Armstrong gearing up for ‘monster’ climb in Cork city
As a 21-year-old Armstrong climbed the hill in the slipstream of Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche and twice in recent conversations he has mentioned the “monster”.
Tour of Ireland Project Director, Darach McQuaid, yesterday spoke of how the Tour de France legend, whose amazing comeback stunned the world this year, continues to bring up St Patrick’s Hill whenever they speak of the Tour of Ireland.
“I sat beside Lance at a dinner two years ago – just before we had our first Tour of Ireland – and when I told him we had revived the race, he immediately asked if we were including that “you-know-what” steep hill in Cork on the route,” McQuaid recalled.
“And when I spoke to him in Paris last weekend he again mentioned St Patrick’s Hill so it made a big impression on him.”
It was McQuaid who lured Armstrong to Ireland.
“I was at the Tour of Missouri after last year’s race and I was with an Irish-American named Larry O’Reilly – a board member of Lance Armstrong’s foundation – the day Lance announced his comeback,” he said.
“I asked Larry what were the chances of getting Lance to Ireland and he told me to call him.
“It appeared they were not 100% sold on having the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Paris because there was a lot of media unfriendliness in France to his comeback.
“The French government, however, were making a big effort to have the summit in Paris but then the Irish Government stepped in and they obviously did a better job and really closed the deal.”
Event organiser, Alan Rushton chose the exquisite surroundings of the Ritz-Carlton in Powerscourt yesterday to announce the full line-up of teams for the race, which will start at the hotel on Friday, August 21.
“Lance Armstrong is a legend in cycling and it will be great for fans to see him race on Irish roads,” said Rushton. “And it is great to have Mark Cavendish back again. Team Saxo Bank, Cervelo, Columbia – HTC, and Astana all had great results in this year’s Tour de France so racing will be very competitive.”
A peloton that just oozes class will provide some of Ireland’s top cyclists to race against the stars of the sport. Sam Bennett from Carrick-on-Suir, a hero of this year’s FBD Rás, will relish another opportunity to mix it with the big guns. Philip Deignan who missed out on a place in the Cervelo Test Team for the Tour de France gets his place on the team this time.
But nobody is looking forward to the race more than Tralee man, Paul Griffin, who rides for the Irish national team.
“This is my territory,” he said yesterday. “A stage into Killarney and a stage into Cork as well – I could not wish for more.”
He predicted fireworks on the final stage from Bantry to Cork.
“It is going to be a hard stage – very technical – so we will be hoping for good weather, particularly on St Patrick’s Hill but the real drama will be in the 10k before we start climbing when riders will be pushing and shoving and fighting for a good position before the climb.
“The crowds should be huge. It is not every day fans get to see a legend like Lance Armstrong.”
But Corkman, Páidí O’Brien, had all but given up hope of being ready to join his Sean Kelly/An Post teammates on the line. He mangled his hand on a spin the day after the national championships and yesterday he flew back to Belgium to meet the team doctor in a last desperate bid to be ready.
“I honestly think the race is coming a week or so too early,” he admitted. “I have been getting physio at Cork University Hospital and they tell me I could do permanent damage to the tendon going back too early.”
He joins his team-mate, David O’Loughlin, on the injured list. The Mayo Olympian suffered severe facial injures in a fall in a race in Germany last week. Eurosport is one of nine TV channels to broadcast the event to 180 countries worldwide.
The teams for this year’s Tour of Ireland are:
Astana, Carvelo Test Team, An Post Sean Kelly, CandiTV-Marshalls, Joker-Bianchi, Halfords-Bike Hut, Gteam Columbia-HTC, Irish National Team, Rapha Condor, BMC Racing, Rabobank, Team Saxo Bank, ISD-Neri, Team Type 1, Australian National Team, MTN Energade.
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