Easter arrow/ Flèche d'Irlande 2018

This Easter, for the first time ever, we will be entering a team into Audax Ireland's Easter Arrow, aiming to ride 576km in 24 hours or as near as possible.

We have one place left on the team for one audacious soul, if you want it let me know as soon as possible.

Thankfully I have marshalling duties for Rás Mumhan ! Good luck to all who are doing this. Share the route and the riders please !

Thanks for the interest and well wishes, we will try to live up to the expectations now!

Our 4 riders are Balazs Galambos, Eoin Byrne, myself, and guest rider Michael Cassidy from Dromara Co. Down. Balazs and Eoin will be well known to anyone who is on Strava, and have been training for several months for this and for bigger challenges to come during the summer. Michael has completed the last 3 Paris-Brest-Paris, the last of which in under 60 hours, so he brings considerable ability and a huge amount of experience to the team.

The target distance is 564km, the controls towns and target times are at:
Dundrum, 0km, 07:00;
Cavan, 116km, 11:07;
Athlone, 196km, 14:13;
Loughrea, 251km, 16:09;
Oranmore, 277km, 17:18;
Ennis, 333km, 19:48;
Limerick. 372km, 21:29;
Moneygall, 431km, 00:21;
Portlaoise, 484km, 03:28;
Naas, 533km, 05:38;
Collins Barracks, 565km, 06:55.

We'll take approximately 3 hours 20 of breaks along the way and aim for a rolling average of 27.4 km/h. Obviously the goal is to complete the entire course within the 24 hours, but there are 4 separate marks to aim for-
452km, Borris in Ossory. This is the 80%, pass/fail mark. So long as we get this far or further then it's a qualified success, less than that is absolute failure.
486km, Portlaoise. New Irish record for the event, if we pass that mark we will be National record holders, for one year at least.
500km, Monasterevin. 3 teams over the years have tried to break 500, for various reasons none have succeeded so far. It is a big landmark distance, and it would be nice to be the first Irish team to break it.
And finally 565km to Dublin. All of the above are nice consolation prizes, but the whole point of the exercise is to post up a brave target and then do your best to complete it, so that's where we want to be.

We get a brief mention in Audax Ireland's preview:
www.audaxireland.org/2018/03/fleche-update-2/

Good luck lads!

Wow hats off to you guys for this incredible challenge, the very best of luck with it, safe cycling.

The very best of luck to you all!

Best of luck guys! You’re all gluttons for punishment.

The best of luck tomorrow lads.

Tremendous challenge, best of luck lads

Best of luck chaps. May the wind be at your backs all day.

We're having late lunch in East Galway with 270km on the clock, about 40 minutes behind schedule bit all still going well.

Thanks all for the messages of support, they are all very much appreciated.

Epic stuff men. Keep her lit!

Great stuff guys! Keep it going

Thanks for the updates...Great going Keep it up!

Having McDonalds dinner in Ennis, 350k done in 13 hours.

20 minutes down on schedule now, but turning for home next. Everybody is starting to hurt now, so here's hoping the night is kind to us.

Beyond Epic. 'Keep her lit'

McDonalds?An army marches on its stomach...

Keep it going lads. Amazing stuff.

Epic

Dave wrote:

Having McDonalds dinner in Ennis,

You failed to mention the dining establishment in East Galway. Am I to assume it was the west's finest, Superman's? Where is the next meal planned? PS best of luck with the cycling bit of your gourmet tour of Ireland