On Saturday morning, Joe Ryan, Mick Burke, Mick Barron, Brendan O’Reilly, Denis Keogh and a few more headed out on the Club spin.  The group took in Ballyragget, Ballinakill, Abbeyleix, Stradbally, Comer and back into Kilkenny.  A good crowd of MCC members turned out for the first of the Gortnahoe-Glengoole Cycle Challenge and included Brendan O’Reilly, Eugene Mullally, Jim Fitzpatrick, Mick Kenna, Dave Matthews, Mick Battle, Marcus Dowling, Colin Feely, Martin Coughlan, Barry Lyrnch and probably a few more!!  Well done to Liam Egan for putting this together!  Fiona Cooke was mixing it with international pros and Olympics hopefuls when she took part in the Celtic Chrono, a UCI ranking women elite time trial event.  Fiona was representing Leinster and had a fantastic experience at such a high profile event, as well as scoring a very respectable 27^th amongst such a calibre of riders.

MCC members on Tuesday night at the SRAM Comeragh CC league - L to R: Mick Barron, Neil Butler, James Kelly, Colm Keher, Joe Ryan, Fergal Kennedy and Fiona Cooke.

There was another unfortunate accident involving one of members on Saturday, when Sean Hogan was out for a spin just off the Freshford Rd when a dog came out in front of him and knocked him over.  Sean was unfortunate to break his collar bone and ribs.  Best wishes Sean and speedy recovery.

The 2012 TT series will be run in conjunction with our friends in Kilkenny Triathlon Club and Deanside Wheelers and will start on Thursday 31^st May – keep an eye on our website, more details to follow!  The Rás, Ireland’s premier cycling race, is coming to Kilkenny on Sunday – anyone interested in assisting in marshalling (between McDonagh Junction and the Blue Bar) should contact Patrick Tobin at 087-4108420.

On Sunday Joe Ryan, Mick Barron, Mick Burke, Denis Keogh and Eoin Hogan participated in the Slieve Bloom Challenge organised by Carlow Cycling Club. The lads were lucky to have the finest weather of the weekend at the event and really enjoyed themselves on the 160km route which took them 5 hrs 13 mins to complete.

The beginner’s spins are progressing well. 9 new cyclists took to the roads with us on Monday night lead by John Britton. The group headed out to Stoneyford and back and concentrated rotating within the group and how to changeover properly. The group meets at the Castle Gates at 7pm every Monday evening.

The clubs main group ride leaves the Castle Gates at 9am every Sunday morning and always welcomes new cyclists.

Tip of the Week: How to Correctly Wear a Bicycle Helmet: Check your helmet position and fit by looking in a mirror. Gently rotate the helmet on your head, front to back, and side to side, noticing the skin in your brow area. If the fit is comfortable, and the skin moves with the helmet, you have a proper fit. If not, your helmet is too loose and you should adjust it. Remember, Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85%.

On Saturday the club were well represented at one of the first spring sportives, the Copper Coast 100km.  Paul Cullen, Joe Griffin, Joe Ryan, Mick Barron, Mike Shields, Fiona Cooke, Denis Keogh and Mick Burke all lined up at the start in Waterford for the annual event run by the Comeragh club. The beautiful scenery along Waterfords landmark coast was only occasionally glanced at by the 150 riders as the strong headwinds and unending hills made for some tough riding and lots of time out of the saddle.  After a welcome food stop in Dungarvan, the group headed for home with the MCC group bantering with riders from the two Waterford based clubs; Comeragh and Waterford Racing.  While this was not a race, it was obvious that all three clubs were keen to check out who could get home first and when two time race winner Ciaran Power accelerated off the front on the hill coming out of Dungarvan, he was joined by the MCC speedsters who maintained a very fast tempo all the way back to Waterford.

Also on Saturday Patrick Tobin, Pat Murray & Martin Morrissey represented the club at the Mountain Bike Challenge in Lough Derg. This is a unique event being the only stage race mountain biking event in Ireland and attracted mountain bikers from all over Ireland to test their fitness and skill levels on a very challenging course.

On Sunday, John Britton and Liam Egan represented MCC at the Rathdowney-based Ossory Cycling Club sportif.  This was a challenging day with wind, cold and rain and any visit to the Slieve Blooms always brings its fair share of pain.   The highlight of the day was the 7km climb up The Cut and the event was very well run with great food stops and good marshalling.

On Monday evening we had the first of our weekly beginners spin. These will continue throughout the Spring and Summer with new cyclists and non members meeting at the Castle Gates at 7pm. On what was a fairly miserable Monday evening all credit to the 12 cyclists who turned up in spite of the poor conditions. The group did a nice steady cycle out the Carlow Road as far as the Gowran turn off where they u-turned and headed back into Kilkenny. The emphasis of the cycle was how to perform a "chain gang". Each rider takes a short turn cycling in the lead position in the group which allows us to move at a higher average speed. We will be concentrating on this over the summer as well as increasing the distance little by little each week. Another very important emphasis is getting new cyclists to believe in their own ability. Often new cyclists don't realise how much ability they have and we would encourage anyone who is unsure to turn up on a Monday evening before 7pm at the castle gates and give it a try.

