads and knowing I was soon to be home and so I was.

I am know going to be taking a break from both my training and racing before beginning my winter training program.

 (Happy Out enjoying an end of season Beverage with my Girlfriend)

Suir Valley 2012

(Stage 3 Hill Climb)

I was meant to post a small blog prior to Suirvalley but I was hectic in the run up and after I had very little time to piece together a post, but here it is finally.

In the days preceding suirvalley I managed to get in a few steady spins that would leave my legs primed and ready for the event. We traveled to Clonmel the night before, driven by mum and accompanied by my sister and girlfriend both of whom would be handing us bottles during the stages to ensure we kept hydrated, also on board was my brother Ciaran who would be representing Castlebar CC during the event.

Stage one was a 130km haul taking in the Vee climb and finishing on a tough run in to the outskirts of Clonmel. From the start the pace was on, a constant stream of attacks ensured that bunch moved forward at a rapid rate making it difficult for anyone to escape in the early part of the stage, but it was not until just after the 50km mark that we descended into Fermoy and exited on a narrow winding road, it was here that I pressed on hard from the main bunch driving onwards, chaos ensued behind and I managed to break clear bringing nearly 20 riders away with me. Immediately we began working and built a good gap on the peloton, one that enabled us to scale the Cat 1 Vee climb at a steady tempo without been caught. Once over the top the group had dwindled dramatically in size which lead to a flurry of attacks, it was at this point I could feel the heat taking affect as my legs began to cramp beneath me but I pressed on doing my best to keep the group moving, we were joined by Ryan Sherlock on the run in who managed to bridge across from the main bunch as we struggled to get organized in the closing stages, from that point we maintained a clear gap and on the tough final 3 km I struggled taking 5^th on the stage.

(Taking 2nd in KOH Class)

Stage two saw the race cover a 100km loop with a number of categorized climbs and finish on a technical run in through the streets of Clonmel. From the gun I rode aggressively in an attempt to make up the lost time from the previous day, but unfortunately I was pursued constantly with no one willing to work and establish a break away. On the bright side I managed to gather enough points to ensure that I moved into second overall on the KOH Classement. At about the half way point a large group escaped and gathered a lead of 1min but it was short lived on the tough run in as the main bunch pursued them and brought it all back together in the final 10km. The stage finished in a bunch sprint in which I came 19^th.

Stage three is a tough 1.5km hill climb time trial. It takes place in the evening after stage 2 on a short but steep accent outside Clonmel town. Having raced the stage last year I was aware of the impact that it can have on the overall. I was 7^th last off and after performing a solid warm up I made my way to the starting ramp. The count down began and I pressed on hard tackling the climb with brutal force, so much in fact that I caught my 30sec man half way and for a few seconds was caught behind him on the steep accent as I struggled to pass him and his weaving bike. This slowing down unfortunately cost me 2nd place on the stage which I lost out on by a mere 10th of a second pushing me into third.

(Uphill Finish on stage 4)

I was 5^th on Gc & 2^nd in KOH classement coming Into the final stage, 2 placings that I wanted to improve on. I was intent on leaving it all on the road so from the drop of the flag I was gone. I attacked hard pressing onwards dragging about 8 riders with me. We collectively worked hard putting a gap of 3 mins into the main field. At about the 60km mark a large chase group bridged over to us, it was utter chaos once the groups joined together so again I drove onwards this time on the glen of Aherlow thinning the group down to 9 riders. Upon reaching the summit of the Glen, I was forced to work hard keeping the group going until we closed in on the final few km, were I intended on taking the 2sec lead that virtual yellow Barry Twoig had over me on the road away from him. Within the final 20km I launched a number of hard attacks in an attempt to break Twoig but I was unable to shake him and the other riders in the group all of whom were aiding him in bringing me back. It wasn’t until we reached the final 500m which was uphill that I made my final attempt for glory digging hard for the line attempting to shake Twoig, but it wasn’t to be as I blew near the top taking third with Barry Twoig glued to my back wheel. 

(Final Podium)

All in all it was a successful ride, I moved into 2^nd on GC, maintained my 2^nd in the KOH classement and for the 2^nd time in the stage race I secured the most aggressive rider award. I was so close to taking the Yellow jersey, just a mere 2 seconds. It was a sickener that it did not work out but at the end of the day I still did quite well.

