*One of the aggressors on the Tour de France, Nicolas Roche is entered into both the road race and TT at the National Road Championships in Co Limerick next week*

The first big name pro riders have entered for the National Road Championships, which get underway with the TTs this day week, Thursday October 1st, in Knockaderry, Co Limerick.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, on which all racing plans are dependent, some of our pros are coming to Ireland for the championships and the women's entry is larger than last year.

In a very welcome development for safety, and which adds to the stature of the event, a road closure order has been secured for the championships by promoting club Newcastle West CC.

The host club stepped into the breach after the original championship plans had to be scrapped. But the Co Limerick outfit, under race director Liam Collins, seems to be making very good progress.

Collins and his team have also secured a number of sponsors for the races including Darach McCarthy & Co solicitors, G4S and Shannon Transport.

*Alice Sharpe is down to ride in Limerick the weekend after next - she is reigning road race champion and is a road and track international*

*Kelly Murphy has been in great form in TTs on the home scene of late and she will look to extend that run into the Nationals where she is seeking her third elite TT crown in a row (Photo: Sean Rowe)*

In the women's event, the entry has surpassed last's year numbers and with entry still open - see links to enter all events below - that looks set to climb further.

The reigning TT champion Kelly Murphy of Storey Racing, who has been flying in TTs on the domestic scene of late, is entered into both the championship TT and the road race.

A rider of her standing will go to Limerick with an eye to wining both the TT and road race and a win in the test, to retain the title she has won the past two years, would really settle the nerves ahead of the road race.

Furthermore, the reigning road race champion Alice Sharpe of Team Ciclotel is entered for the road race and she will go to the line as one of the top favourites.

Sharpe won a brilliant title race last year in Derry City when she was pushed all the way by Imogen Cotter but beat her to gold in the uphill two-up sprint at the end of a grueling race.

Ryan Mullen will be back in Ireland next week seeking to add another title to his incredible run in the National Championships since he took his first Irish crown, taking the double as a junior, a decade ago

Like the women's events, there were fears the Covid-19 pandemic would mean no big name riders on the start line of the men's TT or road race. However, those concerns have been put to bed as both Nicolas Roche and Ryan Mullen have entered.

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The presence of riders like Sharpe, Murphy, Roche and Mullen are big boost to the championships in what has been a difficult and unusual year. And with more time remaining before the entries close, more big names may yet sign up.

Mullen, the Trek Segafredo rider who is representing Ireland at the Worlds in Imola this week, has taken 11 national road titles - road race and TT - since his junior days. He will be aiming to retain his TT crown this year and win the road race again, which he last won in 2017.

Nicolas Roche will make the trip to Ireland with a very hard Tour de France in his legs; a race that saw him go on the attack repeatedly in the breakaways on some of the hardest days.

The Team Sunweb rider has won the road race twice and the TT crown twice and he is entered into both the road race and TT in Limerick and will go to the line in both in search of victory.

There are still 48 hours remaining until entries close. You'll find all the information you need in 'The Details' below. Best of luck!

National Road Champs 2020: The Details

Thursday 1^stOctober 2020 - Cycling Ireland Time
Trial Championships– 22.4km

Please enter using this link
Start Time – TBC
The Championship is open to: Senior Men, Senior Women, Masters Women, U23 Men, Junior Men, Junior Women, Tandem TT,
Paracycling C1-C5 Solo & Paracycling H1-H5 Handcycle
Course Link

Saturday 3^rd October 2020 – Cycling Ireland Road
Championships

Junior Men's Race - 17.1km x 6 Laps = 102km