Staging the National Road Championships from a Phoenix Park base has huge upside for the domestic scene (Photo: George Doyle)
Why a Phoenix Park Champs can be great
1 Dublin is long overdue the event
Dublin may be the biggest city in the country but it is the scene of very few major bike races. The Rás may finish in Skerries, north Co Dublin, each year but that’s the only part of the action the county sees of the national tour. And while Rás na mBan began initially in Dublin it has taken place in Kerry or Mayo for years. The Junior Tour regularly started and/or finished in Dublin, but not for many years now. And long lost is the Dublin Bus Tour of Fingal.
2 It may bring back ‘The Park’
Incredibly there is a whole generation of bike riders who have never raced in the Phoenix Park. It was once the scene of Tuesday night ‘park gallops’ on the two-mile course and countless underage races, not to mention the final stage of the Rás, cyclocross events and the Jack Woodcock Memorial very early in the season. But gradually cycling was moved out of the park – ostensibly because of the road surface but in reality because traffic won out. Having the championships there may open up the park again to bike racing long term. It should be noted though that the staging of – at least the start and finish – of the championships in the park is subject to licence.
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3 Orwell Wheelers will do a great job
Orwell Wheelers are a huge club and very well organised. They have a large team of senior officials well used to running bike races and a group in the club has been the backbone of women’s cycling for years in Ireland. They have had a huge role in encouraging new entrants into the sport and have punched far, far above their weight in contributing to cycling generally. They have a new sponsor this year in the shape of Scott Bikes and are on the up; a great time to be taking on something like the national championships.
4 Dublin should deliver great crowds
Too often is bike racing driven out of towns into the countryside where few, if any, of the general public sees it. Having the championships in the park so close to the city centre should ensure more interest from the public.
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5 Most of the media is Dublin-based
It’s sad to say, but holding the championships in Dublin will make the racing much easier to cover for the national media, most of which is based in the capital. It will be much easier and cheaper for teams for journalists – writing stories, taking photos and shooting video for online – to work close to their offices and should ensure maximum media coverage.
6 It’s simply a great venue
The Phoenix Park is an absolutely fantastic public resource; large enough to host something like the national championships yet small enough to create an intimate atmosphere. It’s always very well turned out and there will be plenty of space to keep the kids entertained and for additional entertainment Orwell puts on.
7 Opportunity for youth racing
As we’ve already said, at one time the Phoenix Park was the home of underage racing. There were events there almost every week and it hosted the national championships for youth riders. It would be fantastic to hold some youth races on the day of the men’s senior and U23 combined event if the racing leaves the park for a period. Racing in the park all set up for hosting an elite championships would be a great thrill for the youth riders.
8 Showcasing racing
Great efforts are being made in Dublin to make the city more cycling friendly and to encourage people out of their cars and onto bikes. But seldom is racing ever included into those plans. But the staging of a major championships in the city, especially in the Phoenix Park where it should be very well received, seems like a great opportunity to showcase racing to the policy makers in the Dublin local authorities.
9 It may encourage more pros to come
In recent years a number of our top pros have skipped the championships because they were riding the Tour de France starting the following weekend. With the racing finishing in Dublin this year, the pros could be on board flights to France with little fuss within a couple of hours of the championships drawing to a close. The ease of getting between Dublin Airport and the start and finish of the racing just might mean a couple of them come when they might otherwise skip the title race if it were less accessible.
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