Including the Vuelta Espana Elite Challenge.

Exclusive to IrishCycling.com

As the dust settles for the Festive Season NCBI Blazing Saddles announce to-day a very ambitious programme of events for ’08.

The highlight of all elite leisure and club cyclists must be the announcement of “The Vuelta Espana Elite Cycle Challenge” in October to Spain with team leader Sean Kelly.

Eamon Duffy, Blazing Saddles Director said “this is the perfect year to take our elite annual event to Spain to celebrate Sean Kelly’s 20th anniversary of winning the Tour of Spain (Vuelta Espana) in 1988 with his team at that time KAS.

We have decided to do the opening 6x stages of the ’08 edition of the Vuelta just announced last week in Madrid. The only difference is in Stage 1 instead of a city time trial; we have gone for broke and included one of the most famous climbs in Europe – the Valeta in the Sierra Nevada as our own time trial. This is a signal to all our gang that we are raising the ante in ’08 – a fact”

It has been agreed by both Sean Kelly and Eamon Duffy to make the event somewhat tougher than recent editions. Eamon Duffy continues “We have softened up a little in the last two years and we feel we need to go back to a more elite challenge all round. It is now more of a Cyclosportif event. It is also good to go back doing full stages of a big tour and moving along each day. Sean and I believe that’s what our cyclists want – a real challenge!!


The cycle will start in Granada in the south of Spain and make it’s way north through the central region to Toledo (south of Madrid). The tour will pass through some of the most beautiful and scenic regions of Spain. Weather conditions in October will be just perfect with average temperatures of 25 degrees daily and plenty of sun!

The fundraising target is reduced to €2,900 all in per person – including flights, good hotel accommodation, all meals, bike transportation, insurance and full Blazing Saddles support. To sign up contact Blazing Saddles administrator Eleanor Kirwan (01) 8821925 or email: eleanor.kirwan@ncbi.ie

“Following the first 6x stages of the ’08 edition of “La Vuelta Espana. Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Sean Kelly’s Vuelta victory in 1988 with KAS”.

“MEXICO IS A REAL GEM”!
There is also great excitement as we prepare for Mexico departing Sunday, April 19th and returning Sunday, May 4th. The fundraising target is €4,850pp sharing. “The move to an earlier date has gone down very well with all the gang. Eamon, Colo and I are delighted with the way things have worked out for this amazing tour” said project administrator Eleanor Kirwan.

Places are still available, so please give Eleanor a call or an email. Philip Cassidy will lead the tour to Mexico and full details and stages are on the Blazing Saddles page of irishcycling.com.

“Everybody is welcome to join the team; we welcome all standards of cyclists. Mexico has really caught the eye and we have a big interest from all over. 

“THAILAND MOUNTAIN BIKE CYCLE”
Friday, October 24th to Friday, November 7th ’08.
(Fundraising target €4,850pp sharing)

NCBI are delighted to announce our return to “Amazing Thailand” for our 8th charity cycle. Thailand indeed has become a second home for NCBI and Blazing Saddles. Following this year’s hugely successful tour to Chiang Mai and Hua Hin; it has been decided to return by popular demand to both cycling locations in late October ’08.

“A combination of excellent on road and off road route stages allied to great hotels and great people has drawn us back, once again, to this truly amazing country” said team leader Brendan Hennessy. The contrast between the north’s hilly Chiang Mai and the rolling beaches and countryside of Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand has made the combination truly unique and most attractive.

Des Kenny, CEO of NCBI said “We have got the overall balance right. Our cyclists enjoy the daily stages and the challenges therein. There is no doubt Hua Hin has been a great new destination. We will still do the overnight in Bangkok to allow new folk witness at first hand Thailand’s bustling capital Bangkok. Our spiritual home of Chiang Mai continues to be most popular with our team members down the years”.

The fundraising target is very achievable and represents good value.

N.B. A full itinerary will be posted early in 2008 – so get your name into Eleanor.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE BEST OF THE REST ‘08
NCBI and Blazing Saddles will launch their full Programme of Events for ’08 at the special launch party on Friday, February 8th.

We are delighted to return to the recently renovated Old Jameson Distillery in Bow Street, where our own Blazing Saddle Ray Dempsey (GM) will roll out the red carpet as usual for NCBI. We hope to see you all in place at 8.00pm where some drinks and hot will be served to one and all. Always a night to remember – put it in your diary for February ’08!

Matt Dowling will co-ordinate our early season training camp for Mexico at the Dolmen Hotel, Carlow on Sunday, February 24th at 10.30am. We will have two routes 30km and 60km on the day. There are no big climbs. We hope to see you all in Carlow, which is easy to get too with great motorway connections. It’s approx 1 hour 20 mins from Dublin.

The award winning Kellogg’s Tour of Ireland ( www.tourofireland.eu ) is on again for the second year from Thursday, May 8th to Monday, May 12th. We were delighted to receive the accolade of international event of the year voted by the public on www.cyclesport.org  Please check it out. We certainly beat the best of the rest in world cycling. We hope to make it as special in ’08.

Well-known Wexford Blazing Saddle Kevin Hughes is co-ordinating a rerun of the Tour de France stages Wexford to Cork celebrating the 10th anniversary. It’s a super idea and Blazing Saddles are delighted to be nominated as beneficiaries.

Billy’s “Trip to Tipp” is probably one of the most popular events on the Irish cycling calendar each year. The Thurles legend has organised another great week-end of cycling for all on Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th. Not to be missed!!

NCBI and Blazing Saddles are delighted to be the beneficiaries, once again, of the growing Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford on Sunday, August 24th. Over 1,000 took part in ’07. It is hoped to increase the numbers to 1,500 participants. Milly Murphy co-ordinated the Blazing Saddles support structure for this amazing event. It is open to all grades of cyclists young and old! Last year it raised €18,000 for NCBI – well done!

The award winning Kellogg’s Tour of Ireland, we were delighted to receive the accolade of international event of the year voted by the public on www.cyclesport.org