Remembering Pat O’Brien at the 2016 Mount Leinster Challenge

At the Mount Leinster Challenge on May 21st, Orwell Wheelers is hoping to visit Pat O’Brien’s grave before the event.…

What? Mount Leinster Challenge 2016 When? Saturday May 21st Where? Slaney Cycling Club, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (not Enniskerry as I’ve mad that mistake myself:-)) How? Registration Now Open (Entries limited to 300 Mount Leinster Challenge Entry

Why? One of iconic sportifs on the Irish cycling scene. It’s organised by one of the very best and well organised clubs in Leinster, Slaney Cycles. It’s limited to 300 entries and always sells out. There are two options on the day – 100km and 140km but the 140km is doable for everyone bar the complete beginner.

This is a Grand Tour event on the Leisure Championship/League and is worth 10/5 points plus if you do the 140km you’ll get a point in the Randonneur Medal. It crosses the biggest mountain in Leinster not once but twice! The food stop is amazing and you will absolutely love this cycle. I’ve done most sportifs in Ireland and this is always one of my favourite spins every year. I think absolutely every Orwell member should put this on their bucket list and if anyone is aiming at the Wicklow 200 this is a must do, perfect training spin just 3 weeks before the big day.

From a personal point of view this will be a very emotional trip for a lot of us as we head back to the late Pat O’Brien’s hometown cycling club. This sportif was always in Pat’s diary and he absolutely loved heading home for it. He even set the Strava kom on Mount Leinster on the 2014 version of the MLC.

The official roll out of the Mount Leinster Challenge is 930am so we hope to be at Sign on at 8am and then register then spin down to Pat’s grave to meet his family at 815am. Club President Denis will say a few words and we will lay a wreath on behalf of the club with Pat’s family. After that we will spin back to the GAA hq and start with the rest of the MLC.

This will be a special day in the hearts and minds of everyone in Orwell as we remember one of our proudest sons on the day of his favourite annual sportif in his hometown run by Slaney Cycling Club.

Obviously there will be a large Orwell contingent cycling the MLC but we’d love to get as many people down be they racer, leisure, social or junior member. The Ras is starting the following day and it’s obvious that not everyone will be able to cycle this but if would be brilliant to have as many of Pat’s racing and leisure friends down as possible.

Here are several photos from the 2014 Mount Leinster Challenge