Iron men line up for test of body and mind

The Kerry Group Rás Mumhan takes centre stage this weekend with the 500-plus kilometre stage race attracting a massive field of more than 170 riders.

Four stages over four days and 23 categorised climbs will make this a difficult assignment for seasoned riders — never mind a weekend warrior such as myself. There are four previous winners on the start list and several teams coming from as far away as Italy and the US, making it one of the most star-studded lineups in recent memory.

So a four-day gruel-fest over some of the most difficult roads in the country awaits. Mainly ‘dead’ roads; they are narrow, potholed, snaking paths of misery. If anyone tuned into the Tour of Flanders last Sunday, those roads the pros rode are not too dissimilar to what’s in store for the next four days. But unlike Flanders’ roads, Rás Mumhan roads are flanked by the hostile Atlantic and that means crosswinds. In the past those conditions have caused massive time gulfs within the field.