Having faced financial collapse just months ago, the Junior Tour has been saved by a massive fundraising campaign within the cycling community and by the injection of significant sustained funding by former international rider and Eurotrek chief executive Mel Sutcliffe (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
After months of speculation on the identity of the former cyclist turned businessman to have stepped in with big money backing for the Junior Tour of Ireland, it has emerged Dubliner Mel Sutcliffe is behind the move.
Well known in Irish cycling circles during his racing career, Sutcliffe represented Ireland on several occasions and is a former Junior Tour stage winner.
Before he hung up his wheels, he started out in the bike business and founded the Eurotrek Group, of which he is currently chief executive.
Advertisement
A fantastic Irish success story in its own rite; it has grown into Ireland’s largest wholesale distributor of bikes and is sole distributor for major brands such as Scott, Raleigh and Felt.
Sutcliffe with former pro riders Sean Kelly and Laurence Roche at the Junior Tour launch event in the West County Hotel, Chapelizod, Dublin, this evening (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
The group also owns the Eurocycles-Eurobaby chain of stores, with outlets at Dublin’s Long Mile Road, Airside Swords and M1 Retail Park as well as in Drogheda, Co Louth.
Eurotrek Raleigh previously sponsored the Junior Tour in 2002 and 2003.
And with the race having faced financial collapse as recently as last autumn, Sutcliffe’s business interests, coupled with a number of charity events held to raise money for the race, have secured its future for many years.
The new sponsorship deal will run for six years and involves a six-figure sum being committed to the race.
Sutcliffe and Kelly with race secretary Gary McIlroy and race director Alice Sherratt; looking in good form on a great day for the future of Irish cycling (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
Scott Bicycles becomes the race’s title sponsor and will also back the yellow jersey. The green points jersey will be sponsored by Eurocycles.com
Sutcliffe, who won the Junior Tour stage from Kanturk to Clonakilty in 1990 and finished fourth overall, said he was delighted to step in and secure the race’s future.
He believed it was a “fabulous sporting event”, with those involved meeting “great individuals and personalities” while competing.
Related News
“I learnt a great deal from the two Junior Tours I took part in; from the point of view of sport and tactics,” he said at the official launch event this evening.
In the race's hour of need, the Irish cycling community came out swinging for the Junior Tour. That didn't happen by accident. It was thanks mainly to the goodwill that this woman his built up with her contribution to the sport; Alice Sherratt. With a dedicated team, including race secretary Gary McIlroy's tireless contribution; she has kept the show on the road through good times and bad (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
“Now later in life I realise how lucky I was to have met the people behind the scenes who made the event possible.
"Junior Tour founder JJ McCormack was an amazing man who put an immeasurable amount of time and effort into supporting young cyclists in his lifetime.
“Now Alice (Sherratt, race director) and her team continue that work and have contributed a vast amount of time and effort into the promotion of cycling in general, and underage cycling in particular.
“I cannot thank Alice and all her team enough for the support and opportunities they gave me in my junior and early senior days.
From the strongest to the weakest, the Junior Tour has been a rite of passage for young Irish riders. It would wipe the floor with any post Leaving Cert party in Ibiza! (Photo: Stephen McMahon: Sportsfile)
"I hope that my support will be interpreted as a genuine commitment to the sport.
“I would urge anybody interested in the sport who, like me, cannot contribute their time, to provide financial or other support if they can.”
Sutcliffe represented Ireland at both junior and senior level and retired from racing in 1999 after completing his 10th Rás.
He still holds the Coast-to-Coast record from Dublin to Galway; 138 miles in a time of 5 hours, 30 mins and 28 seconds.
Topics
