The wind has calmed and the dust has started to settle after DAR Dingle. What a race! Highly regarded as one of the toughest races on the calendar and again, with the extra help of gale force 8 winds, it certainly didnt disappoint. The conditions were so severe, the kayak stage had to be cancelled but battling the elements more than made up for that. The DAR Dingle Gilets were definitely put through their paces.
I recall coming around Slea Head on the bike and off in the distance, on a relatively flat straight, I noticed a group of 5 or 6 guys stopped and off their bikes. I thought someone must have came off and was in trouble. Alas, no. I caught up with them and when I turned the corner a gust of wind hit me that put me off my bike and into a ditch. I tried to battle through but the wind was so strong, I couldnt physically propel the bike forward. I had to hop back off and walk for about 100 yards till I got to a sheltered stretch of road.
Summiting the clouds on top of Mount Eagle was awesome. Usually, you can see most of Kerry from the top, but you were lucky to see 20 yards ahead of you with the thick shroud of mist. On the way down, I went for a bath, loosing my footing into a large pool of water in the slippery conditions…which was actually quite refreshing.
Another highlight, as an avid GAA fan, was to have the legend of Micheal O’Muircheartaigh at the staring line, doing what he does best with microphone in hand and setting off each wave. Nice touch 🙂
I could go on but everything about the race was epic. After party wasnt too shabby either. A big thank you to Noel and the gang. Another great event!!!
Next years race date has been released already for June 9th 2018. Sign me up!
If you have any stories or highlights you wish to share, we would all be delighted to hear them…
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