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Meeting The Iron Man Of Irish Cycling
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| Mick Murphy Ras Winner 1958 & Eddie Dawson |
Meeting the Iron Man of Irish cycling
I WAS led on a pleasant detour by Caherciveen butcher and golfer Jimmy Curran to meet somebody known as 'The Iron Man', on account of his exploits as a cyclist back in the 1950s. Cycling as a sport was gaining popularity back then, and the annual stage race around Ireland, An Ras Tailteann, now known as the FBD Insurance Ras, was responsible for a great deal of it.
The Christle brothers, especially the late big man Joe, were the principal organisers and their motivation came from a nationalistic fervour and a love of all aspects of Irish culture. They were inspired by the Tour de France and had a vision of developing such a spectacle in Ireland in their time. Joe Christle was a great character and a brilliant organiser and I cannot recall an occasion when we spoke other than in Irish. He was married to a French lady, Mimi Battutt. Years later, I taught Mel Christle, one of Joe and Mimi's three boxing sons, when I was on the teaching staff at O'Connell School in North Richmond St, Dublin. More>>>
The Case Of The National Cycling Association
The case of the National Cycling Association, like that of its parent body, The National Athletic & Cycling Association, is a simple one. It simply demands that Ireland be given her rightful status of nationhood in international competition, and it opposes any attempt to misrepresent, curtail or partition the athletic manhood of Ireland.
Only a body representative of all Ireland can represent all Ireland internationally. Any group or organisation which is confined in its alleged jurisdiction to a part of Ireland does not and cannot represent all of Ireland; and, likewise, neither can any individual athlete who is affiliated to any partitioned organisation, be that organisation of six or twenty-six county origin. One can build good intentions on injustice and it is an injustice to misrepresent one’s country. More>>>
Tales From The Gutter By Greg Roche Rás 2003
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| Greg Roche In Action During The 2003 Rás |
Consciousness comes quickly. I have slept deeply for the first time in three nights and the fever is gone. Going through the motions of getting up, showering and having breakfast, my confidence continues to grow. The residue of fatigue is there, but then I tell myself it’s bound to be. That’s the same for everyone left in the race. I chatted with Luchio at breakfast and he said his legs were aching. Same for everyone, you see.
Luchio asked what happened. I know he’s referring to my ride the previous day. ‘I’m a bad rider’ I explain, only half joking, but he is kind, accepts that I don’t want to say anything more and treats my comment as a throw away line, laughing.
The truth, the full version, is that in addition to being a bad rider, yesterday everything went wrong. I awoke feverous, tired and rode 120km of a mountain stage at the back of the pack feeling dreadful and fearing the main climb of the day which we were to reach at 150km covered. At 120km the main group was riding a hard tempo, ensuring that the two Kazakh riders who had already escaped didn’t build too great a lead. I was happy with this, hanging on, hanging on. It’s a mind game I can play with myself. ‘Ten more minutes and then swing off’; at ten minutes ‘wait until another rider goes out first and sit up with him.’ It’s a hateful existence at the back, but sometimes, when I know I’m ill or having an off day, I content myself with it. My lot in world cycling. There’s always tomorrow, always tomorrow. Bad cyclists are eternal optimists. More>>>
Severe Test For FBD Insurance Rás Riders
The route for this year’s FBD INSURANCE RÁS 8 Day
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| Ras 2006 Map |
International Cycle Race, announced today, presents an exceptionally formidable challenge to the 150 top-class riders from at least 10 countries expected to line up for the start on Sunday 21st May.
Twenty-three KOM climbs, six stages over 150 kilometres in length, a team time trial plus a down-to-the-wire final stage are just some of the highlights in a gruelling twelve hundred and thirty kilometre course that will see first-time ever stage finishes in An Cheathru Rua, Clara and Skerries, and return visits to Enniscorthy, Cobh, An Daingean, Listowel and Westport. More>>>
This Year's FBD INSURANCE RÁS To Finish In Skerries
The seaside town of Skerries in north county Dublin will experience all the thrills and colour of world-class international cycle racing with the exciting news that in a dramatic break with tradition the final stage of this year’s FBD Insurance RÁS will finish in the town on Sunday 28th May. More>>>
Tour de France Inspires FBD Insurance Rás Stage
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| Tipperary Dan Morrissey cycling team winners on the county team award FBD Insurance Ras 2005 Tim Barry, Rory Wyley, John O'Shea, Brian Truman,Vincent Gleeson and manager Paul Lonergan |
History will be made in the 2006 edition of the FBD Insurance RÁS when, for the first time ever, a spectacular team time trial will reshuffle the overall classification of the world ranked race. More>>>
FBD Insurance Rás 21st. May - 28th. May 2006
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| Adrian Tahney FBD Insurance,Roberta Rowat, Chris Newton Race Winner 2005 And Philip Fitzsimons FBD Inaurance |
The race is sponsored by FBD Insurance and is included on the Union Cycliste Internationale Continental Calendar. Route details and application forms available late December.
The Beginnings Of The Rás
Jim Traynor, who died in September 2003, told the story of the early years. Most of the material concerning the conception and organising of the first 8-day comes... More>>>
FBD Insurance Rás Stage 8 Pictures Phoenix Park, Dublin
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| Bill Moore Team Meath Martin Donnelly wins the biggest race of his career |
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Moore Nabs Stage 8, NewtonTakes Overall Victory
With the FBD Insurance Rás concluding today with a flat, one hour criterium, the nature of the stage meant that Chris Newton’s final overall victory was not unexpected. The GB Recycling.co.uk rider started the day with a fourteen second advantage over closest rival Malcolm Elliott and was seen as almost certain to win provided he avoided punctures, crashes and mechanical problems... More>>>
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