Author: william parnell

General News / Leisure News / News

100 in 8

The IVCA’s 100 in 8 tour takes place next Sunday, 7th August.  With road racing taking a break this weekend, we’re hoping for a good turn out for the touring event.  Even if you only want to ride part of the way, our touring members would be glad of the company and shelter from the wind as they take on this challenge.  Remember though – it is a tour and not a race.

Covering 100 miles in 8 hours is one of cycling’s major standard touring challenges and has been a feature on the IVCA events calendar for many years.  An engraved Silver Medal is awarded each year to any member completing the 50 in 4, the Wicklow 200 and the 100 in 8.

This year’s event will start from the Grasshopper Inn in Clonee (not the Phoenix Park as indicated in the published calendar, out of safety considerations).  Sign on is at 8:30am for a 9:00am start.  The route will go in the direction of Bracetown, Ratoath, Kentstown, Navan, Athboy and on to Delvin for a tea stop.  The return journey is through Killucan, Ratharney, Rathmolyon, and Summerhill to Clonee.

A map of the route is available here.  Thanks are due to Jimmy Murphy and Tony Pearson for arranging this route and marking the major turns along the way.
The cost of the tea and sandwiches in Delvin will be in the region of €5.00.
We would ask as many members as possible to support this tour in our 50th Anniversary year.

 

News / Road News

Dylan Delivers

In an exciting finish to the Henry Whelan Memorial over four laps of The Curragh circuit, Dylan Rafter delivered a stunning sprint to beat Paul McKenna and Fearghal Regan to the line.  Long-time race leader and last year’s winner, Sean Lally, had the misfortune to puncture at the start of the last lap, and this changed the dynamics of the race heading into the final climbs of Boston Hill and Dunmurray Hill.  In the end, it came down to a sprint between a small group of riders with Dylan taking the honours.

Race results are available here.

It was great to see members of Henry Whelan’s family at the race finish today, to present the trophy to the winner.

Thanks, as ever, to the race marshals, drivers and outriders who make such a big contribution to our racing.

Dylan Rafter

News / Road News

Henry Whelan Memorial

This Sunday’s race (31 July) is the Henry Whelan Memorial.  This race will be run as an Age CP over 4 laps of The Curragh circuit, with riders heading off in 5-year age groups (the oldest riders starting first).  The time gaps for Age CPs (based on a 50 mile race) are published in a previous post on this website.  Times will be adjusted pro-rata to take account of the shorter distance of this Sunday’s race (70 km).

The late Henry Whelan was Chair of the IVCA in the early 2000s and was hugely encouraging to new members.  He joined Orwell Wheelers in 1948 at the age of 15 and was a keen road and track man.  In the late 1940s and early 1950s, grass track racing was in vogue and cycling events were regularly held as part of Athletics meetings in Lansdowne Road and College Park, as well as elsewhere throughout the country.

Henry stopped cycling for 30 years due to family and business commitments, but returned to the sport in the 1980s through the IVCA and was a central figure in the Association up to the time of his passing.  He was a great fan of sprinter Mario Cippolini and got to meet the great man in 1998 when the Tour de France visited Dublin.

 

Road Racing

Age CP Gaps

The following are the handicaps for Age CPs, as approved by the membership in 2014

[gview file=”https://theivca.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IVCA-Age-CPs-time-gaps.pdf”]

General News

Next event – Millennium Cup

Next Sunday’s race, 24th July, takes place in Monasterevin.  Race 2 will compete for the Millennium Cup, with League points up for grabs in all three races.  (Race 1 competed for the Dermot McGrath trophy earlier in the year, while Race 3 will compete for the Sonny Cullen memorial in August).

As ever, first race is off at 9 am, with sign-on closing at 8.45 am sharp.  Marshals should report to sign-on 30 minutes before the start.  A reminder that changing facilities and toilets are available in the GAA clubhouse, with the entrance facing the football pitch (on the opposite side of the building to the car park).

News / Road News / TT News

Busy Tuesday for IVCA racing

This Tuesday, 19th July is a busy one on the IVCA calendar.

For the Time Triallers amongst us, the Alfresco Shield 25TT start at Moyvalley, on the old Galway Road past Enfield.  First rider off at 7.15pm.  Marshals please be there at least 30min before this time.

For the Road Racing addicts, this year we are trialling an event in Mondello Park, Naas, Co Kildare.

This will be run in a two race format with RED, PURPLE, BLUE & GREEN away at 7pm at 1 minute intervals. Distance will be 45min +2laps.  Sign-on opens at 6.15 pm and closes at 6.45 pm sharp for this race.

WHITE, ORANGE & BLACK groups are away at 8pm at 1 minute intervals. Distance 45min +2laps.

Sign on closes at 7.45pm sharp.

There will be a Sign On fee for this race of €5 per entry.   This is to cover the hire of the track.  These races do not form part of the Road Race League, but should nonetheless make for a fascinating and fast evening’s racing.

Finally, many thanks are due to our friends in Tullamore for organising a great day’s racing last Sunday. A lot of work went in to organising the racing and the post-race refreshments.  It was much appreciated by all participants.

General News / News / Road News

Lally leaves the opposition in his wake (and other updates)

It was another great victory in the Founders Cup Age CP for Sean Lally (Snr) on Sunday, 19th June.  In a race he has made his own with numerous victories in the event over the last 15 years, Lally defied the bad weather and a riders a generation younger than him to take the spoils in Summerhill.  Second place went to another IVCA stalwart, Peter Schweppe, with John Brady taking the final podium place.

Schweppe was the joint winner of the 2-Day event over the June Bank Holiday weekend, sharing the points-based competition with Jim Morahan.  Each of them had a win and a second place over the two races that weekend.

This week sees a focus on Time Trials, with the Kelly Cup on Tuesday, 21st June, and the 25 Championship on Sunday next, 26th June.  The next road race will be on Tuesday, 28th June, in Summerhill.  The previous Tuesday race which was scheduled for Kilcullen on 14th June, was cancelled due to appalling weather conditions.  Everyone who turned up and signed on that evening was awarded 2 League points.

Remember, all road race results are available on the Road Race results page on the website.

News / Road News

Founders Cup

After a successful Wicklow 200 event last weekend, Sunday racing resumes this week in Summerhill with the prestigious Founders Cup to be competed for.

The Founders Cup was donated by the original founding members of the IVCA, whose names are engraved on the cup: Phil Byrne, Des Troy, Tom Dempsey, E. Dunphy, Denis Goody, Donal O’Connell, Dick O’Brien, Fred Smith and Paddy McInerney.

With this year being the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the IVCA, Sunday’s race will hold an special air of importance for the winner.  The race is run each year in an Age CP format.  Riders are handicapped in 5-year age groups, with the oldest riders first away.

It should be a fascinating race on Sunday!

 

 

General News

Thank You!!

On behalf of the IVCA Board, can I offer our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make the Wicklow 200/100 a success on Sunday, 12 June.

It was not the nicest of mornings to be marshalling, but thankfully the weather cleared during the day and back at the finish, riders spoke about how well the event was marshalled and appreciated the support along the way.

So to everyone who helped out or on the day, or in advance, and to the organising team led by Alan Heary, well done on your efforts.  It was great to see the sense of achievement on the face of riders at the finish and great to see that the Wicklow still holds its place as Ireland’s friendliest Sportive.