Sean kelly

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Grand slam twarthed by Mean Buns

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The lady standing behind the table of sandwiches pointed the scissors at me.

‘Bacelet’ she demanded.

I had travelled a round trip of 560km (400km by car and 160km by bicycle)  to collect my ‘Tour of Sligo’ bracelet and complete the set (An Post: Tour of Waterford, Tour of the Burren, Rebel Tour and Tour of Meath).  I had survived the 160km route only to be denied by the mean lady in charge of the Sligo IT caterers.

‘I collect them’, the man in front of me pleaded’

She shrugged as the scissors cut the bracelet from his wrist. She handed him the bracelet so that he could hand it back to her as he should have done when she first asked. He looked sheepishly at the slice of Ham between two slices of white pan. The theme music from Platoon played on the tan-oi as he turned away.

‘I need it to get my collection’ I also pleaded.

‘I need it to get paid’, she replied curtly.

A obvious solution was to keep the bracelet and thank her for her help but I decided not to upset the ‘sandwich cart’. Its not like me. I usually like to start hassle and spread disharmony wherever I go but I was tired and I let it go.

When I look back now I realize it was only a paper bracelet and a lousy sandwich. I regret it all. I should have gone for it and said something that caused a fuss. and made Mean Bun lady cross.

 

Ah well- I got the final laugh on her- I took a second cup of coffee and took two of the Green Tea cakes even though there was a clear one sandwich, one coffee and one bun policy in place.

 

The An Post Tour of Sligo was fantastic and I am glad I left without my Bracelet as I will be going back again next year to get it.

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Crache dans la soupe

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I must apologise to my loyal readers. I have been wallowing in a Kimmagian pit of misery.  As my chip and chocolate addiction spiral out of control so does my weight. Work and weather wreck my weekly training.

I reached my Nadir tonight however. I found myself reading ‘Rough Rides’ while eating a McDonald’s ‘Happy meal’. The meal did not make me happy.

But I have found inspiration within the pages of Mr Kimmages splendid book. Sean Kelly had saved me again. 

Paul  visits Sean in Brussels when he is facing a professional crisis …

‘I never liked saunas, and Kelly insisted on rising the temperature by throwing water on the stones. We lasted 15 minutes but had to get out. It had been incredibly hot and we were both so drained that we could hardly stand

“Jaysus, Kelly, you look like death warmed up. “
And he laughed, but then said,  “Did you never feel this tired after finishing a race?”
I thought about it. Yes I had but only once. It was in a prologue time trial of the Coors Classic in Boulder, Colorado a few weeks before the Olympic Road race in LA. The finish was at the top of a hard climb, and I remember losing consciousness about fifty metres before the line and waking up with a blanket around me five minutes later. It was the only time in my life I had ever pushed myself beyond my limits

“Yes”  I replied, “once. What about you? “

“Yes, regularly”

Tomorrow I’m going to wash my hair with Johnson & Johnsons ‘No more tears‘ Shampoo.  It begins here, regularly

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Its good to be King

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Okay, okay, I know it won’t last and I know there were loads of people faster but it’s still good to be King for a day and 1/118 is good.

To be honest I don’t think I ever would have expected to be posting times like this.

Felt that I was going Okay until the first climb but found it tough then I was pushed up ‘Powers the Pot’ by Mike and Terry.I wasn’t able to match them on the climb but I clung on and crested The Hill wth them. Quick stop for water and got caught on my own until Mahon Falls. I struggled up it.

It was after Mahon Falls that I came into form. I made good time and no one could stay with me. At the foot of Maam Road I was passed by two Dungarvan CC riders. Tried to stay with them but couldn’t. Made it to the top then soloed the whole way back without seeing another rider until I joined up with finishers on the 100 km route.

Great fun. The Comeragh Challenge is a great spin every year