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Description
If ever a sport mirrored Ireland’s divisions cycling does. September 1953, 52 riders at the GPO in Dublin, a wet Saturday afternoon. As they took to the roads the concept of a national Irish bike race became a reality. The Rás quickly became an enormous success. Today over 200 contestants, some professional, from many countries, compete. It is characterised by unconventional practice, spontaneity, grittiness, and fierceness of competition. This book captures the spirit and essence of the Rás, its historical significance and place in Irish sporting history. It is leavened with stories of sacrifice, hardship, and epic achievement. Unforgettable are the training methods and diet of Mick Murphy, Kerry’s ‘Iron Man’. Early stars, such as Gene Mangan and Shay O’Hanlon, became sporting champions but victims of the wider political situation. The eventual reunification of Irish cycling in the 1970s saw the Rás graced by a new generation of Irish cyclists: the McQuaids, McCormacks, Kimmages and Stephen Roche. It is now part of cycling’s calendar of elite international events. Here all its brilliance and heartbreak is vividly captured.
Bibliographic Data
- Book Format: Paperback
- Published: Due May 2012
- Dimensions: 234 x 156 mm
- Number of pages: 352
- ISBN: 9781848891487
- Illustrations note: B&W photos,
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