Good luck this weekend!
- Brian Mc
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Best of luck to everyone - keep us posted if you can!
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- Philippe Bourdarias
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The race so far was typical gorey...fast sometimes...frustrating sometimes....hectic most of the time with everybody wanting to be at the front. A bit of negative racing also and the successful break got away only 20km from the end. I think that Ciaran Kelly must hate stickybottle now as he was marked by...the whole bunch and he spent the race swearing...
We should get our 56s lead on gc which means that the tt will be key tomorrow. That's fine...i plan to vomit at the line...
Enjoy the rest of the week end
Philippe
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- Dick O'Brien
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All the lads did really well and stayed with the main bunch throughout. We're well supported here with Declan Quigley driving the car as manager, ably assisted by Emma Convey and Sandra Telford. It makes a massive difference having some help from your clubmates on a weekend like this.
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- Diarmuid Collins
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The team car looks great and has been of great use so far.
Thanks again to Joe Daly's for the supply of powerbars and gels. The gels have been my lunch for the past few days and probably for the next few!
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- Patrick O'Brien
Two sleepless nights mean this race has become e'tape Ras Mumhan for me, but I'm thrilled to see Aidan Collins, Eric Downey and Diarmuid Collins competing at the front of the race.
Best of luck to everyone competing in the other stage races around the country, I sense its going to be successful weekend for Orwell.
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- Jamie Busher
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Just back from the morning TT, a combination of yesterdays miles and a big head wind made for a difficult TT.
All Orwell riding well so hopefully we can nab something by races end.
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- Fionn Sheridan
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- Declan Quigley
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Freezing rain and driving rain in marked contrast to yesterday's balmy spring weather meant everyone suffered.
Philippe shivered his way to a superb fifth in the bunch gallop, seventh on the stage and, we believe, he's still well in contention in the top twenty overall. All that is to be confirmed. We haven't seen any results yet.
Some talk of pasta at the moment. Very little talk about cleaning bikes...
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- Ronan Grimes
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- Neal Hudson
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Today was a tough day after yesterday - 5kms into which I hit the deck and never saw the bunch again. Lantern rouge ride, followed by a visit to Tralee General for a hip xray (got the all clear). Big thanks to both our own Lucy Soden who is Race Doctor for the weekend, and also Fiona Cooke who's live tweeting from the lead car - they looked after me yesterday evening and got me to tralee and back to the house in no time. Many thanks ladies
Three down, one to go!
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- Brian Ahern
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Thanks for the updates - keep them coming!
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- Fionn Sheridan
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- Dick O'Brien
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Philippe was amazing. Started the stage 19th overall and then got up in the sprint to take seventh on the stage. Getting a result on a day like today is some going.
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- David Swift
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A strong headwind mixed with tired legs made the stage 2 TT tough. While my only only hopes for Gorey were to finish and put in a good time in the TT, I was disappointed to be over 2 minutes down on the winner.
Stage 3 was tough from the start with the pace being pushed on the flatter sections. I kept in the bunch, up until the second time passing through Cranford, while I made it up the climb in the group the riders on the front really pushed on the flatter/downhill section. After pushing hard eventually made it back on as the bunch slowed into the headwind. My chance to recover didn't last too long though, the rain had started and I started to suffer further. On a flat crosswind section, the pace ramped up again and my tired lefts couldn't hold on. With the next group on the road far behind the cavalcade of cars I had to continue on alone, only to eventually abandon as the body refused to do anymore in the cold and wet conditions.
Thankfully the rest of the team all finished in the horrible conditions compared to yesterday's warm sunny day. Hopefully today's conditions won't affect the riders going into tomorrow's final stage back to Blessington.
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- Jamie Busher
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Before and after Cranford was where the real damage was done as it lined out and wheels were dropped.
The rain and cold made that last two laps torture. I managed to hang with the lead bunch for the sprint finish but the legs just had enough, rolled over for same time. Fair play to Phillippe to get up in that company, not easy!
Hopefully the suncream comes out tomorrow.
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- Valdis Andersons
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Good luck tomorrow everyone! :)
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- Brian Ahern
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- Philippe Bourdarias
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Gorey was an eventful event with some exiting racing and some very strong rides. Saturday was for me too one of the most unpleasant moment on a bike. I shook for a good hour after the end due to the cold and wet conditions. Without the team car i don't know how i would have got the hotel.
Today was a complete different story. Sun was shining and without a strong cross wind all the way up to Blesington and constant attacking it could have been a nice spin. All the top 20 in the gc tried to go away repeatedly to move up but were chased by a very large Lucan team (more than 15 riders). Tried my luck 5km before Blesington but my attempt lasted...2mn...
Strong rides from orwell with Jamie and Dick at the front most of the time. Very clever attack from Fionn in the last 600m also that could have been successful without a fast and aggressive bunch. Very nervous sprint. I almost finished in the ditch.
Very good race in general, much safer compared to last year and some very strong riders.
Big thank again to Declan, Ema, Sandra and Jamie's dad for their support. It was invaluable...
Thanks also to Ronan for making his car available.
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- Brian Mc
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For me, the race was tough. I'm not used to being dropped on the first climb, but it was my fate three days out of four. I had flashbacks to being a novice A4 in the Ras de Cymru. While the wonderful Dr Lucy was kept busy treating our various crash victims, thankfully the only time I saw her during the race was when I was in the cars trying to hang on to the bunch (and failing). It was great to find my legs on the last day, and give the irrepressible Fi Cooke something to tweet about. And thanks to Joe Daly's for the supplies - I ran out after chomping down five gels trying not to bonk on Saturday, so I couldn't have done it without that. And the magic hands of Rachel Glendon which got me through to the last stage!
Lastly, it's been fantastic reading back over the Gorey tweets and the entries here - sounds like nobody had an easy weekend, but there were a few great performances in there - Dick 15th in the TT, and Philippe's sprinting! Also, Gavin Dodd got up in Rás Chonamara - I hope to find a bit of time to get the race reports up soon! In the meantime, more 'recovery pints' await!
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- Jamie Busher
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On stage 4 Orwell were well represented at the front of the race, at times it was tough when it lined out with the side winds.
The last 5km of that race was probably the biggest buzz I've had on a bike, when I saw an Orwell rider go off the front after Blessington I had a chuckle, fair balls Fionn.
I had good legs on the stage and thought something might happen but alas it wasn't to be, I nearly ended in the same ditch as Phillipe.
I was nervous about doing this race as there are reports of it being crashy etc, I didn't witness one! There was massive garda presence and I could count on one hand the number of moving cars I passed. The scale of the event is impressive and all for 50 quid.
Well done to all orwell who lined out. Thanks to my Dad, Declan and the support crew for taking the time out.
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