The profile of a Great White Shark's teeth, or today's stage ... It's hard to tell.
The Autobus in cycling was, to me, much like Santa Claus when I was a child. I knew it existed as I'd heard about it plenty, but I'd never actually seen it. That was until today when I found myself in it for most of the afternoon.
I woke up this morning fearing the worst but hoping for the best. I'd thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the Ras thus far, from the challenge of the racing to the camaraderie and craic of my team-mates and those on the other teams I'm racing against. I was even enjoying the tan lines I was beginning to develop from hours on the saddle, an initiation right -- if you will -- into the peloton. With all that in mind I wanted to make sure that I had as good a day as I could and stay within the time limit so as to continue my adventure.
There was 153 hilly kilometres in front of me between Listowel and Glengarrif. I've always had a fearful respect for Sharks and looking at the profile of this stage, it was like looking at the teeth of a Great White. Eight, yes EIGHT, cateogrised climbs on a course that was either going up or down ... it would be the toughest day of the week.
The first of those climbs came not long after the start and, as ever, it was flat out. As a result a lot of guys blew right away and no longer had we gotten that behind us when we went up again as the pace remained high. I flirted with going out the back a couple of times and had to really bury myself to stay on, but I did.
Some time shortly after the Belgian lads lobby a grenade into the bunch and blew things at the back to bits. They're extremely strong in these conditions and had the entire race lined out for about 10 to 15 kilometres. Those went by in a blur and I was in agony trying to stay with them as things began to unravel all over the place. All it ever took on a hard, fast section -- as I was beginning to learn this week -- was one lost wheel by someone up in front of you and suddenly contact was lost. It's amazing the trust you put in the legs of those around you but once that split occurred, whoever was left behind you was your new group. I rode up the next hill at my own pace, careful not to allow cycling's man with the hammer to pay me a visit for a second day running and at the top I waited for the next group behind. It contained my mate Adam Armstrong -- who was riding his spare bike you might remember after his unfortunate mixing of Carbon and concrete yesterday -- as well as Stephen O'Sullivan, who designed the route and is riding his 20th Ras. What a man!
We rode hard up Molls Gap and chased intensely for the next 15 kilometres or so to catch the next group on the road. That made about ten of us. We rode through, but nothing too hard, and on the next climb caught a large group that contained my team-mate Stuart Henry and other local riders from Bangor, Fraser Duncan and James McMaster.
I had officially arrived in the Autobus. And it existed, in all its glory.
From here, standard Grupetto etiquette took hold: A few vets of the Ras called the shots and had the group ride easy enough the rest of the way home ... Careful to stay within the time-limit, but not busting ourselves so as to lose anymore from the group either. As a result the ride over Healy's Pass was an enjoyable and I even got a chance to raise my head from my bars to have a look around at the scenery. It truly is an amazing part of the world on a nice day or on a day when you aren't butchering yourself on a bicycle. On the run in my other team-mates, Conor Hanna and Dave Watson got into our group and so we all came home together.
After the doom and gloom of yesterday I felt a bit better today. Tomorrow it continues and it's 150.2 kilometres to Mitchelstown with only two category three climbs. What that brings is anyone's guess because I'm quickly beginning to learn there are only three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and a horrific pace in the Ras.
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Editors note:
It was announced later in the evening that 23 riders had missed the time cut and had been kicked out of the race. They had come in after the Autobus containing Matty and 42 others. Their appeals were rejected as Chief Commissaire Al Sutton and assistant Paul Watson stuck by tough new rules regarding riders finishing outside the time limit as laid down by the UCI last year. That rule states that eliminated riders can only be allowed back into a UCI-ranked race after missing the time cut if they have been hit by extraordinary or exceptional circumstances. These include being held up by a train, a tornado (yes, seriously), falling tree or not being permitted to pass an accident on a race route. One can only assume the exceptional circumstances are not limited to these as falling meteorite was not listed.
Given that all of those eliminated are county men -- the kind of men that make up a large portion of the race entrant when it begins and as such are a part of the culture of the race and its strong pro-am field -- it was surprising they weren't given another shot, especially given the number of them and the fact that a few didn't miss the cut off by much (a few did come in more than an hour and twenty minutes after the stage winner, mind you). Still rules are rules and the race referees have the right to enforce them to the letter and continue the Ras without them.
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Matty now sits 137th overall, a mere 1 hour, 8 minutes and 13 seconds behind the Yellow jersey of Marcin Bialoblocki.
