2011 An Post Ras Launched

Featuring 28 categorised climbs, of which three are first category ascents, plus eight days of racing and a total of 1247 kilometres, the route of the 2011 An Post Rás has been unveiled. Just over three months remain until the May 22nd start of the race and there’s every indication that this year’s edition will be a close-fought, gripping battle of tactics and strength.

Beginning in Dunboyne and moving counter-clockwise around the country, the race will include stage finishes in locations such as Portumna, Kilrush, Castleisland, Castletownbere, Blarney, Tramore and Kildare. After battling through many counties and under all sorts of weather conditions, the riders will conclude things on Sunday May 29thwith the now-customary, crowd-thronged finale in Skerries.

This year’s race will make history on two fronts; it is the first with new title-sponsor An Post, and it will also see a working group take responsibility for organising the race, overseen by race director Dermot Dignam. 


He has worked closely with a large number of people in the past number of months, both in planning this year’s race and also in laying down the structure that will run the event for many years to come.

“This year we took the innovative step of asking a cyclist, Stephen O’Sullivan, to design the route, Stephen has a wealth of experience as a RÁS rider having competed no less than seventeen times and a stage winner into Tullow a few years, and will also be in the line-up again this year,” said Dignam. “I believe he has come back with a route that will test to the extreme each and everyone of the riders from the ten countries expected to participate. It is a most challenging route with long, hard, gruelling stages, fast open stages and mountain climbs spread over seven of the eight stages of the race”.

With three first category climbs, seven second-cat ascents and nineteen third category ramps, the final winner will be a very complete rider. He will need to be physically talented, but also tactically astute and able to read what is one of the most unpredictable races on the international calendar.

2011 An Post Rás:

Stage 1, Sunday May 22: Dunboyne – Portumna, 148 kms

Stage 2, Monday May 23: Portumna – Kilrush, 164kms

Stage 3, Tuesday May 24: Kilrush – Castleisland, 175kms

Stage 4, Wednesday May 25: Castleisland – Castletownbere, 142kms

Stage 5, Thursday May 26: Castletownbere – Blarney, 156kms

Stage 6, Friday May 27: Blarney – Tramore, 172kms

Stage 7, Saturday May 28: Tramore – Kildare, 157kms

Stage 8, Sunday May 29: Kildare – Skerries, 133kms

www.anpostras.com

Carling Nations Cup Kicks Off

The presence of Seamus Coleman, Ciaran Clark and Jonathan Walters in Ireland's team to play Wales at the Aviva Stadium tonight (7.45 pm) underlines the value of matches outside the major championship qualifying ties.

All three young players will eagerly accept this invitation from manager Giovanni Trapattoni to make a case, in this inaugural Carling Nations Cup tie, for a regular place in Ireland's international squad.

Ireland's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa was particularly heart-breaking because it was such a marginal failure. Now the search continues for players who might add that little extra to earn qualification for the UEFA finals of 2012 in Poland/Ukraine.

The next UEFA qualifying match is set for March 26 against Macedonia in the Aviva Stadium. Trapattoni will not have the opportunity of spending too much time with his players in the meantime. Tonight's match, and the days preparing for it, were particularly important for that reason.

The new players have had the opportunity of impressing the manager in training and now they can take that a step further by playing well against Wales.

All three newcomers will welcome the fact that they will be surrounded by experienced international players. The presence of so many of Ireland's first choice team will offer them confidence and improve their chances of producing their best form.

Ciaran Clark, playing in his first match at left-back, will be comforted by the presence of his team-match at Aston Villa, Richard Dunne, alongside him and by the presence of Damien Duff just ahead.

Seamus Coleman will, no doubt, have been well tutored by Trapattoni in what is expected of him in a defensive role on the right of midfield. The backing of John O'Shea at right-back will surely offer him the encouragement to exercise his attacking inclinations.

What better foil could any striker have than the remarkable Kevin Doyle ? Jonathan Walters, who played 45 minutes as substitute for Doyle in the friendly against Norway in November, will benefit by having the ultimate team player from Wolverhampton Wanderers as partner on this occasion.

Ireland, just like Wales, were denied the services of several first-choice players by injuries but this Irish selection is a strong one. They will need to be hard-working and focused against a Welsh team who will, themselves, go into the match with many incentives.

This will be Wales' first match under new manager, Gary Speed, and the players are bound to be keen to impress. And with a forthcoming match against England in the UEFA Championship on the horizon, Wales' players will desperately want to claim a first-team place.

What is equally certain is that this will be a very close and competitive match; contests with Wales always are.

The players on both sides are well-known to one another. Richard Dunne for Ireland will have his centre-back partner at Aston Villa, James Collins, on the opposite side; Kevin Doyle will be striving to put one over on his club colleague, Wayne Hennessy, in goal for Wales; Glenn Whelan and Jonathan Walters will undoubtedly come into close contact with their club colleague at Stoke City, Danny Collins.

