The Junior Tour on the roads of Co Mayo last year; 2012 promises to be another great year
The organisers of this year’s Junior Tour of Ireland have just announced the route details and have released the entry form for the race in mid July.
With six stages around the rugged roads of Co Mayo, this year’s race promises another feast of all-out action from the best young riders in Ireland and overseas. Please find the stage details below and also the entry form. We’ll bring you more details in the weeks ahead as the build up to this great race continues.
Entry Form
Download Entry Form in PDF here
Full stage details
July 10th Stage 1: Castlebar 7km TT
The opening stage is a flat 7km TT starting at Ross Stores on the Pontoon Rd and finishing on the outskirts of Castlebar.
Advertisement
July 11th Stage 2: Westport – Westport 105km
Stage 2 is sponsored by the IVCA and starts and finishes in Westport. Some 105km in length, the riders will travel from Westport to Louisberg, taking in some magnificent scenery on the road to Delphi and Leenane. The first of the stage’s climbs is a cat 3 after 52.2km with the next climb, a cat 2, crested at the 59.8km mark. There then follows the cat 1 climb of Maam Trasna at 68.5km, before the riders head back in towards the finish in Westport.
July 12th Stage 3: Castlebar - Ballycastle 113.5km
Stage 3 starts from Race HQ at Lough Lannagh Holiday Village in Castlebar. The riders will race 113.5km around the North Mayo coast. They face two cat 2 climbs – at 99.6km and 104.9km - before the hilltop finish up the cat 2 climb at Ballycastle.
Related News
July 13th Stage 4: Mulranny - Achill Island – Mulranny 98km
Stage 4 starts in Mulranny and takes the riders 98km around the lumpy and exposed roads of the Wild West that is Achill. The riders will face a very tough stage hugging the Atlantic coast. The first KOH is a cat 2 after 38.4km followed by a cat 3 at 51km. There is another cat 3 climb crested after 63km followed the cat 1 climb at Minaun, which is crested at the 64.9km mark. The riders then head back into the finish outside Nevins Restaurant between Newport and Mulranny.
July 14th Stage 5: Castlebar - Castlebar 88.3km
Stage 5 starts in Castlebar and finishes in the Mayo town after the riders have done an 88.3km loop. Although there are only two moderate climbs during the stage - a cat 2 and a cat 3 after 32km and 37km respectively - the heavy Mayo roads will make for hard racing. The riders will already have four days hard racing in their legs and those who have prepared best may really come into their own.
July 15th Stage 6: Castlebar - Windy Gap 106.9km
Stage 6 starts in Castlebar, and is now longer than previous editions. The stage is largely the same as 2011, only with a sting in the tail. Once at the top of the Windy Gap the riders will descend to Castlebar, back out to Pontoon and climb the Gap again to finish at the summit after that second passage. The race could be won or lost on the very last day.
Some photos of last year’s race
Topics
