The 2013 An Post Cycle Series has been launched with the support of stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment.
The series is now in its fourth year and is a joint initiative between An Post through their overall support for Cycling and the Irish Sports Council by way of five local sports partnerships in Sligo, Cork, Meath, Waterford and Clare.
Last year over 16,000 cyclists took part in events which range on the one day from a 10K family spin to the more dedicated enthusiats who train themselves for a shot at completing distances from 60KM to 160KM.
Recently retired Cork hurler Seán Óg Ó hAilpín has been spending more time in the saddle since hanging up his Championship helmet.
“I love to keep fit, even more so now that I am not playing Championship hurling anymore, and cycling is ideal for me. You get a great sense of freedom on the bike and it’s also one of the toughest and most challenging sports, yet anyone can do it, so that side of it really appeals to me.
“I really enjoyed last year’s An Post Rebel Tour, the route around Glengarriff was stunning and it was brilliant to see people of all ages on their bikes. I’m looking forward to it again in September and I plan on taking the longest route this time round.”
Paralympic medallist Catherine Walsh is encouraged by the growing level of interest in cycling in Ireland and feels the Cycle Series is a great vehicle for growing the sport. “It’s great to see so many people getting on their bikes for leisure events like this. It shows that the interest in cycling is there; during the Paralympics I certainly felt a huge amount of support for the sport. I’ll be taking part in the Sligo event in May with my tandem partner Fran Meehan, and I’m sure it will be another fantastic day out”.
Comedian and cycling enthusiast, PJ Gallagher, is no stranger to the An Post Cycle Series having participated in last year’s Meath Heritage Cycle Tour. “I’m delighted to be involved as an ambassador this year, I took part in the Meath Series last June with a couple of friends and we had great craic. I’m also club secretary at Clontarf Cycling Club, which was only set up last October and now has over 80 members, so I’m sure plenty will be joining me on the roads of Meath.”
“The An Post Cycle Series has continued to grow year on year and is now a key part of the cycling calendar each summer,” added Irish Sports Council Chairman Kieran Mulvey.
“The Series demonstrates the great potential of the Local Sports Partnerships to encourage greater participation opportunities in sport with the support of local communities and clubs.”
The 2013 An Post Cycle Series gets underway on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May with the An Post Tour of Sligo. This will be followed by the An Post Tour De Burren in Clare on Saturday, 22nd June, while the An Post Meath Heritage Cycle Tour will take place on Sunday, 28th July. The Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford takes place on Saturday 24th and Sunday, 25th August and finally the An Post Rebel Tour of Cork will be on Saturday, 14th September. Each county’s event is organised by the Irish Sports Council’s Local Sports Partnerships in conjunction with their city, county and cycling club partners.
The programme is a well organised addition to traditional cycling tours such as that around the Ring of Kerry that provide a goal towards training programmes that combine enjoyment with a specific aim of getting fit for a particular event.
It also works well for An Post extending its support for professional and elite cycling via the An Post Wheelworks Sean Kelly team and the An Post Rás through to a broader base of cycling enthusiasts who would see the other associations as aspirational but this as something important to them.