Seeing the dust has settled somewhat on Ras Mumhan 2016, I'd like to share my experience having seen the race from the other side for the first time - driving the car in the race cavalcade. I was ably supported by Ann Horan in the car for the weekend, with her sister Helen helping out by making sandwiches for after each stage. Ann also drafted in physio Catriona Murphy for the Saturday and Sunday evenings to massage the riders, and Valdis' partner Laila provided dinner for the riders on the first night and use of the guesthouse as a base - all deserve thanks for lending their fantastic support. Also deserving of thanks are our sponsors Scott bikes and Joe Dalys, allowing us to enter two teams and have ten riders from the club on the start list.

Neal talks to the gang before the start of the first stage (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

We arrived down in Killorglin on Thursday evening ready to start the following morning. After nearly getting chucked out of the B&B for a couple of minor infractions (don't ask to make toast in Killorglin, even if you bring your own bread!), we got the car set up and riders signed on, and off we went for stage one - a 100km loop starting and finishing in the town. There was to be a little bit of climbing involved and also some wind to contend with. It's always a hectic start on the first day of any stage race but all the riders made it to the finish safe and sound. Brian McArdle was first home with Stephen Barry on the same time after a mechanical inside the last 3kms. That wasn't the only mechanical of the day ; Manuel Fontan punctured during the second half of the stage, a bit of bad luck and he had to endure a lot of the wind on his own for the rest of the stage. Seven of the ten riders were stepping up a level, having never ridden the race before or any stage race involving A1 riders, so it was great for them all to get through the first day.

The Scott-Orwell Wheelers and Joe Daly-Orwell teams discuss the stage one in the evening (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

The second day was one that many people said the riders will be telling their grandkids about in forty years time! The 145 kilometer stage started early in Kenmare and took in no less than 6 categorised climbs, including the CAT1 Healy Pass - an ascent which usually sees only a select few staying with the front of the race over the top, and a very technical hairpin descent which shells yet more riders from the bunch. The weather was to be the deciding factor on the day as much as the terrain; it turned midway through the stage and from then on it was a matter of trying to get to the finish without hypothermia for most. With ten riders in the race it was difficult to support them all in the conditions, we moved past the riders as we found them on the road in various chasing groups feeding/clothing them as we went, up to Ronan O'Flynn who was the furthest in a chasing group of about ten riders. We were probably in front of the worst of the weather by that stage, the riders behind us on the road suffered a drop from 12 degrees to 3 degrees in a half hour according to some reports, forcing both Valdis Anderson and Philippe Bourdarias to abandon the stage. At the finish the rain was coming down to add to the cold, riders were visibly shaking after getting off their bikes, and it was a struggle for Ann and myself to locate them all and try get them warmed up with mugs of tea and soup, but also for the riders to get out of their clothes with their fingers being locked up with the cold. A half hour from the first rider getting in we still hadn't located Valdis, Brian McArdle or Philippe but through the help of the race organisers they were found between two ambulances and the broom wagon with the first two suffering the effects of hypothermia. It was definitely a day we will all remember, but in another way one to quickly forget. The riders were in surprisingly good spirits at dinner that evening though, warm and indoors and a pint of Guinness was had by one or two, sure it gives you strength!

Neal and Ann with Ronan after the stage (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

It was another early-ish start on the third day and the remaining 8 riders were still looking a little shell shocked from the previous day's race conditions, we left Killorglin around 9am to get to the stage start in Waterville. Despite not having been able to finish the previous day because of the conditions, Valdis and Philippe were still part of the team and were able to join the race cavalcade in a second team car to provide support. With us having two teams to look after this was a massive help on the day. The 136km route took in some stunning scenery out around Ballinskelligs to Cahirciveen, before approaching the dreaded CAT1 climb of Coom An Easpaigh to finish back in Waterville. Arriving in Waterville it was apparent that wind was going to be the deciding factor - it was blowing at 15 metres per second from the west-by-southwest. During sign-on before the race we were hit by a fierce hailstone shower, and a couple of team managers were asking for the stage to be cancelled at the manager's briefing before the stage start. Instead the Commissaires took the pragmatic approach to continue with the race and put in place a plan for an abbreviated route should the weather deteriorate, taking out the Coom An Easpaigh climb and shortening the stage. They were confident however that the weather was to improve and we wouldn't need the shortening, which held out to be true - the clouds cleared and the sun came out, with the wind dying down somewhat. But before that, the first few kilometres were going to be very important, the race was to turn left at the 6km mark towards Ballinskelligs and into a full force crosswind.

