This weekend I raced in Ireland at the Ras Na Nog. A two day youth tour which consisted of a kermese and two road races. The best youths in Ireland would be competing, as it was a selection event for the for the European Youth Olympics team.
Stage one was a 10 lap kermese round a flat 1.6 kilometre circuit. Before the start of the race the organiser Gerard lined us up about 20 meters before the line and called the best riders in the race up to line. I was shocked when I heard ‘The first rider to come up to the line will be our only overseas rider, riding for Herbalife Wheelbase, Jack Sadler!’! When the race was under way there were attacks flying everywhere so I knew I had to be in the first 5. Each lap someone would attack and thankfully, it would always come back. With a lap to go I moved up to third wheel, just as I was doing so, Sean Mc Conville rode of the front of the race. There was no reaction from the other riders and I didn’t want to chase him down because I wanted to save energy for the sprint! With a kilometre to go we cornered the last bend and we were now on the home straight to the finish, with Sean in sight! With 600 meters to go the bunch still weren’t reacting and I knew I had to go now if I were to catch him! I kicked and got about 50 meters, I kept this up all the way to the line! But it wasn’t enough to catch Sean and I had to stick with 2nd place.
Stage two (on the same day) was a hilly 6km circuit, where we did 6 laps, which went around the lanes surrounding Drogheda. Gerard once again called the top 8 up to the line and then began the race. Not having much road race experience I rode the race like a crit, in the first five all the time, covering the moves. The race once again, was very stop start, with attacks flying everywhere. The one time I moved back to about 8th in the bunch, and a move went up the road, it was Eddie Dunbar, attacked without anyone knowing! On the last lap, the bunch was riding very slow and it was going to be a bunch sprint for second place! Coming down the hill towards the finishing climb, there were 3 riders across the road, me, Thomas Fallon and Mark Downey. Just before the climb there was a big dip (which in the past had coursed people to crash!). When we hit the dip I and Mark Downey started sprinting and we were level until about 10 meters before the line when my wasted efforts from earlier in the race hit me! I got cramp in both legs and lost 5 places on the line. However when we got back to the hotel, Gerard was there with the results and with my consistent riding I was lying in 1st overall!
Stage three was a 14km rolling circuit, where we did 4 laps, which once again was located around Drogheda. Before the race I had got the numbers of the first 7, wrote them down on a piece of paper and stuck it to my stem. This was because it was so close between us on points, I couldn’t afford to let anyone go up the road. Once the race got under way it wasn’t long before the attacks started and as soon as we entered the first narrow uphill section, Dylan Foleys went up the road. No one reacted at all until a lap later, when stage two winners Eddie Dunbar and a few others attacked and bridge the gap to Dylan. With two laps to I was sat behind the yellow jersey Mark Downey (who I was joint on points with after day one, got the jersey because he got higher than me on stage two), had a mechanical and was out of the race! On the last lap we caught two of the riders who were up the road, accept Dunbar and Foleys! Coming up to the finish, we hit a slight drag, and I got boxed in! On the far right of the road some opened up their sprint early and I felt like I had to go now, so I shoulder barged and leant on someone and I was out! I kicked, I was in on the line but Shane O’Hara who was 2nd Overall after day 1 came past me and got me on the line! In the end we were joint first, but he got a higher place than me on the last stage so he got the jersey.
All in all it was a great weekend and I made some fantastic friends.
My next race is tomorrow at Salt ayre in Lancaster and then Rutland youth classic at the weekend.
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