MAYOR of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle, has urged the public to come out and savour the elite of Irish cycling when the Cycling Ireland National Road Championships comes to the city for the first time this weekend.
The three day festival is being hosted by Foyle Cycling Club and will attract the best of Irish racers from home and abroad for a series of solo time trials on Thursday June 27th followed by the road race action on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th.
Mayor Boyle will host a reception at the Guildhall on Sunday for everyone involved and she encouraged people to take advantage of the elite level sporting spectacle on their doorstep.
“On behalf of Derry City and Strabane District Council I’d like to congratulate Foyle Cycling Club on securing the national championships for our Council area,” she said.
“I would like to wish the club well as they welcome the cream of Irish cycling to the city and all those taking part a safe and injury free weekend.
“The race route, which starts and ends on Shipquay Street and takes in both sides of the River Foyle, offers ample spectator opportunities so I would urge people to get involved by coming out to support the cyclists on the challenging and varied course.”
The action gets under way on Thursday 27th June with the time trial, a solo race against the clock.
The riders in all categories will use the 36km course laid out on a traditional ‘out and back’ format starting and finishing at Kernan’s Central in Newtowncunningham, County Donegal.
The road race action begins on Saturday afternoon with the Women’s Elite race and the men’s junior events utilising the 20.29km circuit beginning and ending in heart of Derry.
The race route starts in the city centre as cyclists make their way up Shipquay Street, down Ferryquay Street and Carlyle Road and over the Craigavon Bridge.
The Waterside will take riders up Spencer Road before a climb up Chapel Road, down Church Brae into Drumahoe and out the Fincairn Road before going over the River Faughan.
The Foyle Bridge will bring cyclists back to the city side before the home straight down the Culmore Road, up the Strand Road and finishing back on Shipquay Street where the champions of Ireland will be crowned.
The full Road Race Course can be viewed at https://www.strava.com/routes/17307068 while the time trial course is at https://www.strava.com/routes/18603958 and you can follow the action and share your own experience of the event on social media using the hashtag #IreCyclingChamps19.
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