Notes 03/03/2022

C Group Final Training Run for Majorca Adventure 02/04/2022

A hardy bunch of 10 C riders headed west, under grey skies, to Ballynacarrigy on their final training run before they head to Majorca on a cycling tour this week. From Ballynacarrigy they headed on into Longford and via Tashinny rolled into Ballymahon for the tea stop, soon thereafter. From there it was straight back to Mullingar via Moyvore and the infamous (for cyclists) Skeagh hill as the weather closed in. A sudden rain shower produced a spurt from the peloton which soon arrived back in Mullingar. With 70 kms on the clock and plenty of climbing this spin has the group in fine fettle for their upcoming Majorca adventure.

A & B Group head for the hills to celebrate the tour of Flanders 03/04/2022

Sometimes a particular weekend club spin lives long in the memory above others. Such was the case for Sunday’s spin for the A and B group members of Lakeside Wheelers cycling club. For context it was way back in 2011 when a group of Wheelers decided to visit the Flemish part of Belgium which hosts one of the big professional spring classic one day races. The Tour of Flanders. The trip was a success and, to celebrate the Flemish race the club has since run its own version of that race on the same day at the pro one and this is run around the roads and hills of North Westmeath. It has hence become known as the Tour of Flakeanders. Lots of short sharp hills or drags over a long distance make for a tough day in the saddle. The A route was put together by Mark Monaghan who was on the original 2011 trip to Belgium. With over 1000 m of climbing and nearly 130 KM long, Sunday’s spin had the makings of being a bit of a classic. The B Group route designed by Eugene Duffy comprised 80 Kms and 600 metres of climbing. When we gathered at O’Briens Centra at 8:30, we were bathed in a thick fog with temperatures hovering around zero. Thankfully the fog cleared as soon as we left Mullingar The A and B groups worked well together and the mood was good as the bright spring sunshine lifted everybody’s spirits. We rolled into Fore village for our coffee break and were very well looked after at Ned’s Forge. One by one both A groups and a large B group headed by Eugene made its way from Fore. I can highly recommend dropping by Ned’s if you’re in the area as they have indoor and outdoor seating to suit conditions on the day. We didn’t manage to get back to Mullingar as a single group as, due to the length and ‘toughness’ of the day some of us were dropped and had to pedal the last 20 or 30 Km on our own or in small groups. Thanks to PJ Carey for helping to get this particular cyclist home otherwise I might still be out there! A fabulous day to be out on the bike and these are the kind of days which make the training worthwhile.

Midland League

The MIL or Midland League committee met recently and have decided on the calendar and format for this year's races. In 2022 we are going to have the opportunity to race 15 times over the Spring, Summer and early Autumn. For the first time there will be a Women's only league which will be run as part of the C group so this will hopefully encourage more female participation in the MIL. Race evenings are on Thursdays and are a great way to test or improve your fitness and maybe even score few points towards coming top of your race category. If you are interested to know more about the MIL don’t hesitate to ask as lots of club members race this event every year and remember you don’t have to be in A group rider to join in. Otherwise you can email secretary@lakesidewheelers.ie for an update.

Membership

If you have not renewed your club and Cycling Ireland membership at this point please please please do it as soon as possible as this protects you and the club once out on the road. Thank you.