A still from the TV programme on the National Road Race Championships; the graphic in the corner tells us how far the escape is up and how much remains.
Having become regular fixtures on the Irish cycling scene in recent years shooting race videos and photographs, the Co Clare-based Black Umbrella production company is teaming up with one of the country’s biggest broadcasters.
Together they will bring us Irish racing on our TVs for the first time in many years.
The programmes, which will take the form of highlights shows up to one hour long, will be broadcast on Irish sports channel Setanta.
They will feature the national road championships, the recent UCI Dublin International Track GP and the Suir Valley Three Day.
It was planned to shoot the women’s and vets’ national road race championships on the same weekend as the elite men’s event in Westmeath last month until those races were cancelled when a fatal car accident resulted in forced road closures.
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Details of when and where those races will be run again are not yet confirmed. But it is hoped they will still be filmed and broadcast as was initially planned.
The first racing to be broadcast will be the men’s national road championships. A one-hour show, it will go out next Tuesday, July 22nd, at 4pm.
There will also be repeats of the show, details of which we will bring to you when we have them.
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Here's an example of the aerial shots we'll see in all of the programming to come; it looks pretty slick.
Adrian O’Connor of Black Umbrella Productions said the company believes it has produced a high quality programme that viewers will enjoy.
“It’s packed full of inside-the-peloton action, aerial shots, close ups and good banter,” he said.
“We’ve also lined up Cian Lynch for the commentary which we feel tops it off nicely.”
He was hopeful the domestic scene would benefit, in the form of additional sponsorship, as a result of regular air-time on national television over a prolonged period.
“We want to bring the race finishes back into the towns and city centres as they were in the 1980s and early 1990s; when the Rás and Junior Tour of Ireland finished in the heart of Dublin, on O'Connell Street.
“There is so much Irish talent in cycling again and we want to show the world what's happening here.
Here’s the schedule of what’s planned so far, all for broadcast on Setanta and produced by Black Umbrella Productions:
- Elite Men’s National Road Race Championships – 22nd July 4pm
- UCI Dublin International Track GP – 28th July 3.30pm
- Suir Valley Three Day – 14th August 6pm
- Women’s Nationals Road Race Championships – Details of re-running of races and broadcasting to be confirmed.
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