Junior Tour Trust Sportive - Dublin

Koobcam

Pretty good event, well marshalled and as someone pointed out, safe secure parking at the base. Did anyone notice the chap near the entrance to the base (N7 direction) who was banging his drum (literally) and shouting about the government taking his money? As for the event itself, the only criticism I would have is maybe they could have had some water at the finish-the cakes and tea were great though.

buffalo

Koobcam wrote: »

Did anyone notice the chap near the entrance to the base (N7 direction) who was banging his drum (literally) and shouting about the government taking his money?

It was pretty incoherent whatever he was shouting.

Great event - could make for a great annual season starting leg-opener and fundraiser if the will is there. I'd certainly do it again, the training on Olly's bumper alone was worth it.

bwalsh1983

Congrats to Gary, Alice and the rest of the organisers for yesterdays event. Heartening to see the support for the Junior Tour which in my opinion is a more important event than some of the bigger senior races, stage races included. Its the breeding ground for the future of Irish cycling and an event that has given a lot over the years.

It will be in good shape this year but I hope its future can be guaranteed each and every year. This years race will be highly competitive if some of the riders who were putting the boot down yesterday can build rom here to then, I reckon the O' Loughlin family may have been responsible for some of the increased pace yesterday!

dots104

Koobcam wrote: »

Did anyone notice the chap near the entrance to the base (N7 direction) who was banging his drum (literally) and shouting about the government taking his money? .

I was speaking to one the army lads and he said that guy (banging drum) bought the house/land from some guy on the premise that barracks was closing down. Supposedly he is always at it. Gardai had to take his shot gun off him as he was protesting at the front gate with it.

Kinet1c

Haha, that guy is always there I cycle that route from time to time, he's been out in rain, hail or shine.

davmol

Thoroughly enjoyed the day.It was only my second sportif,my first was nicholas roche which was terribly organised and where i got lost onthe route due to lack of signage and marshalls giving directions.
My faith was restored yesteray,fantastic organisation and a great event to judge the level out there.Im only on the bike a few months and did the 112km, tried to hang with the club boys and did so up til about the 70 km mark when my engine coudlnt handle it anymore.
Nice bit of motivation to get out for some harder training.

Doing the tour of flanders in April and these sportifs are great at putting what is required into perspective.

TheBlaaMan

Thoroughly enjoyed the day and was grnd up to the 100Km mark but Boston Hill in the last 10k saw me off the back of my group. Finished in 4:05 around 3:20 and was disappointed to find only crumbs left when it came to refreshments.............now I see why !

marvin80 wrote: »

Tea and buns were nice afterwards at Baldonnel.

Borderfox wrote: »

Well organised and the refreshments were great

Koobcam wrote: »

maybe they could have had some water at the finish-the cakes and tea were great though.

Well done to all involved in organising the event.

Koobcam

[QUOTE= Finished in 4:05 around 3:20 and was disappointed to find only crumbs left when it came to refreshments.............now I see why ![/QUOTE]

Hmm.. that explains the blistering pace at the front-they were just making sure they would have some cake and buns

DaithiMC

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

Thoroughly enjoyed the day and was grnd up to the 100Km mark but Boston Hill in the last 10k saw me off the back of my group. Finished in 4:05 around 3:20 and was disappointed to find only crumbs left when it came to refreshments.............now I see why !

Well done to all involved in organising the event.

I think it was Athgoe Hill, Boston Hill is off to the west of there, closer to Rathangan, you really would have been jacked if you did that one too!

sullzz

DaithiMC wrote: »

I think it was Athgoe Hill, Boston Hill is off to the west of there, closer to Rathangan, you really would have been jacked if you did that one too!

It was Boston hill alright , there is one down near rathangan too , the descent was off the top of athgoe hill.

Koobcam

Seems like there are two Boston hills. Yesterday's one was a good bit harder than the one near Rathangan, though I don't normally ride up it in a bunch that has been motor-pacing for the previous 40-50km...

Chips Lovell

Yes, looks like there's two alright. I thought they were going over the Boston Hill they use in the Newbridge GP, but it was a different one.

