Friday sees the Tour of Ireland pay it’s second visit to Mount Leinster when 7 time tour winner Lance Armstrong and 10 tour stage winner Mark Cavandish pass over the climb we all know so well. If last year was anything to go by, we could hold the county championships up there next Friday, as nearly every cyclist in the county will be there. Every time I looked around last year another local cyclist seemed to appear out of the mist!
The race will approach Bunclody from the Carnew Road, turning right into the square and then left just past the Mill Race Hotel. The race manual is giving three times for entry to Bunclody (Tailwind 12.16pm, Average 12.30pm, Headwind 12.45pm) and three times for the summit (Tailwind 12.33pm, Average 12.49pm, Headwind 13.05pm).
Stage 1
Some pictures from the mountain today
Some more images taken by Tonto on the lower slopes
Stage 2
Some pictures from stage 2 start in Clonmel. Sean eventually figured out the Clonmel one way system and found his way out of town! Spent some time with MTN team and met Adrien Niyonshuti, Jay Thomson – the first rider over Mount Leinster, and the great former tour rider Jock Boyer. Slaney CC’s Heather Purcell is doing a great job as soignoir with the MTN team for the weekend. Also just about saw the great LA through a throng of people who could’nt tell a bike from a tractor.
TOI TEAM LINE UP’S STAGE 1 ROUTE pdf
UPDATE: Irish cycling is in shock following the news that Paul Healion, who was due to compete as part of the seven-man national team in this week’s Tour of Ireland, was killed in a car accident last night. The 31-year-old Dubliner was driving alone and crashed near Ardee, County Louth. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
Healion was having his best season to date, taking a number of important results including his first ever stage victory in the FBD Insurance Rás in May as well as the national criterium championships in June.