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Last Updated: 6 Apr 2018 - 12:06:24 PM |
New Cyclo Sportive to Tour Ireland…
By Press Release - 8th December 2006
10 Dec 2006,
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The new Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge has been launched today in Lisburn’s Lagan Valley Island and supported by cycling legends Sean Kelly and Dave Lloyd and Lisburn’s own sporting legend, Dame Mary Peters CBE
Joe Barr and Marc Barr two brothers from the north-west of Ireland are the driving force behind this event and they feel that the time is right to address a shortfall within Irish leisure cycling. Joe himself a long serving participant and ambassador of Irish Cycling, a Commonwealth Games medallist with numerous achievement in competitive international cycling together with his brother who is the commercial mind of this partnership aim to add to the dimension of cycling in Ireland with this new event.
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| From the left; Mr. Marc Barr, Mr. Sean Kelly, Mr WJ Stewart, Mr. Joe Barr and Mr. Morris Foster MBE |
The Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge is a four day – 800kms cyclo sportive, taking in all four provinces of Ireland, involving over 500 cyclists from all over the world and will take place on the 11th of May through the 14th of May 2007 and annually thereafter.
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| From the left; Mayor Martin Brett from Kilkenny, Dame Mary Peter CBE, Ms Lisa Bourke Kilkenny Tourism and Mr. Sean Kelly. |
The tour with start on the 11th of May with Stage One from the Lagan Valley Island in Lisburn City travelling through the picturesque ‘Orchards of Ulster’ to Cavan Town, continuing on the 12th of May with Stage Two from Cavan Town through the ‘Emerald Triangle’ to Galway City, continuing on the 13th of May with Stage Three from Galway City around the magnificent scenery of ‘The Burren’, continuing over the Silvermine Mountains to Kilkenny City with Stage Four on the 14th of May taking in the challenges of Co. Wicklow, passing over ‘Aghavannagh’ and the long ascent of ‘Wicklow Cap’ and onward to a grand finally and presentation dinner in Westmanstown Dublin.
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| From the left; Mr. Dave Lloyd, Lisburn’s Mayor Trevor Lunn, Dame Mary Peters, Kilkenny’s Mayor Martin Brett and Mr. Sean Kelly. |
An international event to start with, the organisers have a clear objective to have Ireland united on the global stage of cycling. With a longer term objective to have Ireland included in the World Golden bike series of cyclo sportive’s were the Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge would be included in the UCI world calendar alongside such classics sportive’s as the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Classic, Paris’ Roubaix and Liege’ Bastogne’ Liege.
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| From the left; Mr Martin Lawlor from the NCBI, Dame Mary Peters, Kilkenny’s Mayor Martin Brett, Lisburn’s Mayor Trevor Lunn and Mr. Sean Kelly |
The Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge will be one of the most attractive sportive challenges of 2007; this leading international event will provide a great opportunity to showcase the tourism, leisure and social values of Ireland as a location of destination and fun. This sportive will profile Ireland within the growing trend of leisure cycle challenges which continues to out perform many other sporting and leisure activities, while addressing a key dimension within the Cycling Ireland Strategic Development Plan to have leisure cycling recognised as a high profile leisure activity.
The Celtic Tigers Cycle Fund was also launched today as an integral part of the Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge. The Celtic Tigers Cycling Fund the first of its kind in Ireland is set up to assist young racing cyclists from the island of Ireland with the direction and finance required to compete on pro-development teams in Europe. This new cycle fund follows similar parameters to that of successful organisations such as The Breaveheart Fund in Scotland and The Dave Rayner Fund in England. The Celtic Tigers fund will have a number of fundraising events throughout each year and conclude with an annual dinner each December, when the successful rider/riders will be announced. Full details of the selection criteria will be available January 2007 on the Tour of Ireland web-site, titled The Celtic Tigers Cycle Fund.
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| Dame Mary Peters get’s on her bike at the Tour of Ireland launch in Lisburn. |
The Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge have also partnered with The National Council for the Blind in Ireland in association with The Blind Centre for Northern Ireland and together have set an additional goal of helping raise much need funds to assist those who suffer with sight loss on the island of Ireland.
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| Sean just taking in a moment away from the officials! |
The inaugural tour has been warmly welcomed and positively supported by Lisburn City Council, Cavan County Council, Galway City Council, Kilkenny City Council and Fingal County Council, with this initial press release kindly hosted by Lisburn City Council.
Speaking at the launch, Lisburn City Council’s Mayor, Councillor Trevor Lunn said: “Lisburn City Council is delighted to host the launch of the Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge 2007 and we hope that it will help to raise the overall profile of leisure cycling in Ireland. I have studied the course and the Challenge looks like it will be a demanding task for all participants and I would urge all keen cyclists to sign up for the event.
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| Sporting legends united! |
I am very much looking forward to seeing them off from Lisburn next May.”
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