Design your one day Irish Classic..

Morrisseeee

With the thread about attracting the Pro Tour to Ireland, I think there should definitely be a 1 day classic here, especially when we have an Irish man at the head of the UCI and with the rich history of Irish cyclists (esp Roche/Kelly). Perhaps it should start in Dublin & finish in Carrick ! Maybe it could do a different route each year, etc.

I suppose if we could decide on a route (if that's possible) and stick with it, the route would be 'looked after', and it would be a yearly event, maybe after the LBL, a final spring classic to finish it off !!

Here's my attempt, its just shy of 250km and has 3.6km of climbing. Again it's just a personal thing, I'm sure I'll come up with others, so.............lets have it, show us your routes/suggestions/etc.

/Note: it's not a silver bullet thread to see who has the best solution, as that will definitely end up in rows, but hopefully we can come up with good suggestions and constructive banter.

JacksonHeightsOwn

Not to be a culchie basher, but I think any attempt at creating a classic in Ireland, the finish would have to be on Oconnell street

Granted it would only invoke a sprint finish, but the scope for spectators would be second to none,

Imagine irelands biggest race finishing on Irelands most iconic street outside the GPO, that would be something to remember

Caroline_ie

I've heard people say before that the Shay Elliot Memorial should be a pro'er race.

Jawgap

Here's my stab (376km):-

http://goo.gl/maps/MKEv

Belfast to Carrick - through Dublin, over the mountains taking in Dundrum, Shay Elliot and of course finishing in Carrick-on-Suir.

However, as the Minister for both tourism and sport hails from Kerry, I'd say (this being Ireland) any such event would have to start, finish, and be wholly contained within Kerry to have any chance of state funding.

studiorat

chrisbonnie wrote: »

Imagine irelands biggest race finishing on Irelands most iconic street outside the GPO, that would be something to remember

'twas, "the golden age of Irish Cycling!" I remember seeing Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche doing laps of O'Connell street and Parnell Square along with Vanderaerden and all those 80's dudes at the end of the Nissan International classic. Very exciting.

It also involved a climb of Patricks hill in Cork and a spin through Carrick on Suir.

studiorat

Jawgap wrote: »

However, as the Minister for both tourism and sport hails from Kerry, I'd say (this being Ireland) any such event would have to start, finish, and be wholly contained within Kerry to have any chance of state funding.

Actually, he's actually from Blanchardstown.

Transport, Tourism and Sport. Contained in the Phoenix Park perhaps? Due to lack of funds.

Jawgap

Apologies - so he is. Tourism is Deenihan. I forgot they moved sport over to Transport.

n-dawg

A nice spin around wicklow ;-)

http://www.mapmytri.com/routes/view/33543670/?open_ive_done=1

Finished it with the cobbles in temple bar and then a sprint up o'connel st! Also I'd hope that the featherbeds climb might hurt the sprinters...

Moflojo

The World Rally Championship was a roaring (pun intended) success when it was staged as a cross-border event. Perhaps this would also be the best approach in terms of getting a pro cycling race to these shores.

Can anyone think of a great cross-border route that would take in breathtaking scenery and some unique routes? Maybe narrow Irish boreens with a grass verge along the centre- the Irish version of Paris-Roubaix's cobbles?

Something that started in Dublin and finished in Belfast, or vice versa, taking in the Mourne Mountains, Boyne Valley and east coast fishing villages en route might be worth considering?

Couldn't go wrong with taking in Donegal and Derry as part of the route either. There's no shortage of tough routes on the island, but I think for an event like this getting the right scenery is pivotal.

ryan_sherlock

I would have something that starts on one of the nice towns outside Dublin. First 130km is on big roads, mostly flat, some drags but nothing too selective. Then, for 100km cover lots of the roads around the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. We have an amazing network up there and lots of them are already repaved recently (found some new to me climbs today). Then, descent, down Cruagh and finish up in O'Connell Street. After the descent, it is about 8-9k to the city center - it wouldn't be a bunch sprint... Probably a group of 3-10 riders...

That would be cool!

Harrybelafonte

studiorat wrote: »

'twas, "the golden age of Irish Cycling!" I remember seeing Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche doing laps of O'Connell street and Parnell Square along with Vanderaerden and all those 80's dudes at the end of the Nissan International classic. Very exciting.

This ended in chaos though didn't it. Once the winner was through, the crowds started to pile onto the route thinking it was over. I'd agree about finsihing in Dublin, though I think the Phoenix Park would make more sense.

studiorat

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

This ended in chaos though didn't it. Once the winner was through, the crowds started to pile onto the route thinking it was over. I'd agree about finsihing in Dublin, though I think the Phoenix Park would make more sense.

Did it? I don't remember that. No, I doubt it. I remember one guy falling on the very last corner and watching him cycle by once the pack had passed. Maybe a different year it did...

On the final stage that took the 85 finishers to O’Connell Street in Dublin for ten laps around Parnell Square, Adri van der Poel surged ahead on the second last lap. Kelly stayed at the front keeping van der Poel at a respectable distance before bridging the peloton up to him. Elliot sprinted into the last corner and although Kelly got in behind he could not get past and finished second. Kelly won his third Nissan Classic with 43 seconds over Roche who rode well but never attacked Kelly.

A stage of the Tour de France finished up in the Phoenix Park though with a big pile-up coming in from the main gates, Cipollini went down with a couple of others right in front of where I was standing.

JacksonHeightsOwn

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

This ended in chaos though didn't it. Once the winner was through, the crowds started to pile onto the route thinking it was over. I'd agree about finsihing in Dublin, though I think the Phoenix Park would make more sense.

ooh yeah, outside of aras an uachtarain would be good, at least they'd have to fix the potholes