Dermot Cooney and Raymond Sherry | Cycling Writers
For the Dublin University Cycling Club, that time of year is back again; that time where you tear your legs apart with eighty other people all wearing lycra; cycling race day.
Some could say that racing is like riding a bike, you never forget. After the off-season, we can often forget how hard a race can be.
The A3 Ian Gallagher Memorial peloton rolled out into the sunny Summerhill just before their 10:45 start. Following a few minutes of sitting around and letting nerves set in all around, the signal was given. This start was followed with the all too familiar signal of clipping in and people cursing their pedals.
The first five or six kilometres were relatively uneventful with what felt like a relaxed pace, as though people were only going for a warm up. There wasn’t much jostling for position or dangerous riding, a refreshing change from being in the more competitive A4 category. The pace started to pick up, with DUCC’s Bennett Thomson moving his way closer to the front, with others remaining more centralised in the pack. The whole first lap was relatively fast, but still relaxed.
Halfway into the second lap, a breakaway of around five cyclists started to form. The bunch didn’t seem to perceive it as a threat initially, as it only seemed to be about ten seconds ahead. It didn’t take too long for other riders to join. By the beginning of the third lap, this break had what appeared to be thirty seconds on the peloton. Thomson attacked with a few others and attempted to chase the breakaway. However, it was not to be. At this time, the pace was upped further. The bunch perceived this break as a threat. The sudden increase in pace, left the chasing group spending several minutes chasing on the R125, to eventually catch them a minute or so after the turn onto the R154. At least it’s good to know some of the high intensity training got put to use. The chase for the now ten-strong breakaway was on. As the group turned onto the road for the finish, they were able to close in on the breakaway.
At this point people started moving into position for the sprint. Bennett Thomson was a little further up, so he may have had a chance, until a number of factors hindered him. In the final kilometre there were two crashes; thankfully the victims could watch the race from the ditch. Unfortunately, Thomson couldn’t contest the final sprint as a rider in front of him sat up and boxed him in. Despite this, it will still be marked as an overall positive performance.
Photo: Darragh McManamon
The A4 race, the Dublin Wheeler’s GP, followed on after. The race got under way and immediately there was a breakaway group of five cyclists. This group looked well organised and managed to stay away from the peloton and even gain a few seconds on the group as the first lap was completed. The peloton soon realised this fact, and quite soon the chase was on. Before the end of the first lap they had managed to catch up to the breakaway group.
Dorey’s Forge characterised the end of the first lap and the finish. Trinity’s Raymond Sherry, and a few other riders who were up the Dorey’s Forge climb the quickest at the end of the first lap, attacked and made an opportunistic break at the top of the climb, while the peloton negotiated below. This was a very short and unorganised break and it was quickly caught by the bunch. Sherry, alongside two other riders sought, to break away again.They got away but at the end of the first straight of the circuit we were caught and the bunch exerted dominance once again. This race was proving very competitive, with no quarter given.
Well into the last lap Sherry made a brave decision, attacking again, in a solo breakaway and flew on ahead of the pack once more. Like any effort beforehand this was caught again. It was becoming clear that the peloton was very organised and were willing to chase down every attack due to the shorter length of the race. The finish was within grasp, the peloton was moving more strategically, there was more tension and there was a definite increase in speed and adrenaline as the final few kilometres of the race were here. This race will prove a learning curve for Sherry, who is returning to the sport following an absence since his younger years. Nonetheless it was a wholehearted and positive performance from the Trinity man.
One of the honours of the day must go to Peter McGrady. McGrady lost contact with the peloton early on in the A4 race, but when many would throw in the towel, he put in a mammoth effort gave everything he had to chase down the A4s right until the end. The effort put in by the new members shows great promise, and this dogged determination will come in very handy as the season progresses.
Feature Photo: Sean Rowe, for DUCC.
