Team Orwell answers the Rás challenge
FDB Rás, 17th-24th May
The four club riders in the Dublin Orwell Dundrum Town Centre team in this year's FBD Rás all made it safely to the finish line in Skerries on Sunday afternoon after eight arduous days in the saddle battling frequently inclement weather, the merciless pace set by the top class international riders and the challenging parcours designed by race director Dermot Dignam.
Graham Hurley, Stephen Surdival, Shane Hurley and Rás debutant Ódhran Connors all made their mark on a race that explored the limits of each rider's mental and physical capacities. Only one rider from the team failed to finish, Dunboyne guest Philip Finnegan sustaining a broken wrist on day two from which it is hoped he can recover quickly.
All the riders had stories to tell after a 1289km week long slog with Shane Hurley impressing greatly with a 17th place finish in the group sprint at the conclusion of Saturday's penultimate stage into Clara. His brother Graham had finished 25th on the previous day's run to Castlebar but it might have been even better had he not punctured while lying sixth with 500 metres to go. He eventually finished the week fifth best Senior 2 rider.
Stephen Surdival's long planned bid for glory on the Connor pass on stage four was foiled when the team's mountain goat punctured out of a select chase group just as it got properly organised in the early skirmishing. His subsequent 25 minute chase back to the main group concluded just in time for the fabled Kerry climb but he was less than recovered at a critical moment.
Ódhran Connors was the team Rás rookie and the daunting prospect of eight days in the company of professional riders was compounded by the acquisition after a few days of a debilitating chest infection which necessitated a course of antibiotics.
After a week of grim endurance the final test of his mental fortitude came when he got caught up in one of the several crashes that peppered the final day's action and he eventually rolled into Skerries exhausted and bearing the scars of battle but proud to have become one of the fabled 'men of the Rás'.
The back-up crew of Graham Thomas (manager and anecdotes), Dave McLoughlin (mechanic and tweets) and Brian Hayden (logistics and shouting) were unstinting in their support for the riders and the undoubted esprit de corps among the team was a key feature of the week for the happy Orwell band.
Club President Eddie Lynch visited the race on Tuesday and Wednesday and contributed to the mammoth logistical task of keeping the four riders prepared for action.
Other support for the squad came from Joe Daly's Cycles, Aidan Hammond/Powerbar, Noel Reid and Jimmy Stagg who sponsored the team and without whom the week wouldn't have been possible. The team would also like to express their gratitude to the Orwell Wheelers as a whole for all the support both financial and moral.
Results
Final classification (162 starters, 136 finishers)
75th Graham Hurley (Orwell Wheelers DTC), 5th Senior Two
97th Stephen Surdival (Orwell Wheelers DTC)
116th Shane Hurley (Orwell Wheelers DTC)
129th Ódhran Connors (Orwell Wheelers DTC)
County team classification
Orwell Wheelers DTC 10th of 16
