PRESS RELEASE
KERRY GROUP RAS MUMHAN 2010
Thursday 11 February 2010
Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, the first big stage race of the Irish cycle racing calendar, will take place over the Easter weekend from Good Friday April 02 to Easter Monday April 05, 2010. This prestigious four day international cycle race is sponsored by Kerry Group and will once again be based in the Killorglin area of County Kerry.
Speaking at the launch of the 2010 event, Race Secretary, Mary Concannon thanked Kerry Group for their continued support and said “The profile of the Rás, which is promoted by the local club in Killorglin, has grown considerably since Kerry Group came on board as the main sponsor of the race in 2009. This year’s race promises to be a very competitive affair with outstanding riders taking part from the local, national and international arena”.
With a total of almost 500km and 26 categorized climbs, 10 in the last 40k, this year’s Rás will see a field of over 120 riders battle it out to be crowned the 2010 Kerry Group Rás Mumhan winner. Frank Hayes, Director of Corporate Affairs, Kerry Group said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of this premier cycling event. The success of this race is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved and in particular of the local club in Killorglin. The demanding terrain of the south west of Ireland continues to challenge the elite in the cycling world and offers a unique opportunity for spectators to enjoy top-class cycling in this scenic part of Ireland”.
This year will see changes to the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan route and the full details are available on the new website for the event www.rasmumhan.ie . The race will get under way on Good Friday at 3.30pm in Killorglin with a new stage that will take in Milltown & Caragh Lake, a distance of 96km with three minor climbs on the way, before finishing in Killorglin at 6pm. Another new stage on Saturday will see the race start in Killarney at 11am and will take the riders to Kilgarvan and Kenmare before travelling out the Beara Peninsula, over the Healy Pass, on to Glengarriff, through the Tunnel road, on to the second passage through Kenmare and finish on top of Moll’s Gap. Four major climbs in the second half of this 140km stage will be a huge test for all cyclists participating in the race.
Easter Sunday sees the race back in South Kerry with the Waterville & Valentia Island stage. There are slight changes to this route but most will be familiar with this territory which has been used for the last few years. After a 12 noon start in Waterville its on through the Glen, back on to the main road and through Cahirsiveen, around the loop that passes the “Iron man”, Mick Murphy’s house (Ras Tailteann winner in 1958), on to Valentia Island which is home to another Kerry legend; footballer Mick O’ Connell, around St. Finians Bay and back to the finish in Waterville just before 4pm after 142 tough kilometers and five climbs.
On Easter Monday morning, the action gets under way at 10am in Killorglin. After two laps of the Fossa, Milltown, Killorglin Circuit it is on to the traditional finish for ten laps of the 4km Donal McKenna circuit, which is an increase from the six laps in previous years. There will be KOH points on the finish line of each lap, so the race for the climber’s jersey will be up for grabs right to the end.
Teams from Ireland, England, Isle of Man, Holland and Luxembourg have already registered for the 2010 event. Entry forms, rules & regulations are available on the website: www.rasmumhan.ie.