A Clarion Team, 900 miles and the 1998 FBD Milk Rás

Stivali!

In June of 1997, Graham Pearce, the Stockport Clarion race guru came back from that years edition of the Rás telling us all of the great experience. He was leading one of the teams from their support vehicle. He made it sound ridiculously hard & insane, but also like the nearest an amateur could get to a true ‘tour’ experience. Over 30 teams, 9 days of racing, over 100 miles each day, 170 riders, team support vehicles, racing around Ireland, the home of Kelly, Roche, Earley & ofcourse Guinness. It sounded epic. It was…..This was going to be something we’d never forget.


At the next meeting Hamrag laid it on the line about the amount of training we’d need – laughing as he did, in his way of relating how impossible this race was. There was the cost – we’d need sponsors, vehicles a support team. We’d need to change, be more disciplined in what we ate & drunk. No more beery nights out & kebabs. But, if we could pull it all together, the Guru reckoned he could enter a Clarion team into the event. This was a real challenge. Even so, we had a year to get it sorted.

Well, no not really, training started in November 1997. In this year, we would all learn what our bodies were truly capable of.
Racing in 2nd & 3rd CAT races of 60 to 70 miles was one thing, but 9 days of elite level racing over 900 miles was another world. We’d done 3 day stage racing before in Ireland & Wales but at 2nd CAT level.
The previous year we’d hired a sports scientist to try to achieve better performances in racing. He provided a structured training plan and things seemed to work well. We’d need him again this year with the 1998 Rás as the target.
In September we met up with him. The team had 3 committed riders (Duncan Hewitt, Will Sanderson & myself) and others who could not commit at this stage. Graham Pearce was the team manager, with Andy Magee as team mechanic and Dave Armstrong as soigneur.

The support Team & riders: Back L-R Wayne Randle, Rob Numan, Julian Mortel, Duncan Hewitt, Will Sanderson
Front L-R Andy Magee, Graham Pearce, Dave Armstrong

We went through what time we had available for training. We all worked full time, Duncan at Gardner Merchant and Will at Royal & Sun Alliance in Salford & Manchester respectively and I had a contract about to start in Stockport, meaning we could all feasibly get out on the bikes each evening together. Learning to ride together, know each other abilities, strength’s & weaknesses were an important part of the team bonding. We would have to suffer together, support each other with motivation & encouragement. We had to learn to hold on to that wheel in front even when it felt impossible to continue.
We did an initial ramp test to set our individual levels and a plan was drawn up from that. Initially it was all about getting the miles in. Saturdays & Sundays were 100 mile days, steady. Monday was rest (no riding). Tuesday, intervals at Manchester track league, Wednesday; steady riding in the chaingang, Thursday; intervals on turbo or on the road and Friday group road ride.

To be continued


Speroni !