The Route details for this years KERRY GROUP RAS MUMHAN 4 Day International Cycle Race to be held in Kerry over the Easter week-end , starting on Good Friday April 6th until Easter Monday April 9th will see a slight change to Stage1 from last year , with stages 2 & 3 the same , and a change to Stage 4 that will see the race back on the Beaufort circuit.
This year will once again feature a challenging mountain top stage finish. The famous Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula has again been chosen as the stage 2 finish on Easter Saturday. Easter Sunday is on the roads of South Kerry from Waterville , with Easter Mondays stage back on the Beaufort circuit used many times before the final laps up the famous hill in the town centre. With a total race distance of almost 500 km the race will visit East, West, South and Mid Kerry over four days of racing.
Stage 1 Good Friday April 06th , The Sliabh Luachra Stage, will start at 4pm will be 101 km race that will take the riders to the Sliabh Luachra area of East Kerry, starting in Killorglin, on to Killarney, Kilcummin, Scartaglin, Castleisland, Firies, Castlemaine, Milltown and back to finish in Killorglin approx 6.30pm. This is much the same as last year with a reduction of 5km in the stage distance.
Stage 2 Easter Saturday April 07th, Dingle and Conor Pass Stage, will have a 12 noon start and will be 130 km stage in West Kerry. The race will start in Dingle and go West through Ventry, around Slea Head to Ballyferriter, over to Ventry again and back towards Dingle where cyclists will turn left across to Murreigh and Feohanagh. The race will then go back through Dingle, on to Lispole, then Annascaul and at Camp Cross cyclists will turn left to Cloghane and Stradbally, finishing on the top of the Conor Pass, around 3.30 pm .
Stage 3 Easter Sunday April 08th ,Waterville and Valentia Island Stage, is in South Kerry which has proved to be a huge success over the last few years. There is a noon start again with the route the same as last year, starting and finishing in Waterville. The route will take the riders from the start at Waterville to the Glen, on to Cahirciveen, Dromid , back to within 3k of the start before the trip to Valentia Island, St Finians Bay, and back to finish in Waterville around 3.30pm after a total distance of 142km.
Stage 4 Easter Monday April 09th, Beaufort & Killorglin Stage in Mid Kerry area, has an early start at 10am to give everybody with long journeys home an early finish at 1pm. The route will be familiar to many as it has been used on the final day many times. There are 3 laps of the Beaufort /Killorglin circuit and then on to the Shorter Donal McKenna Lap to be covered 10 times before the final chequered flag , after 114km.
Clubs, teams or individuals interested in taking part in the race should contact the Race Secretary, Mary Concannon: Tel: 00 353 64 44396 / 00 353 87 2802071, maryconcannon@eircom.net.
Full details of the route will be available on the website at www.rasmumhan.ie
For further information please contact:
Tadgh Moriarty Race Director/Press Officer 00353 87 2443360 genemoriarty@eircom.net
Maria Rohan Kerry Group 00353 66 7182309