The main club spin on Sunday did a 108km route which took in Ballyragget, Abbeyleix, Stradbally, Castlecomer and then back to Kilkenny. Average speed was 29kph.  

Tip of the Week: Rear Wheel Puncture: Take your rear wheel off with your chain shifted into the bottom most cog (smallest i.e. 11T).  The wheel will remove and install much easier and it won’t be so painful for your friends watching.

It is advised that participants turn-up at least 20 mins before starting time to allow for sign-on, preparation and warm-up (essential for these races, as they can be high-tempo from the gun!).  For each of the league races, the Club has appointed a contact person so if you intend to participate in any of these leagues, please notify the contact person.  As well as giving you a brief background to the race (such as directions to starting point!), the purpose of the contact person is to advise members of any changes, particularly late changes, such as cancellation etc.

The following are a list of leagues in the region that Marble City Cyclers’ members are allowed to participate:

• Altitude/Comeragh Summer League is held every Tuesday evening for 10 weeks from 8^th May 2012.  These are open to MCC members who hold a club racing licence or an open race licence, or a one day licence can be taken out on the day for an additional fee.  The races, which are handicapped based on ability, normally start at 7pm at Carroll’s Cross on the Waterford to Dungarvan Rd.  The Club’s contact person for this is Patrick Tobin (087-4108420).

• Slaney Novice/A4/Underage League race is being held by Slaney CC on the Davidstown Circuit.  The sign-on for this handicapped race is from 6.15pm to 6.40pm and first group will be off at 7pm.  This is opened to MCC members who hold a club racing licence or an open race licence,  This leagues first race already took place on 10^th April, which our own Mick Barron held out for 4^th place in!  The Club’s contact person for this is Mick Barron (086-2538670).

• Waterford Criterium Training League is held every Thursday evening for 10 weeks from 26^th April 2012.  These handicapped criterium races are open to MCC members and are taking place on private roads that are closed!  No particular cycling licence is required to participate in this event.  The race kicks-off at 7pm in the Waterford Airport Business Park and there is a €5 entry fee for each race.  The Club’s contact person for this is Patrick Tobin (087-4108420).

• Kilkenny TT series:  Details of this are to be confirmed but is likely to involve a series of weekly TTs (probably based over 6 weeks) and is in collaboration between MCC, Deensidee Wheelers and Kilkenny Triathlon Club.  Due to the nature of the event, all members can and are encouraged to participate, regardless of ability.  Fiona Cooke will provide details once confirmed.

On Saturday the group did a 61km spin heading out to Castlecomer and across to Paulstown, returning to Kilkenny on the Carlow Road. Average speed was 28.5kph in just over 2 hours.

Sunday saw a strong group of 9 out who covered 108kms. Heading out into a stiff North wind the group made its way towards Castlecomer and continued on the N78 before turning right onto the N80 and a very welcome tailwind where the pace really picked up as we made our way into Carlow. In Carlow the group tackled the Paris Roubaix style cobbles/potholes of the high street before making its way back out onto the Carlow Road and homeward bound to Kilkenny. The group averaged 29.8kph taking 3.5 hours to cover the route.

Reminder to all members and non-members that the club is once again back up and running with its very popular beginner’s cycle on a Monday night. We meet at the Castle Gate at 7pm every Monday evening and head out for short spins of about 1.5 to 2 hours duration. More details up on our website.

Tip of the Week: Pocket Your Rubbish: There’s a right place to put your food / gel wrappers. It’s back in your pocket.  Just because you’re on a bike doesn’t give you the right to litter all over the road.  You wouldn’t throw a chocolate bar wrapper out of your car window.

All participants have a road worthy bike and a helmet and you are also advised to have a couple of spare tubes, tyre levers and a pump with you.

Non Club Members are welcome but participants should also note that you take part at your own risk and the club strongly recommends if you intend to regularly participate that you become a member of our club as you will also get Cyling Ireland Membership which gives you a level of insurance cover.

For further details please refer to the clubs website or contact John on 087 6290244

You often hear of a match of two halves, well the eight hardy souls who met on Tuesday evening for the racer’s training evening experienced a cycle of two halves!!  After flying down the Waterford Rd in the warm-up leg, once the cyclist turned at the Danesfort Roundabout they were left in no doubt about what was meant by the weather people when they said “a cold northern wind will develop this evening”.  A strong tailwind going out the Wateford Rd meant a very high tempo speed was easily maintained, while the leg home was met with an extremely stiff wind and the group had to work hard to keep up any momentum.  However regardless of strong headwind or strong tailwind, all sprint lines were vigorously contested for with Eoin Hogan topping the list on the night.

The weekend spins continued as usual over the weekend with groups out on Saturday and Sunday meeting at the Castle Gates at 9am.

