Da Cooley Thriller 2011

Cheers to Martin, a combination of Google Maps, Google Earth and a mass-email to my colleagues...I arrived at the Foy Centre on Sunday and got ready for the day ahead. Fortunately, this wasn’t an Adventure Race or would I have been in Donegall looking for directions ?. Luckily for those who made it, the BBC had got the weather forecast wrong and the skies were clear and sunny – no sun cream though, doh!

Registration was painless from the Foy Centre were you could pick up your complimentary T-shirt and then assemble outside for 9:30am while Johnny McCabe gave all the riders their orders over a PA system. Two distances were available for the day (21km and 54km) with me choosing the latter. I spoke to Andy and Brian (DromaraCC MTB) trying to guess what was planned ahead of us and then it was time to start. The start was like clock-work from the Centre and all riders were escorted around the village as shop keepers and tourists came out to view the spectacle. As we rounded corners, people jumped kerbs and shouldered their way forward to a more advantageous position to race for the coveted Cooley trophy and prize money in the region of 1000 Euro. 

Passing the starting point again we were led up a side road where everyone stopped for a few minutes filling the lane to capacity and side-stepped as Robin Seymour came charging  up the inside to make his way to the front for the start whistle. If there was a photo op...this was it! No camera alas.  :(

Whistle gone and it was a click-click-pedal stomp up the lane towards the base of the Cooleys. We passed through a field and then up a long fire-road, across a look-out point and then back on to some single-track (The Tain Trail?) where we encountered a traffic-jam of people lifting over a style and then across a small stream. Richie Byrne was on-hand to provide background commentary as people tumbled or took too long and the atmosphere was pretty jovial. Standing in line and looking down at the Lough you knew you were in for some great scenery today.

More fire-road and the trail turned in to a scene from Survivor as it became evident the numpty in front had taken a wrong turn and several of us followed him into the jungle. Back on track and dropping over a wall, a similar numpty stopped in front of me leaving me no room to run-off and I face-planted into the rocks. Still attached to the bike, I could taste the blood. Wiping my mouth I was only making it worse and didn’t know where I was bleeding from, plus the front brake calibre had locked on the rotor. I must have stood at the side for a good half hour until someone asked me was I ok and although I said yes, I clearly wasn’t and they could tell I was delirious. 

I thought screw it, pulled the calibre off, shrugged at the idea of quitting (after only 7 miles!!) and went for it. I was most definitely at the back of the pack. A quick cruise along the main road and then it was the long climb up to “The Mast” where I chatted with people along the way. Almost at the top for the first tea-stop, a car tooted the horn to come past a few riders I had over-taken and as I looked back jolted to see Johnny Bogues (Phoenix CC) right behind me. Must be the quietest breather ever? It was only later I found out that he was on his second lap having started at 6:30am that day in preparation for the Kielder 100 MTB Race! Fair play!

Quick coke-break at the top, checked my face and ego in a car mirror, said hello to a few people with cramp and then off again toward the mast. From here it was a rocky technical descent down a remote hill and with the wind howling it wouldn’t have been a great place to need assistance. Up and down up and down, across 2 rivers (I fell in one ffs, why are we not surprised!) passing people as I went who had been downed with mechanicals and/or punctures. 

At the top of the last peak a guy who I had been cycling alongside stopped to shake people’s hands – looked like he was about to cry and exclaimed “Brutal! Never again!” but it put a smile on people’s faces.

Over one last style, a big descent to the finish, on some single track and back to where we had started, to get ticked off the list. No search-party needed for this man and back to the Foy Centre for pasta, showers and the award ceremony. A time of 5:56 which I was happy enough with, all things considered. Robin took just 2hours 43 for his 54K!! Phenomenal. 

Big thanks to the people at the pit stops, the craic was good and the man and woman pouring drinks did their best to down play the hills that lay ahead :-). 

Would recommend more give it a go next year.

Full results below

Some Garmin stats here:

Cheers,

Adrian