Ring of Kerry sportive weekend is almost upon us and it's one of the biggest in Irish cycling. There are still places available.
Ring of Kerry Irish cycling sportive still open to enter
The Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle is still open for entries just days out from the biggest sportive in Irish cycling.
It is a sportive for which demand has always been high. Due to its popularity, in some previous years over 11,000 have taken part.
Taking place in The Kingdom this Sunday, numbers for the 2017 edition have been capped at 10,000.
While the event is now close the organisers have told stickybottle registration remains open and will stay open for the next 48 hours.
At least 200 places are still up for grabs in what is the biggest event in Irish cycling.
A spokesman for the Ring of Kerry sportive said if they are filled it would bring the event close to the 10,000 maximum riders allowed.
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To enter it costs €100 plus a 3.5 per cent handling charge. And that €100 core fee is donated to one of 10 charities set to benefit from this year’s event.
As well as the main 10, a much larger number of charities will receive smaller sums.
One from list of the 10 main beneficiary charities could this year be selected from. It means each sportive rider’s €100 fee becomes a donation for the charity of their choice.
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Some 1,000 spaces were allocated to each of the 10 charities. Some have already long filled their quota meaning the choice of charities left to choose from is smaller.
The 10 main beneficiaries are Temple Street Foundation, Recovery Haven and Down Syndrome Kerry, Camphill Community Dingle, Derrynane Inshore Rescue. Buy a Bus Campaign, Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Social Action Group Rathmore and Talbot Grove.
This year the entrance system and fee scales have been simplified. Registration reverted back to the first come first served model.
In December 2015 many cyclists were critical of a decision by the event to change the way the entry system for the 2016 sportive worked.
All cyclist looking to enter the 2016 event were required to enter their names into a lottery, with a non refundable fee of €10.
Those whose names were selected from the lottery system and secured an entry saw their €10 fee taken off their entry fee.
Those who were unsuccessful in the lottery to enter the sportive did not get their €10 back.
Criticism from riders
Because of the changes the organisers faced criticism from some riders. It was claimed they were turning the event, a part of Irish cycling over 30 years, into a business.
But they vehemently denied that charge. As a consequence the €10 fee they felt would-be entrant would not submit their names multiple times into the lottery system.
They also said the demand for the 2015 Ring of Kerry sportive overwhelmed them. Furthermore, their IT infrastructure could not handle the volume of application efforts and crashed.
As a result of scrapping the system involving those entering first securing a place, they believed demand would be more manageable and spread over several weeks.
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