The National Road Championships will take place in Derry in June and will be recorded for television for broadcast the following week.
Promoting club Foyle CC has unveiled a three-day festival around the TT and road championships.
The route has been designed by Foyle CC rider and former An Post-Chainreaction pro Ronan McLaughlin who won the Shay Elliott Memorial and a Tour of Ulster stage last year.
He says the course is a classic one; a road man’s route
that will test the fields and bring the best to the top.
Women’s and men’s elite champions Eve McCrystal and Conor Dunne are both set to return to try to defend the crowns they won last year.
They will face opposition from the best the home scene
has to offer and the foreign-based pro and international riders who will come
back home hunting for the titles.
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“We wanted to bring the Nationals to the heart of Derry-Londonderry and we’re grateful to Derry City and Strabane District Council for their help in making this possible,” McLaughlin said of a route that brings the racing into the city.
“It’s a circuit that is certainly challenging and I feel riders all over Ireland and beyond will be excited by the prospect of riding a course that is a true test of road racing ability.
“The winning riders will have earned their reward on a course that reflects the character of a true ‘classic’. There are no free medals on this course.”
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The fact the course takes in the city will be music to the ears of the strongest riders in the field as it is built on hilly terrain.
The action gets underway on Thursday, June 27th, with the time trials. Riders in all categories will use the 36km course laid out on a traditional out and back route starting and finishing near Speenoge, Co Donegal.
The road races begin on Saturday afternoon with the women’s elite race and the men’s junior events on a 21km circuit beginning and ending in heart of Derry-Londonderry.
“It’s a
challenging route for the riders with plenty of climbing in and out of the
city in the multi-lap races,” said the promoting club.
“Subject to
confirmation, the women’s elite race will be four laps of circuit with the
men’s field set for a five-lap race on Sunday morning.
“All the road
races will culminate with a final race to finish line on Shipquay Street
in the heart of Derry-Londonderry where
the champions of Ireland will be crowned.”
Cycling Ireland’s events officer Garry Nugent said Foyle CC, whose membership straddles Donegal and Derry, had set out a compelling proposition when applying to host the championships.
“We were delighted to award the event to one of our hardest working and most progressive clubs,” said Nugent.
"I know the area will provide an epic backdrop to what we believe will be a worthy challenge for riders in our flagship road event. And we wish competitors and organisers the very best for a successful event."
Road Race Course: https://www.strava.com/routes/17307068
Time Trial Course: https://www.strava.com/routes/18603958
- This story has been amended to correct the length in kilometres of the road race course. It was stated as 29km but should have been 21km. The error was contained in a press release.
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