The tax man

Great to see such a turn out yesterday. Very well run event and a fantastic job done from the lads on the motorbikes. Stuck with the front group till around the 60km mark. A group of us tried to get back on the rear but the wind and drag up towards Carbury finished off any hope of rejoining the lead group. Shortly afterwards I was taken out by a fellow rider that decided to turn right off the route without realising I was coming past on the right.
Never saw me,not sure if he looked but he certainly didn't give any indication of his intended manoeuvre. Hit the deck with my hip, shoulder and head taking the brunt of the impact.
Have some lovely road rash and bruising on my hip and waist. Shoulder is killing me today and neck getting very stiff. Left work early due to some dizzy spells. May need to get checked out.:(
Ended up with chunks out of my rear mech, a bent right lever and a buckled wheel.Helmet is toast as the back of it cracked and split.
Turned out an expensive day for me.

Beasty

Very sorry to hear that tax man, and wish you a speedy recovery. Damage to the helmet is something that warrants you getting yourself checked out, if only for peace of mind

iwillhtfu

Loads of great pics online now. I was surprised at the size of the peleton in the photos I obviously started at the very back of things.

wav1

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Loads of great pics online now. I was surprised at the size of the peleton in the photos I obviously started at the very back of things.

Where are they posted?Can you post link?

Beasty

wav1 wrote: »

Where are they posted?Can you post link?

Can certainly see one or two dodgy characters here

The tax man

Beasty wrote: »

Very sorry to hear that tax man, and wish you a speedy recovery. Damage to the helmet is something that warrants you getting yourself checked out, if only for peace of mind

Cheers Beasty. I'll check in with my doctor in the morning.:)

lennymc

didnt realise you were that bad when talking to you yesterday taxman - hopefully you recover fully soon.

Unknown Soldier

Brilliant pic.

Well done Sean Rowe Photography and the lads.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206284393173275&set=a.10206283972842767.1073742067.1369415804&type=3&theater

Daroxtar

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Brilliant pic.

Well done Sean Rowe Photography and the lads.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206284393173275&set=a.10206283972842767.1073742067.1369415804&type=3&theater

Crackin shot.

TheBlaaMan

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

Brilliant pic.

Well done Sean Rowe Photography and the lads.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206284393173275&set=a.10206283972842767.1073742067.1369415804&type=3&theater

That's a great shot, if the photographer is clever, I could see it being quite usable in any number of scenarios; beyond that, it captures a great spirit of the event.

Unknown Soldier

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

That's a great shot, if the photographer is clever, I could see it being quite usable in any number of scenarios; beyond that, it captures a great spirit of the event.

Totally agree. It's an excellent shot that could have "legs"

tang1

Wheres that hill/climb most of the photos are taken?

The tax man

lennymc wrote: »

didnt realise you were that bad when talking to you yesterday taxman - hopefully you recover fully soon.

Ta Lenny.;)
Didn't get a chance to look at the body till I got home. What was red yesterday is now black and purple. Always hurts more the next day. Strangely my shoulder which is the sorest does have a mark on it.

DaithiMC

The tax man wrote: »

Ta Lenny.;)
Didn't get a chance to look at the body till I got home. What was red yesterday is now black and purple. Always hurts more the next day. Strangely my shoulder which is the sorest does have a mark on it.

Hi, That must have been you I was talking to on the road to Prosperous/Clane, I was in STCC gear. Sorry to hear about the damage to the bike but fair play for getting back in one piece, relatively speaking - there was still a fair bit of road left to cover at that point, including that hill at the end!

devonp

tang1 wrote: »

Wheres that hill/climb most of the photos are taken?

Athgoe Hill

Chips Lovell

Really sorry to hear about that Tax Man. Wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back on the road very soon. I hope the guy at least stopped and apologised.

The tax man

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

Really sorry to hear about that Tax Man. Wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back on the road very soon. I hope the guy at least stopped and apologised.

I think he also fell, though not too sure. I was too busy hitting the tarmac. When I picked myself up his bike was lying on the grass verge. He apologised, we both asked if each other was ok.

I've my name down for your introduction to the club league on the 7th. Getting checked out today but if I'm not able to ride on Saturday, is it OK to come along to watch and listen?

Chips Lovell

The tax man wrote: »

I've my name down for your introduction to the club league on the 7th. Getting checked out today but if I'm not able to ride on Saturday, is it OK to come along to watch and listen?

Absolutely.

GMCI

Its been a few days of squaring away the loose ends post event and still trying to recover. Certainly added stress bringing and event like this to the workplace. The numbers turning out were fantastic and blessed with the weather.

Things are certainly made easier with a volunteer base from all four provinces with extensive experience in cycling events. That coupled with my work colleagues management of the parking etc really took the weight off.