Off the back of my Suir Valley success and my aggressive riding style I was contacted by Planet X Ireland whom are interested in helping me in my cycling by supporting me with the use of there equipment for the remainder of the season. I was provided by them a set of Planet Carbon Pro 50 Tubular wheels with which I will be racing until September. I am aiming to give some honest feedback on the wheels especially as they make there way over the paved roads, cobbled lanes and around the countless bends of flanders.

keep in touch!!

Back In Ireland

Having just arrived back in ireland after a 1 month period of racing in Belgium with my team I have decided to continue updating my progress towards suir valley 3 day next weekend. In my final 2 weeks in belgium I managed to put away 6 races with finishes and prize money in them all. The last 3 races I rode in a 3day block which was a race each day in order to simulate suir valley and how it will feel racing day on day. It showed good signs and I felt just as strong on the last day as I did the first which is a good indication that my form is good. My results in all the races were good and Im happy with how I recovered each day.

I arrived back in Ireland on saturday and since then I have been completing a combination of 3-4hr spins with some specific work mixed inbetween, My intention is to keep my body primed for the upcoming race but at the same time ensure that I am well tapered for the weekend.

I will give one final update on friday with how I am feeling before the race, I intend on putting away a turbo session today as the weather is horrific, A 4hr ride tommorow, a rest day thurday and a 1hr pre race ride on friday.

15 days until Suir Valley!!

As promised Im going to keep everyone up to date with my progress towards Suir Valley. With only 15 days remaining to the first stage I have been putting a lot of prep into getting my legs ready for the race, Since returning to Belgium I have been racing quite a lot to bring out the form. I have raced 6 times in the past 2 weeks and intend to put away another 6 races before returning to Ireland.

In the races that I have completed so far I have been achieving some solid results taking some top 20's. At first when I returned from Ireland post Nationals I felt that my legs were slightly sluggish and it took me a race or two for them to really come good. But eventually they came round and riding race after race will hopefully get my legs ready to preform during the 3day stage race.

After completing the next block of races I will once again drop a small post and let you know how Im coming along, so keep an eye out for my next update.

Suir Valley Prep!!

Since the 2012 Ras I have not updated my blog so this will be a nice read for anyone interested in how things have developed since then.

I was relatively happy with my Ras result but to be honest I would have liked more from it regarding the stage results, some top 10''s would have not gone astray but 3rd county rider and 33rd on GC is nothing to complain about.

After the Ras I swiftly returned to Belgium staying focused on bringing my form on more for the up and coming national champs in Clonmel  Co. Tipperary. Once back in Belgium I began racing again finishing without to much issue, but I could still feel fatigue in my legs from the Ras, it left me slightly sluggish and lacking when I was forced to react to moves that were going clear. I rode all these races with the intention that they were preparation for the champs making the most of every km of racing pushing myself to the max at all times. I placed good in the races achieving nothing massive but at the same time been able to last the distance and attempt to get into break aways.

I returned to Ireland a week before the national champs in Clonmel, a routine of steady training and a phase of tapering prepared me for the race ahead. The Race itself did not go entirely to plan, I went there with the tactic of racing very aggressive in the initial phase and try and get into the lead group which was bound to go clear early. The course was a challenging one, a tough climb mid way made the lap tough and it was on the climb first lap that the split happened, I crossed the summit in the front but on the decent gaps opened and I was left in a chase group on the road, we were later joined from behind by the remains of the main bunch and all I could do was watch as the break vanished from sight. Lap after lap I rode hard trying to form another chase group but it was in vain and I decided to hold back and allow the tough course to dwindle the bunch down, I made a number of good moves, and at one point was going for a top 15 but unfortunately dehydration killed me, the heat on the day was freakish and I feel I didn’t take on enough fluids, but in the end all was not lost as I dug deep and managed to get 19th place as I attacked away from the remains of the main bunch with 3km to go.

After the Nationals I took a small break to recharge the batteries for the second part of the season and for my campaign towards my final goal which is to attain a solid result in Suir Valley. Last year I Managed a 3rd on GC so this year Id like to be in around the same if not better. 

I returned to Belgium on the 4th of July and since then have done some good training and raced 3 times, my intention is to put away a minimum of 10 races before Suir Valley and some solid training along with it. for the period between now and then I’m going to make more consistent blog posts to keep everyone up to date on my progress towards the race. So keep an eye on my Twitter and Facebook for links.