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How the Orwell Women faired in Dundalk at the Traders Cup

Rookie Michelle Geoghegan completed her first open race in fine
style this weekend. With only one bird up the road Heather Boyle of Ravens cc Michelle finished her first open race second women to
cross the line.  Aideen also did well after a savage day tandem racing the day before in Banbridge she completed the race well.

For a full report on the race see Heathers report on womenscycling.ie

After avoiding this race for the first three years of my cycling carer, it has now
become one of my favourites, (I hope I don’t jinks it now).  After a bad start to the
season having to miss the Dublin Wheelers race and puncturing twice in Newbridge,
I hadn’t really raced yet this season so the old butterflies were fluttering around like
crazy.  Not feeling very confident of my form and wanting to be able to race again on
Paddy’s Day after much debate with the other Women I opted along with Heather Roisin
and Nora to do the Ladies and C’s one lap race.  Jenny and Fran braved the two lapper
mad Women that they are!!

I nearly missed the start of the race and unfortunately Roisin also miss judged the ten
minute interval between races and did miss our start, so the battle was already down to three Women.  The race started off sedentary enough, but it wasn’t long before the attacking started, I had been warned by my Coach that this would happen and not to get caught up in it, so I just sat in and wheel sucked biding my time and energy for the dreaded climb at Castlecomer.  However much unexpected pain was to come before we got there, I don’t remember there being a drag on the course last year, maybe because we were in a bigger bunch it rode easier, but this year it took me by surprise and all my will to stay with them, unfortunately for Nora and Heather it also got
them by surprise and they lost contact and unluckily there was no other bodies around
to chase back on with.  The decent down to the bottom of the climb was fast and
furious and I was sure the girls would find it hard to get back on but you never know
in bike racing so I had to keep the pressure on.  My next goal was to get at least half
way up the climb with the lads but as soon as they rounded the bend they were
gone.  I did a bad job of cornering and lost ground rapidly.  Settling into my own rhythm
up the climb I did manage to catch up to one guy then a group of three, so I had a nice
group to ride to the finish with, we rode hard hoping to catch the group in front but that
was not to be but in the end we weren’t too far behind the leaders.  I was happy with
my second victory at the Des Hanlon and delighted to get my first race under my belt only
one more before the Gorey!! 

Well done to all the Women and good luck next week.

The Des Hanlon is a very challenging and well run race and I would like to thank the
organisers and sponsors for putting on a great event.  We were also really well fed
afterwards it’s tough but well worth the trip.