Its great to see so much positive feedback considering it was my first dabble in sportive organising which is quite different to race organising. Just a different set of considerations.

I already have a few things that I would do differently if I decide to organise again and am also open to observations on certain areas also.

Thanks to all again for coming and supporting a worthy cause that ensures a stable future for the future stars of Irish Cycling.

G

Stevieg2009

This was the best sportive I have ever been on enjoyed it so much was a great warm up for the racing season ahead pace was super quick route was excellent
Weather was ok for time of year would be great if this became an annual event

Beasty

GMCI wrote: »

Its great to see so much positive feedback considering it was my first dabble in sportive organising which is quite different to race organising. Just a different set of considerations.

I already have a few things that I would do differently if I decide to organise again and am also open to observations on certain areas also.

The Feedback you have received here and elsewhere makes you look like a seasoned pro at this sort of stuff GMCI. Congratulation to you and everyone else who helped put on this great event. Sorry I couldn't make it down, but you (along with one or two others) really have brought the cycling community together to get behind this fantastic cause

As I wasn't there I'm not in a position to give any direct feedback, but wondered if there were any specific areas you would encourage those who were to comment on. Based on what we see posted on other sportives, there are often comments about, for example, sign-on, food stops, any mechanical support etc.

Equally, I am sure there are a few posters out there who have even more positive things they could say without further prompt!

CramCycle

Beasty wrote: »

for example, sign-on, food stops, any mechanical support etc.

On the three topics:

Sign on: I arrived with a minute to spare but the riders had cleared the desks and there were no queues so I presume it went well and seemed well organised. Everyone was in great form outside regardless.

Food stops: Considering the blistering pace and the length (even if it was controlled for most of the sportive), would be pointless I think. The food stop at the end was appropriate, although maybe hide a bit of the food for the late arrivals

Mechanical support: The neutral service followed the main group and apparently ran out of wheels very quickly due to the volume of punctures, maybe a broomwagon to do a sweep up if its possible on the route of those who have experienced more flats than they are used too. I had enough tubes and a puncture repair kit but I am sure there were a few that didn't. Or a warning that if your not used to the pace, to make sure you have adequate supplies with you. Only an idea, it did not affect me at all.

Overall, IMO there was nothing to improve from what I could tell and there are few events in Ireland that compare in terms of how polished off it was.

Maybe a warning about wrappers being thrown to the side, I called one lad out on it as its a pet hate and is the type of thing that could annoy local residences.

nilhg

My tuppence worth,

Sign on was quick for me though I was in the wrong queue (sent there by a steward) the lady signed me up no problem

Food, the right decision I think to go for no stop, though that might not apply as well on a wet windy miserable day, I finished at roughly 2.40 by then the soup seemed to be gone, all that was left was tea/coffee, some buns and biscuits, again fine on the day that was in it but if I came back cold and wet something more substantial would be appreciated.

Support ect, had no need of support so cant comment, one thing I would mention is the road marking, while the arrows were mostly fine I did go wrong at one stage when I missed the sign, not sure if it was traffic or sun in my eyes, I have a personal preference for spray marking the road, generally quick and easy and has the advantage that it's harder to interfere with.

All in all a great first (hopefully) running of the event.

GMCI

Thanks for the feedback everybody and there are certainly areas I would look to improve on for the future such as:
- If the numbers were to be greater, I would start off in waves based on a pre notified expected average speed for the group and the riders could choose their group based on that
- I would quickly do the Raffle Draw before the start while everybody was there so at least the winners would know who they were instead of trying to make contact in the week after.

In relation to comments made:
- The catering was my biggest concern and caused the greatest workload for the day. We did put on Tea/Coffee before the start because it was such a cold morning but wasn't expecting so many to be coming in and having refills
- The catering after was worse. I held trays back for the longer group arriving and while I knew cyclists could be a hungry bunch, there were cases of people taking the mick altogether taking seconds and thirds and not considering the stragglers who would need it more after them. At the end of the day it was only a €20 cycle yet I may be wrong in saying that people seemed to think they could take as much food as they liked. A bit harsh for their fellow cyclists and then the organisers get it in the neck. I would go for a hot wet dish served up (Pasta dish or something like the nationals had in Mullingar) which would be more suitable all round.
- I agree road markings are more favourable for the cyclists but they certainly are not with the councils and so we opt for signs to avoid any comeback from them.
- We had the service cars and the Broom Wagon with a van also behind the broom de-routing. I did not expect riders to be stopping in coffee shops on the route (again inexperience of sportives) and allowed the broom to continue to the next group. I would leave the arrows up until the following day for those who do opt to stop.
- I was happy with the decision not to have a food stop on the course, simply too cold and tough to get the body going again after in those conditions.

