Riding the Wave of Euphoria at L’Étape

Marian Spellman participated in the first ever L’Étape event in Killarney and was blown away by the scenery, the welcome received and the event itself

This article by was first published in KillarneyToday.com

For the first time ever in the history of Irish cycling Killarney played host to L’Etape tour de France and it graced the Kingdom with a splendid array of road bikes. With it came cycling enthusiasts from home and abroad and nobody could have predicted the wonderful experience that lay ahead.

A glorious day showcased Killarney and the county of Kerry as a place of majestic beauty. It was as if the stars had lined up in favour of the landscape, enabling it to reveal its wondrous, magical kaleidoscope of colour and it willingly enveloped the riders of L’Étape.

Relishing the flat road out past Muckross, we prepared for the first ascent of the day. The trees parted to reveal Muckross lake. It was sublime and splendid in form, encased by rock that protected its shores. Its mirrored surface reflected the morning sky and it truly was a thing of beauty.

Further along, a goat on his morning manoeuvres foraging breakfast, stared questioningly at us. He provided a picture backdrop of what was to be the unfolding of a glorious dawn.

The crest of a hill revealed Derrycunnihy Church, ghost-like in its form and wedged between lake and mountain. An edifice of yesteryear and a reminder to us that we were cycling past an ancestral legacy. The upper lake lay sublime and slept as we glided past.

The poem, Inniskeen Road: July Evening by Patrick Kavanagh came to mind: “The bicycles go by in twos and threes,” states Kavanagh in his beautiful work but this day in Killarney there were multiple duos of bikes going by.

A glance to our right revealed Ladies View in all its glorious dimensions. A place of superb beauty encased in undulating valleys. These were emblems, scratched from the earth beginning 30,000 years ago. The ice age left Kerry but not without bestowing upon it a great beauty.

An array of colours and forms combined with the scents of early autumn wafted over us as we continued on our way. This route in Kerry served to remind us that we are, at best privileged and at worst, intruders in nature.

The drumrolls at as we crested Moll’s Gap, otherwise known as, Céim an Daimh, rejuvenated us in a way that only the cyclist appreciates, as did, the food stop and the welcome provided by the volunteers.

It was time to absorb the beauty of Moll’s and to realise that the overhanging mist was testimony to the fact that we had climbed high. The beauty that lay ahead of us, however, was impossible to capture on a ‘phone camera.

As we headed towards Ballaghbeama gap, the sun rose to full capacity in the east, parting the mist to reveal a vibrancy of blue mountainous landscape that was breathtaking. Such a calico of colour drowns the eye of the beholder at first, but later acts as a reminder that this motley is precious. I thought Kerry is kaleidoscopic today.

The dappled dawn did not stop there. It continued on to Glencar and up the challenging climb of Ballghbeama but the reward for those who chose to take part in L’Etape was great.

The sky was mottled and streaked with morning colours. The sheep continued to graze knowing this intrusion was fleeting. Nowhere is more enticing to the eye than a mountain dappled with erratics deposited by an age that has long since been forgotten. The gigantic rocks that played host to the many bikes at the peak were steadfast and strong as riders regained their strength.

The beauty surrounding Carragh Lake laid bare yet another iridescent reminder of what the kingdom offers those who traverse its regions. Sheltered by its own multitude of natural foliage and sinking into the earth majestically, the lake was calm revealing the glory of where it lay. It mirrored its surrounds in splendid reflection and its enchantment was not lost on the riders participating in L’Étape.

Onwards towards Beaufort and rejuvenation of a different kind awaited. This is felt by every single rider who knows the elation of a finish line. The L’Etape cycle was reaching its conclusion.

Killarney played host to a myriad of cyclists and the welcome they received was magnificent. The L’Etape village was buzzing with cheer and one can only commend Oliver and the crew of Elite events for making this happen. It truly was an incredible experience.

Read the full article here: Riding the wave of euphoria at L’Etape | KillarneyToday.com