Distance:  Daily Stages vary from 130 Kilomtres to 180 Kilometres per day

Bicycles: The bike weighs about 8 KGs, have up to twenty gears and have carbon fibre components as well speciall alloys. 

Speed Riders will reach speeds of nearly 100 kph on some descents - 60 to 80 kph during the last 300 metres of the stages when sprinting for the finish line. The average speed for stages will be 40 to 50 kph.

Pedalling: Riders will be turning the pedals between 80 to 110 revs per minute for most of the stage but might reach 130+ revs when sprinting for the line or when there is a tailwind

Training : The amount of training An Post riders will have covered in training for The FBD Ras will be from 600 to 1000 kilometres per week.

Calories : A rider who weighs 70kg  will use about 3200 Calories during the longest stages. This is on top of 2300 calories the rider requires just for everyday living so the total calories for the day will be in the region of 5,000 to 5,500 calories.  

They are able to get this much energy by using high energy  foods and drinks  during the stages as well as the normal healthy diet.  

 Fluids: In warm weather Fluid intake might be as much as ten or twelve litres during some very hot stages.

Aerodynamics: Wind resistance plays a big part in tactics, a rider sitting sheltered from the wind, in the middle of the  group might only  have to use 50-60% of the effort as a rider leading the group.

Heart rates: The riders heart will be beating at 130 or so when the pace is easy to up to 190 + for short periods of time when they are racing flat out .

They will have resting heart trates of 30 to 50 beats per minute compared to the non athletic average man who will have a HR of 72 beats per minute

Who'll win THe Ras ?
THe rider who is gifted genetically
Who trains really well
who has courage and ability to overcome setbacks
Who Has a strong team support
Who uses the smartest tactics
Who avoids crashes, falls and illness

Paddy Doran is the leading Irish cycling coach and has trained or been masseur to the winners of six RAS events and multple stage winners.

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