Leisure News 9-15th November

Dear all

Okay..so here it goes, my 1st Weekly Leisure and Club New Email!

Thanks to all those you sent on messages since Saturday and I very much look forward to the coming year on the Committee and across the whole Club....A lot of you know our fellow club member and my older(and slower) brother Darragh and he perfectly described taking over from Stephen Ryan as similar to David Moyes taking over from Alex Ferguson! I hope it's a bit more like Jim Gavin taking over from Pat Gilroy with the Dubs....time will tell.

Nobody could even attempt to take on the Leisure Rep role without 1st paying service to the 2 Orwell legends that have taken this role from a small part of the club to the biggest part of Ireland's no 1 cycling club. I joined Orwell back in 2011 and Denis with John Twomey were Leisure/Touring maestros. Simply put they invented the section of the club. Back then we had around 150 members and on a Sunday you might get 50 cyclist turn up to Joe's. I think we had 12 people do the Wicklow 200 that year. Since then Denis has taken the Leisure part of the club to a whole new level and the huge success of the club and Leisure in particular is firmly down to the hardwork, enthusiasm and commitment our current President always shows. We are lucky to have him lead the club and his vision for Orwell is top class and we look forward to seeing the plans flourish in being over the next 12-24 months.
Following on from Denis, Stephen Ryan has simply revolutionised the Leisure side of the Club. Just one example was the Wicklow 200 this year where we had over 120 Orwell cyclists taking part. Stephen's legacy in the club is to hand over the largest of part of the club numbering up to 400+ members regularly taking part. He has done an unbelievable job over the past few years and his energy and organisational skills will surely be missed at the Leisure level. If I can do half the job that Stephen did I'll be more than happy...Chapeau to Stephen Ryan for an amazing service to the club....

There will be much news and plans announced over the next few weeks on this email and via the forum about what's ahead for the next 12 months in Leisure but we will leave that for another day. We will try to replicate all that was successful over the last few years and bring in some new and exciting changes on the Leisure front. For now this week's email will simply be a quick catch up on all the upcoming spins and news...

Emerald Fund Sportif Saturday 10am Dunboyne
emeraldfund.ie/emerald-sportive/
Possibly the last Sportif of the season will take place this Saturday in Dunboyne. It's the Emerald Fund Sportif and is being organised by Dan Martin and colleagues to set up a fund that will sponsor future Irish internationals(hopefully including a few Orwellians) on an annual basis. This will hopefully bring Irish cycling to a whole new level and it's a brilliant cause. If there ever was a sportif to support then this is it!
Details in the link above and there is 2 options on the day, 44km and 70km.
I'll lead a peleton of Orwell from the Popes Cross leaving at 9am sharp to get out to register etc in Dunboyne by 10am. Hope to have dry weather and will attempt to do the full 70km route meaning it will be a 92km day from Popes Cross to Popes Cross, returning around 2pm. All welcome to join the Orwell peleton. It would be brilliant to get a good turn out for a great cause. You'll get to cycle with Dan Martin, Ryan Mullen, Damian Shaw, Eddie Dunbar, Lydia Boylan and Sean Kelly!
Registration link in the link above.

MTB TIcknock
Last call for those interested in trying out Mountain Biking up Ticknock. Organised by who else Ann Horan! So it's bound to be a blast....your legs may end up like this but you'll probably love it....
www.orwellwheelers.org/forum/8-miscellan...-biking-sat-14th-nov

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Other Weekly Spins Planned
If anyone out there has a unofficial get together of members and is happy for new people to join up please use the forum to let people know when/where/speed level etc. I can then mention the weekly spins on the weekly email. As long as the speed(white/yellow/orange/red) and the ethics of the group(coffee/no coffee/banter/no banter etc etc) is clear and the new people adhere to the groups philosophy then there should be plenty of groups for all members on the forum.
-Tuesday 630pm Joes/645pm Yellow House A4 group Threshold Training
For anyone who is interested in doing A4 racing or above and Club League, Dave Mc is organising a regular threshold training spin on Tuesday nights.
www.orwellwheelers.org/forum/private-rac...ats-tuesday-10th-nov If you're not on the A4 mentoring list for google group emails then contact Dave Mc and he will stick you on.

Marmotte 2016

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The forum posts have begun and there is a peleton forming for Europe's toughest 1 day cyclo sportif 2016....check out all the info if interested...
www.orwellwheelers.org/forum/touring-public/5194-marmotte-2016
You'll need to act this week and book your place if interested.

Spring Training Camp in Calpe Spain
David Hendron(better known as Orla's brother:-)) is organising a super week away in the Spring. Numbers are very limited so get in touch with him soon!
www.orwellwheelers.org/forum/8-miscellan...-camp-in-calpe-spain
I've already booked by seat and cant wait for that February sun....come home in early March with tan lines and then show them off on a Sunday Spin.....

Leisure Mailing List
If anyone knows anyone who is in the club and doesn't get these emails please let me know by email or on the forum. I'll get you straight on the list.

Volunteers/Feedback etc
If anyone is interested in getting involved in helping out on anything to do with Orwell Leisure we would love to hear from you! We will be looking for lots of volunteers across the next 12 months from everything to do with Spin leaders on post Winter Spins(Greg's 'Yellow' spins, Tuesday night hills and many more), mentoring and leading the W100 training group, leaders and volunteers on each sportif, organisers of the 2016 revamped Leisure Championship and on and on...so if you feel like you can give something back to your club please let me know!

That's all for this week...I hope to see some of you at the Popes Cross at 9am Saturday for the Emerald Sportif.

For the week that's in it see organiser of the Emerald Sportif Dan Martin's most famous victory on the youtube link below at the 2013 Liege Bastogne Liege. It even includes that famous panda! One of the 5 top 1 day races on the calender it was one of Irish cyclings finest moments.....




Enjoy the Week

Garret

sounds great Gar!

Gar fair play to you taking up this position. Big task filling Stephens shoes but you have certainly done that on your first post. Well done and if you are short a volunteer along the way give me a shout.

Fair play Garret...Don't think David Moyes / Alex Ferguson, it's more of a Bob Paisley / Bill Shankly transition

As long as it's not a Brian Kerr/Steve Staunton transition!

Best of luck Garret. Was very happy to hear your name called out on Sat night in Nenagh as the new leisure rep.