Cycling Reports

regional champions?

By Gerard Cromwell (Mar 12)

Ok, here’s a question for all you cycling buffs out there. Can you name the four current Cycling Ireland Regional Champions? I bet there’s not too many who can, off the top of your head now, no looking it up.

I can name the Leinster Champion, but that’s only because it’s my region and the winner happens to come from my club. But don’t ask me who won in Connaught, Ulster or Munster. So what’s the problem? Everybody can name the National Champion, probably every National Champion for the past three or four years even.

But then there is a big difference. It’s the National championships after all. They’re important. Aren’t the Regional Championships supposed to be the second most important race of the season? So why the low profile? What can we do to raise people awareness of our Regional heroes? Here’s a few ideas, please feel free to add your own.

The National Champion gets a national champion’s jersey. It’s white with green shamrocks on it. Even if you didn’t go to the race, you know who won it by looking at the jersey in the bunch the next week or whenever. Why not have a Regional Champion’s Jersey to be worn until the next championships are run? They do it in France and most European Countries and they have a lot more regions than us. Four jerseys a year isn’t going to break the federation is it? Leinster could be blue, Munster could be red, Connaught could be purple and Ulster could be white, or something like that. You couldn’t have a green or yellow jersey but pretty much anything else goes. Each of these jerseys could have a broad white hoop around the chest, to make them stand out even more and also to have a place to put the riders club sponsor on them, maybe even a white panel down the sides too.

Okay, now we can recognise our champions. What else can we do to enhance the importance of the Regionals? What if we took the four winners and guaranteed them a place on an Irish team for a stage race like the Rás Connaught. You wouldn’t have too much expense, because the race is in Ireland and maybe you would get somebody new gaining a bit of experience this way.

Next, you hold all the Regional Campionships on the same day, towards the end of the season, to keep everyone interested and you present each champion with his medal at the annual dinner at the end of the season, with the national champs. I think with a little bit more thought these races could be equally as important as the Nationals and their profile could be raised instantly. If the same rider wins the Nationals and the Regionals, just give the regional jersey to whoever was second for the year.

Well, that’s my ideas. I’m sure at least four guys will agree with me. What about the rest of you? Any suggestions?

Email: gerard@irishcycling.com