Hammond Memorials - cancelled!

*Update as of 12th July- due to last minute roadworks on the climb the Hammond memorial races are cancelled!

Thanks to everyone who came out in force last night - the marshalling was superb, and I can assure you the riders and crowds are very grateful for that. Hope everyone enjoyed it!

Now it's time to repeat the call - coming up in a little over two weeks on Sun 14th July is the other of the club's flagship races, the Noel and Kieran Hammond Memorials. While the Roche is a fast and furious crit, the Hammonds are road races around the hills of Wicklow, starting from Roundwood.

Once again, we need as many people as possible to volunteer as marshalls. It's less of a spectacle than last night, but with three separate races, there'll still be enough to keep you entertained.

If you're available on the day, please add your name below so we can better plan a roster. There'll be an A4 race, an A3 race and an A2/1 race, but once again If we don't get enough volunteers, Orwell riders who are signed on to race on the night will have to step up to marshal instead.

Every member of the club knows it takes plenty of volunteers to make sure an event - whether racing or leisure - is safe and well-run, so please stick your name down!

Any other takers for this one? We can't run a race with two marshalls!

We'd need marshalls to be at Roundwood at 10am, to get a briefing and get out to their junctions before everything kicks off at 11am. Race should be done before 2pm, although if you want to eat all the sandwiches you might need hang around a little longer.

In terms of logistics, in order to safely run this event, we'll need nine cars, and an estimated 33 static marshalls at junctions.

I know many gave their time to marshall at the Roche GP, and probably a few of those also volunteered at the Randonée in May, and the club and committee are grateful for that help. We'll need to make a call on the race next Tuesday, and if we don't have sufficient numbers by then, it may well be that we have to pull the event on safety grounds.

Historically we've always ended up with a surplus at the Roche GP because it's so accessible and mid-week, while the Hammonds suffer because they're further away. If lifts are an issue, there'll be plenty of cars for pooling, and a gang cycling out too. And I know some people aren't available Sundays, which is fair enough.

As it stands, I have:
1 Pat O'Brien
2 Isabel Cogan
3 Eric Downey
4 Paul Brosnan
5 Cormac Bracken
6 Monica Marconi

I'm willing to sit it out and not race if it makes the difference to the race going ahead. Like many members, I've been the recipient of many other clubs putting on races for me, and I'd be happy to return the favour. Ask not what your club can do for you...

Will marshall:
1 Pat O'Brien
2 Isabel Cogan
3 Eric Downey
4 Paul Brosnan (lead car)
5 Cormac Bracken
6 Monica Marconi
7 Brian McArdle
8 Brian Ahern
9 Colum Bradley
10 Mark Mulcahy (lead car)

Will marshall, but would like to race:
11 Neal Hudson
12 Aidan Collins
13 John Twomey
14 Philippe Bourdarias
15 Oisín Boland