Quote of the Week: “To prepare for a race there is nothing better than a good pheasant, some champagne and a woman.” Jacques Anquetil, 5 Time Winner of the Tour de France.

On Saturday the club spin headed out to Gowran, Goresbridge, Paulstown and then back to Kilkenny. Total distance of 60kms in just over 2.5 hours. Amongst the group were Mick Burke, Mick Barron, Denis Keogh, Joe Ryan, Eoin Hogan, Pat Tobin and Mike Shields.

On Sunday the group headed out to Urlingford and then on to Durrow and coming home via Ballyragget and Castlecomer. 85 kms at an average speed of 28kph. The group included Paul Cullen, Gerry McGovern, Catherine Price, Denis Carrigan and Eugene Mullaly.

The club had Mick Burke, Mick Barron, Denis Keogh, Joe Ryan and Eoin Hogan participating in the South East Road Club 3 Peaks Challenge. The 110km route took in a number of very challenging climbs but it was a very enjoyable outing in more very fine weather.

Fergal Kennedy and Patrick Tobin headed to the Silver Pail GP in Fermoy on Sunday.  This is a very fast race and it was no big surprise that there were crashes in both the A3 and A4 race at the sprint stage.  Luckily our two members managed to stay out of trouble while putting in a good performance.  Many thanks to Fermoy CC for hosting this very enjoyable event.

Cycling Quote of the Week: “When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Sherlock Holmes author, Arthur Conan Doyle, Scientific American, 1896

The club training spins on Saturday and Sunday went ahead as usual at 9am but numbers were lower than normal due to members attending events.

Seven riders from Marble City Cyclers made the journey to Portlaoise on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning for the inaugural Lap of Laois cycling sportif.    Joe Ryan, Mick Barron, Eoin Hogan, Mick Burke, Fergal Kennedy, Sean Flood and Mike Shields were amongst 198 riders that tackled the 100km event organized by the Watchtours Club as a fundraiser for the Make Believers children’s charity.  Despite the sunny day, the wind was an ever present menace and being Laois, the Slieve Blooms were set to add to the challenge.  The 7.5km climb up The Cut tested the legs but the descent into Mountrath was enjoyable and the finish line at Portlaoise brought hot showers and plate loads of delicious chicken curry!

Both Neil Butler and Patrick Tobin took part in the gruelling Des Hanlon race, another well organised event by the Carlow Cycling Club.  For the A4 participants, the race was even more gruelling as a new 3km climb was introduced for safety reasons.  Neil Butler fared very well in this race, coming in 7th and just missed out on a placing by one position.  Neil is in good form these days, as this follows up from his 3rd place in the Carrick Wheelers Cup on St. Patrick’s Day.

 And of course we can’t forget Fiona Cooke who is flying the Kilkenny colours in Spain at a training camp in Mallorca.

Tip of the Week: Nutrition on the Move: If you are riding longer than 2 hours, you will need to consume some calories, carbs and electrolytes or you may "hit the wall" when your glycogen stores are used up. Bring along sports drinks and gels or other healthy snacks such as fig rolls, bananas or energy bars. About every 15 to 20 minutes, consume some liquid, and about every 45 minutes a snack. For rides shorter than 2 hours, water is usually sufficient.

On Saturday we had a group of 7 out and they headed out to Castlecomer, Ballyragget, Freshford, Kilmanagh, Tullaroan, Callan, Kells, Stoneyford and then home. Total of 100kms in approx. 3hrs 30mins.

On Pic: The Saturday group led by Mike Shields and Fergal Kennedy.Sunday we had a good size group of 15 out. The group headed out to Callan and made its way to Windgap where the group split into a Steady group and a Fast Group. The steady group, lead by Eugene Mullaly made its way on to Kilmaganny and then back to Kilkenny through Kells. The Fast group sought out a few extra miles (and hills!) and made its way down to Carrick and then goaded on by Patrick Tobin decided to test the legs on the infamous Seskin Hill. From there the group then headed back towards Kilkenny via Grangemockler and Callan at a very lively pace. Total distance of 95kms at an average moving speed of 29.6kms/hour although our average trip speed was only 27.6km/h as a result of Patrick Tobin failing to take any notice of our "Tip of the Week" 2 weeks ago regarding poor maintenance and punctures and consequently puncturing outside Callan. Luckily Pat Murray was on hand to help ensure a speedy repair was done and thereby ensuring our trip stats were not even more adversely affected by Mr Tobins carelessness.

John Britton was in action at the Midleton 200 but unfortunately took a tumble after 120kms and was unable to finish. Thankfully John suffered no serious injuries.

Tip of the Week: Skimmed Milk is a Cycling Super Drink. Milk is nature’s perfect recovery drink after a hard cycle as it contains the protein that seems to suit muscle repair best. Its unique blend of casein and whey contain amino acids in a pattern similar to muscle protein. It also has other essential minerals and nutrients that our bodies need, so it’s a convenient package of nutrients and good for you.