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It hosted the start of the 1998 Tour de France when it came to Ireland and now Enniscorthy in Co Wexford has been awarded ‘Tour de France Cycling City’ status.
The new project put in place by the Tour organisers seeks to reach out to towns and cities that have hosted the race in the past and to encourage them to become even more progressive with their cycling policies.
The ‘Tour de France Cycling City’ process was open to all
previous host towns and cities and Enniscorthy has just found out it was among
the successful applicants.
Enniscorthy was the only place outside mainland Europe to secure the status under the inaugural round of awards this year. Phil Skelton, who campaigned for the new laws banning dangerous overtaking in Ireland, was among those who worked on making the Enniscorthy application.
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“I spotted this a few months ago and brought it to Enniscorthy District
chairperson, Barbara Anne Murphy,” Skelton told stickybottle.
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“We then collaborated with other
stakeholders including Dervla Tierney from Reimagining Enniscorthy and the
district manager, Ger Mackey. With support from local schools, the chamber of
commerce and Wexford Tourism, we put in our submission.
“And we were delighted to have been
awarded a ‘1 Bicycle’ entry level award and we would hope to build on that.”
Any local authority that hosted the Tour de France since its inaugural edition in 1903 was eligible for the Tour de France Cycling City label, though had to apply and meet the criteria.
According to Le Tour, the scheme is intended to act as “a road map for towns and cities wishing to implement public policies to promote cycling as a leisure activity, as a competitive sport or as an everyday means of transport”.
There are four different grades of ‘cycling city’ under the scheme, with those places with the best cycling facilities securing the four star rating. Only two places secured that grading this time around; Paris and Rotterdam.
However, now that 80 towns and cities – and even some villages – around Europe have secured the Tour de France Cycling City status it is now intended they would work further to improve their facilities and have their rating upgraded.
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