Ireland last played Wales in the qualifying tournament of the UEFA Championship of 2008. They won 1-0 at Croke Park on March 24, 2007 and drew 2-2 in Cardiff on November 17, 2007.

Ireland conceded a late goal to lose 1-2 to Norway in November at the Aviva Stadium in their last match and they will be looking for a positive result here to set them up for the challenging game against Macedonia to come.

Bright performances from the newcomers, Ciaran Clark, Seamus Coleman and Jonathan Walters would offer further encouragement for the difficult UEFA qualifying campaign that stretches ahead.

The teams that start at the Aviva Stadium tonight will be:

Republic of Ireland: Shay Given (Manchester City); John O'Shea (Manchester United), Sean St. Ledger (Preston NE), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa); Seamus Coleman (Everton), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Paul Green (Derby County) or Darron Gibson (Manchester United), Damien Duff (Fulham); Jonathan Walters (Stoke City), Kevin Doyle (Wolves).

Wales: 1. Wayne Hennessey (Wolves); 2. Neal Eardley (Blackpool), 3. Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), 4. Danny Collins (Stoke City), 5. James Collins (Aston Villa), 6. Andrew Crofts (Norwich City), 7. David Vaughan (Blackpool), 8. Andy King (Leicester City), 9. Simon Church (Reading), 10. Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest), 11. Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading).

Real Maintain Bernabeu Record

Ronaldo

Not since the 1985/86 season have Real Madrid remained perfect at home through 22 weeks of La Liga action

No team this season has been able to leave the Santiago Bernabeu with points in hand. Real Madrid have won all 18 matches played at home and have scored 61 goals in doing so. The Whites haven’t lost a game on their home turf in ten months; a feat last accomplished by Luis Molowny’s men in 1985/86. That same year Real Madrid ended up winning all their matches at the Bernabeu and conquered La Liga and the UEFA Cup.

Madridistas have been privy to excellence at the Santiago Bernabeu this season. Whether it has been in La Liga (11), the Champions League (3) or the Copa del Rey (4), Real Madrid have had little trouble taking care of business on their home turf.

Not since the 1985/86 season have Real Madrid remained perfect at home through 22 weeks of La Liga action. With twelve league wins and three UEFA Cup victories under their belts, Luis Molowny and company went on to win both competitions and didn’t lose until a League Cup match on 18 May 1986.

The current streak, which now is in its tenth month, began last season. Not since Week 31 of the 2009/10 season has a team left Santiago Bernabeu Stadium rewarded for its football.

www.realmadrid.com

UCD RFC Centenary Dinner

This year’s annual dinner is one of the highlights of our Centenary celebrations. It promises to be a special event. It will be sponsored once again by Maples.

It will also involve the announcement of the “UCD Team of the Century” which should stimulate conversation given the quality of the players who played for UCD over the decades. 

The Details of the Feature Years for 2011 are: 

Year             President                               Captain

2001-01    Malachy Coughlan              Shane Moore

1990-91    Frankie Byrne                      Darragh O’Flaherty

1980-81    Finbar Costello                    Barry O’Brien

1970-71    P.L. Flanagan                      Shay Deering

1960-61    G.P.S. Hogan                       Henry Wall

Venue: O’Reilly Hall, UCD Campus, Belfield – Black Tie

Tables of ten are priced at Corporate table €1,250, Standard Table €1,000. 

If you wish to take a table please make your cheque payable to UCD RFC and send it to Paul Keenan or Mary McCabe, Capnua Limited, 51 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. 

If you have any queries, please contact Mary on 01 6050002 or by email mmccabe@capnua.com.

Blatter hints at summer World Cup

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has given the strongest indication yet that the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be held in the summer, not the winter. Blatter previously stated he expected the finals to be staged in January because of the country's climate.

The tournament traditionally takes place in June and July but temperatures in Qatar in those months can top 40C.

Blatter told the BBC: "I think for the time being the matter is on ice. Everything is settled for summer."

In January, Blatter said that the successful Qatari bid was based on a summer World Cup but the Fifa executive committee was entitled to change any element of it, adding that players had to be protected from extreme weather conditions.

But Blatter told BBC Sport's Brian Alexander: "Who said first that we should play in winter? It was Franz Beckenbauer, second Michel Platini and the world footballers' union (Fifpro).

"I am not in favour of one or the other. What I did say, winter is not only January or February. I think for the time being the matter is on ice."

He explained that a delegation from Qatar had visited Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and indicated that the World Cup would be played in the summer months.

"Everything is settled now for summer and all the 64 matches will be played in the territory of Qatar," said Blatter.

He added: "In the bidding documents it was clearly established that the executive committee reserved the right to change anything in the bidding process, but here in this case it must come from Qatar."

Qatar beat Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States to host the tournament in the vote held by Fifa's executive committee on 2 December 2010 in Zurich.