King of the Hill Kelly tips Irish to star in Tour

SEAN KELLY left Cork yesterday on his Tour of Munster stage across the Vee, on to Cashel and to Limerick but he will be back next Wednesday to see how the young guns of world and Irish cycling handle the notorious St Patrick’s Hill climb when the Tour of Ireland hits it at the end of its first stage from Kilkenny.

The race will revive many memories for Kelly, who once dominated the race when it was a feature of the world cycling calendar.

“Patrick’s Hill is going to be something special for both spectators and cyclists alike,” the former world No. 1 predicted. “It holds many great memories for me but back then it was an awesome challenge for us Irish riders.

“You had to make sure you were in the top 10 at the bottom of the climb because riders who did not know the climb would begin to topple over and the road could become blocked.”

Now he is looking forward to seeing how the young guns handle it when the race arrives in Cork on Wednesday.

“We have some very good Irish riders and this is a great opportunity for them to claim some limelight,” he said. “I am hoping they can pull off a stage win at least.

“Paidi O’Brien has very good form at the moment and I know he is very excited about Patrick’s Hill and then there are the other guys like Nicolas Roche, Ciaran Power, David O’Loughlin and Philip Deignan. It is all going to be very exciting for them and for us watching.”

Noel Twohig, a former Blarney cyclist, is a man for whom Patrick’s Hill holds special memories, and yesterday he issued a challenge to anyone to break his record for the climb.

“My record is 46 seconds from a standing start at the very bottom of the hill to the white house at the top,” he said. “I did that back in the early 1960s when our bikes were three times the weight of bikes they ride now, and tyres were also much heavier. We would buy the heaviest tyres from George Harding to avoid punctures.

“Today the bikes are much lighter and the sport has changed so maybe it is the time for somebody to come out and take on that record. It would attract a lot of interest.”

Top riders from all over the world will do two circuits of St Patrick’s Hill, before finishing via St Patrick’s Street, Grand Parade and into South Mall next Wednesday afternoon.

The race is being sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and will be televised live by RTÉ. It will also be seen in more than 100 countries on five continents.

At approximately 4pm on the day, the riders and race entourage will approach St Patrick’s Hill via the quays, turning right at St Patrick’s Bridge. The route then involves a tough climb, followed by a hectic chase up Old Youghal Road and the very fast descent of Ballyhooly New Road and Summerhill.