Emily and Brian at the start of the stage (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

Manuel Fontan ahead of the final stage (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

After the conditions the previous day Ann had the car well sorted out for the finish, and we also had support from Emily Brick who joined us and brought along flasks of tea for the riders. It was to be a baptism of fire for Emily - I've never witnessed a start as intense! As soon as we took the turn into the crosswinds, there were riders turning their bikes around and heading home - obviously having not recovered from the previous day and not prepared to face into those conditions, who could blame them. Almost immediately we could hear over the race radio that the field was splitting, and from looking up the road it looked like the crosswinds were playing havoc - as well as dropped riders there were several groups starting to form. Cars were moving past riders, first in ones and twos, then larger groups. We came up on a group of about 25 or so riders and spotted a lot of our guys, and with having a second team car in the cavalcade we made the call to go around them and see if we could account for who from the Scott-Orwell and Joe Daly-Orwell teams were in the group, not an easy task with nearly everyone wearing a black gabba or rain cape covering both their jersey and race numbers! We got around the group safely - it turned out 6 of our 7 riders were there with only Ronan up the road. After moving up to the main field, which by now had been whittled down to about 50 riders, we had to assume Ronan was in there because we hadn't seen him as we passed groups of riders. Because we were car number 25, low down in the pecking order of the race cavalcade, we could only get up for a closer look if Ronan came back to request feeding (at which point we'd been instructed to move up over race radio). The pace was fierce with several line-outs, as the front of the race was still together but breaks attempting to get away the whole time. A break eventually did get up the road and things calmed slightly, we heard Ronan's number over the race radio and up we went to supply him with some gels - he wasn't taking on a bottle until he got over Coom An Easpaigh! With the break getting away the group Ronan was in had whittled down to about 25 riders at the foot of the climb, but as soon as the real climbing commenced riders were getting dropped - probably only about 10 were left at the top of the hill - a couple got back on but that small group rode home to the finish with Ronan finishing a fine 28th on the day. In the group behind, Brian McNally and Manuel went off on a flyer after the Coom An Easpaigh climb, and came home in a small group three minutes before the larger group arrived containing Jamie Busher, Brian McArdle and Odhran Connors. Unfortunately Aidan Collins had to abandon the stage with nausea.

The remaining 7 riders were all in good spirits on the final morning, that feeling of having gotten this far and the end being in sight lifting the mood. The course on the final day was 3 laps of a 26km loop starting and finishing in Killorglin, then onto a finishing circuit of 4.1 kilometres in the town itself, 9 laps to be done with the total race distance being 112kms. The objective for the riders was to try and get in the early break on the big laps, there were no wind or hills to split things up and it could possibly be more straightforward than previous days. And lo and behold, once the break established at the end of the first lap and the numbers were called out - Ronan was present and the excitement in the team car went up several notches! He was mixing it with some good company in the break - Mark Dowling and Anthony Walsh also being present. We then had to try navigating the team car around the peloton - which was still quite sizable, probably a hundred riders taking up the full width of the road. I was on the horn trying to let them know I was there and move around them safely - but there was a stretch were I was forced over into the hard shoulder on the right hand side, which was mainly gravel - I hit a pothole and for a split second thought I'd clipped a rider, my heart was in my mouth. Got around the bunch safely and up to Ronan to provide some support, but the break were kept on a tight leash and the gap never got above a minute and a half. When we hit the finishing circuit we had to pull over as only a handful of cars were allowed on and ours wasn't one of them. Ronan and two other riders got dropped out of the group as the attacks started from the first time up the hill in Killorglin - with Dowling and Walsh going on to battle it out for first and second on the stage. It's an effort for any rider to make it to the finishing circuit on the last day - if the group you are in is more than 3 minutes behind the leaders you are pulled from the race and given an estimated finishing time for the GC, but all of our remaining riders stayed with the main bunch to finish out the race strongly.

Stephen Barry at the end of the Ras Mumhan disappointed it's over (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)

All the riders did themselves proud, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Orwell team for Ras Mumhan 2016. I was inspired by Pat O'Brien to put my name forward to help out, and hope that the tradition of giving back to the club continues in his honor.

Manuel, Jamie, Brian, Odhran and Stephen (photograph with thanks to Ann Horan)