Cycling Ireland is inviting applications from clubs across the country to host the National Road Championships this year. While the championships were due to be held in Connacht this year, the national governing body has said it has been unable to find a club in the province to host the title races.
Connacht should be hosting the races under a rotation system which sees the events switch between the four provinces each year to ensure the biggest weekend of the year is hosted in all parts of the country.
However, Cycling Ireland has now confirmed it cannot find a club in the West and so the promotion of the championships this year has been thrown open to any club in any part of the country.
Championship weekend is now a big undertaking for any club as the TT title races are held on Thursday followed by a full weekend of racing when the elite men’s and women’s titles and down for decision as well as the junior titles.
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“As you will be aware, this year’s National
Road Championships were due to occur in Connacht,” Cycling Ireland said in a
brief statement on the situation this year. “Unfortunately, we have been unable
to secure a host club. The process has now reopened to all Cycling Ireland
clubs in Ireland.”
Any club interested in running the championships this year is asked to contact Garry Nugent, Cycling Ireland's events officer, by 5pm on Friday week, March 25th. Clubs must complete a bid document for submission to the federation.
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The clubs’ applications will be assessed by Nugent along with the Cycling Ireland public relations and marketing manager in conjunction with the road commission and relevant provincial board.
Each club’s bid will be evaluated under a number of criteria including: experience of the host club; quality of the bid application; ability to deliver an event which creates a positive race day experience for competitors; ability to deliver an event which promotes the sport of cycling; event information; quality of spectator experience; course design submission and communication with Cycling Ireland events team.
Cycling Ireland said it will provide chip timing and photo finish operators for all events. Add-on services such as photography and live streaming may also be made available, subject to budgets at the time.
While championship promoters will be permitted to put their own sponsors in place, Cycling Ireland said “the rights of Cycling Ireland sponsors must be protected” and that “no conflicting sponsors are permitted at Cycling Ireland National Championship events”.
“Event organisers must contact Cycling
Ireland’s commercial team for approval of local event sponsors involvement in
National Championships events,” the national governing body said.
Garry Nugent can be contacted at [email protected]. A bid document guide can be viewed by following this link.
