Scottish Cycling development riders travel to Ireland this week ahead of one of Ireland’s premier domestic stage race, Kerry Group Rás Mumhan this Easter weekend.
Scottish Cycling Endurance Coach Mark McKay will travel to Ireland with riders Phil Trodden, from Edinburgh; Pete Anderson, from Kincardineshire; Jack Barrett, from Kingussie, Invernessshire; Ryan Fenwick, from Kelso and Ruari Yeoman, from Lanarkshire. Also joining the team for the four day stage race will be Peebles local, Scottish Cross Country Mountain Biker Grant Ferguson.
Over the four days of racing riders will cover over 500 kilometres. Stage one is a mixture of drags and narrow winding roads which will provide a warm up for the remainder of the weekend. Stage two is a day for the climbers, with six categorised climbs including the Category 1 at Healy Pass. Stage three starts and finished in Waterville, with almost half the route running within a mile of the sea the wind and weather conditions play a big role in determining the difficulty of this stage. For the fourth and final stage riders will take on the Beaufort, Killorglin loop. Expect a spectacular spectator friendly finish at Killorglin!
Gary Coltman, Scottish Cycling’s head of performance said: “The event forms an important part of the rider’s long term development as well as being central to their preparation for goals later in the season. All six go into the race with clear objectives, and there is every chance of good results being achieved.”
“Preparing for the forthcoming Mountain Bike World Cup’s Grant is competing for the 2nd time and we know given the right opportunity, he is capable of mixing it with the best on the road as well as off road”.
“On behalf of everyone at Scottish Cycling, good luck to all the riders in Ireland.”
Full details of the race and routes can be found here: www.rasmumhan.com
