New 2011 Team race bike - Raven Team

I got the new bike back in Janurary. I havnt riden it much as the winter grim would kill the bike, but I am getting out on it a lot more now. Same frame as last year, so the bike feels very similiar. the major change is the new XTR. Really good group, 2*10, new brakes, etc. I had Sram XX last year, which is incredible, but its like living with a good looking, pain in the ass women......great to have a go of, but impossible to live with. the new XTR just works, all of the time. Nice 1450 DT wheels and Fox forks with QR15, finished with 3T carbon fit. A real nice bike, very light and mega still and fast. Thanks again to Aidan and Richi in Eurocycles, I hope I do the bike justice this year!

Sun trip to Lanzarote - End March 2011

Its shit, dont go there.

Leinster League Rnd 1 – 20th March 2011 – Mt Leinster

1st race of the new season, and it was a good one. The 795 racing guys put on a super show. Apparently the course was dusty on the sat, but over night rain made it mega slippy, a night mare for some, a playground for others. I was there to have fun, very little training in the last few months, and I was heavy too.

This was the first race of the new categories, and there was about 15 in senior 1, not too bad. Up the first fireroad and the pace was steady, led by Alfi “don’t f**k with me” Wallace. It stayed all together until the top, when I gave a dig just to get the holeshot into the 1st singletrack. Long, twisty, kicks berms, really good fun. Out the other end and it was only me, Richi and Max. Richi put a dig in the next climb, but I let him go and decided I would cath him on the next descent…..but this didn’t happen, Richi was riding very well technically. I knew the only way I would catch him is if I went raggied on the descents, but this didn’t work either, he was going very well.

So 2nd it was, very pleased considering I can barely ride the bike. Mark from MAD was 3rd, great ride, and we should be seeing more of him as the season goes on. The race was great fun, I was laughin a lot, this is how events should be run. Well done to Mel in the ladies, Fergal in senior 2 (banger). Vinzer, my car pool parent, tired from a savage week in GC, had a tough day and rode around mid pack in the elites.

Off to Lanzarote next week for a family break, time to get the sun on the legs!

FSliddderrryyy

Vinny being chased by Oisin

Fergal on the bridge of doom

I'm not sure what is going on here, a TW rider going backwards :-)

Orla putting Richi in the trees!

2011 Irish Cyclocross Championships - Jan 2011

Grrrr, a lack of form before Christmas (booze, chocolates), coupled with a popped back, meant I chose to skip the nationals this year. Pity, as the reigning champ, I should have raced, but I would have been so far off the pace that I didn’t want to go. By the looks of it, it was a class race. Bob went from the gun, leaving Conor and Evan to duke it out. Congrats to bob, and Evan for outsprinting Conor for 2nd. Congrats also to the race organizers, the event looked great, very well setup etc. No more cross now until next year, time to get fit for the MTB!!!

Conor and Ryan go at it!

Full report here
http://www.ulstercyclocross.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29:national-championships-2011&catid=32:national-championships-2011&Itemid=30

Dec 2010 – MONSTER Snow

Mega snow here for the couple of weeks before Christmas. We had 1 day of no snow, then it went nuts again. 2ft of snow in my back garden! Biking was difficult,

I had an amazing spin with Robin and Vinzer over knocknagun on the Sunday of little snow. It was very cold, and we decided to go up knocknagun and hope that the bog was frozen. We actually rode on a 4 mtr wide track of deep snow all along the Dublin/wicklow border over the bog. Frozen solid, 40kms/hr…..like being on a ski slope…amazing.

I did a couple more spin in the snow, not too much. A great cross session on Stephens day in the snow with Robin, Mark and Andy. Then I popped my back fixing the tap in the kitchen, typical….knocked me out for a couple of week.

On the dublin/wicklow border. See the track go off behind my left shoulder, mad

Slidery roads

Back of Marley park

BikePure GP – Dec 12th 2010 – Belurgan Estate, Co. Louth

A tough few weeks prior to this race was not the best prep, plus lots of snow had made training difficult. Evan and I drove to Belurgan, just outside Dundalk for the “BikePure GP”, or the “McCorey Cup” as I like to call it.

Conditions were tough, the snow had melted the day before, and the course had to be modified to avoid lethal icy sections. That meant we were left with a shortish course, and lot and lots of mud!

As Bob and Conor were missing, I was going to be a head to head with Evan and me. At the end of lap one, it was me, Evan and super junior Cormac Clarke shlompin through the shlomp. I was suffering, and Evan was pushing the pace. On lap 3, Evan got a gap on the kicker, but got back on just before he flatted……not a good run for poor old Evan. For the rest of the race, I kept the head down, stayed out of trouble, and enjoyed the slidery conditions.

Congrats to Colm Ahern in 2nd, a solid ride. Evan suffered another flat and came in 3rd. Not long after that Cormac got 4th place….one to watch for sure.

Thanks to Myles, Dave and the team for a fun day out….the couple of Erdingers stuffed in the pockets went down well that night!

Supercross Cup # 4 – 20th Nov 2010 – Tymon Park

Ok, I wasn’t supposed to be doing this race. I started work at 7:45am. At 11am, I though ‘mmm, I can get out for a couple of hours here’….upstairs, into the gear, chucked the bike in the car, out to Tymon…..on the bike at 11:40, deadly. Same course as # 2, but with a couple of tweeks…..much wetter though.

Off we went, straight away, Robin, Evan, Conor and I got away. On lap 2 I led through the off camber and had a huge slide and the back end went away, funny, not too much time lost (see vide blow). Conor got a gap on lap 4, and Robin jumped over. I let it go a bit as I wanted to isolate Evan. I then jumped Evan and rode up to Conor and Bob….no, hold on, I never feckin got back on…..brutal. Evans bike snapped on the next lap, so that was him out. Conor was riding REAL well, but bob got away to take the win, Conor next, then me, then Peter Mc, savage ride. 3rd was good enough to take 2nd overall in the series. Thanks to Bob and Dave!

Straight into the car and home for more work…..tapping away on the laptop covered in mud….busy busy day.

Stevens Supercross Cup from David Gill on Vimeo.