Best of luck to the Orwell lads riding the RAS

Tough day at the office on Stage 1 of the Rás for Pinergy - Orwell Wheelers, with most of the team affected by crashes. Tomorrow is another day though and the team is raring to go again.

Unluckiest of all was Loughlin Campion, who hit the deck twice and couldn't finish the stage because he was dispatched to hospital with a fractured scaphoid. We're gutted for Loughlin as we know he was really looking forward to the Rás.

Cahir, Padraic and Aimhirghin got caught up in early crashes and had to spend most of the day in chasing groups in what was an incredibly fast opening stage, but they finished safe and sound.

Mark seemed to have the least eventful day and was the first Orwell rider home on the stage.

Good luck to the lads on Stage 2.

Stage 2 of the Ras for Pinergy - Orwell Wheelers proved to be much less eventful yesterday following Wednesday's crash marred opener but there was bad news for one Orwell rider. A knee injury forced Padraic O'Flynn off the bike early in the stage.

Over the past four years, Padraic has gone from strength to strength to become one of Orwell's best riders and we know it must be so disappointing for him to see his Ras end like this. We're sure he'll be back again next year.

Mark, Cahir and Aimhirghin all finished safe and sound in Ennis and team manager Yvonne reports that spirits in the camp are high. Loughlin is staying with the team and is going to help out manning the feed zones in the days ahead.

Anyone who read reports about the finale of today's Stage 3 will know that the Ras often provides cruel turns of fate for riders.

Fortunately the Pinergy - Orwell Wheelers team avoided the crashes, but didn't avoid bad luck entirely as Mark McKinley was forced to abandon the stage with a hip injury. As anyone whose ridden the Ras will know, even getting to the start line takes massive commitment and climbing off the bike is never a decision that's taken lightly. Mark was our best placed rider in the General Classification and we're all all so sorry to see his race end like this.

Cahir and Aimhirghin are now our dynamic duo and still flying the flag for Orwell, with both finishing together in one of the chasing groups this afternoon. They're past the half way mark now. Only two more stages to go.