The Littering Culture is still a massive problem. I had to do a sweep of the area around the HQ after the start to pick up used cups, banana skins and wrappers. These were more my concern considering the venue was my place of employment which is the risk I took. But I was still shocked at the level of littering in there.

I couldn't believe how many people I heard were there , that I knew but did not see. Guess I was in the zone. haha.

I was very happy with everything else that went as I had planned like the escort bikes, lead cars, Sign on Staff and my work colleagues who assisted with parking. They knew I was involved in cycling but never had an idea of the scale of what I was working on when I asked them to help on the day. So their reactions were priceless.
No complaints from the employers (yet) so happy days everywhere and roll on the next one for the Air Corps which will be the Morgan Sparrow Sportive later in the year. A hillier course in Wicklow but a well supported day out.

Thanks again and if anyone thinks of anything else, shout.

DaithiMC

GMCI wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback everybody and there are certainly areas I would look to improve on for the future such as:
- If the numbers were to be greater, I would start off in waves based on a pre notified expected average speed for the group and the riders could choose their group based on that
- I would quickly do the Raffle Draw before the start while everybody was there so at least the winners would know who they were instead of trying to make contact in the week after.

In relation to comments made:
- The catering was my biggest concern and caused the greatest workload for the day. We did put on Tea/Coffee before the start because it was such a cold morning but wasn't expecting so many to be coming in and having refills
- The catering after was worse. I held trays back for the longer group arriving and while I knew cyclists could be a hungry bunch, there were cases of people taking the mick altogether taking seconds and thirds and not considering the stragglers who would need it more after them. At the end of the day it was only a €20 cycle yet I may be wrong in saying that people seemed to think they could take as much food as they liked. A bit harsh for their fellow cyclists and then the organisers get it in the neck. I would go for a hot wet dish served up (Pasta dish or something like the nationals had in Mullingar) which would be more suitable all round.
- I agree road markings are more favourable for the cyclists but they certainly are not with the councils and so we opt for signs to avoid any comeback from them.
- We had the service cars and the Broom Wagon with a van also behind the broom de-routing. I did not expect riders to be stopping in coffee shops on the route (again inexperience of sportives) and allowed the broom to continue to the next group. I would leave the arrows up until the following day for those who do opt to stop.
- I was happy with the decision not to have a food stop on the course, simply too cold and tough to get the body going again after in those conditions.

The Littering Culture is still a massive problem. I had to do a sweep of the area around the HQ after the start to pick up used cups, banana skins and wrappers. These were more my concern considering the venue was my place of employment which is the risk I took. But I was still shocked at the level of littering in there.

I couldn't believe how many people I heard were there , that I knew but did not see. Guess I was in the zone. haha.

I was very happy with everything else that went as I had planned like the escort bikes, lead cars, Sign on Staff and my work colleagues who assisted with parking. They knew I was involved in cycling but never had an idea of the scale of what I was working on when I asked them to help on the day. So their reactions were priceless.
No complaints from the employers (yet) so happy days everywhere and roll on the next one for the Air Corps which will be the Morgan Sparrow Sportive later in the year. A hillier course in Wicklow but a well supported day out.

Thanks again and if anyone thinks of anything else, shout.

Thanks for the hard work to you and all the other volunteers, for €20 you put on a great show. I wouldn't take the criticisms on here too seriously, I have been to sportives that cost twice the money and gave nothing close to the value of this one.

I think the starting venue is brilliant, I did the Morgan Sparrow sportive from there last year and was very impressed then. The level of security for parking is second to none I would guess - only an invasion would put the private property at risk!

I also agree with your comments about needing the participants to cooperate as much in not taking seconds etc. but I think the Irish in general are genetically incapable of forming orderly queues! One mode that works well in other sportives I have seen (though it may take more upfront work) is to pack sandwiches and have people hand them out rather than make it a stretch and grab operation. Maybe a friendly local supplier would provide them at cost?

To be honest, I hope CI gets its head out of the sand though and provides funding for the junior tour and you don't have to specifically run the sportive for their lack of foresight. That said, its a great season opener and I wouldn't split the groups - just let people live with the early season wake up call!

iwillhtfu

Just one thing to note if you are planning on making this an annual event. There was nothing to signify someone had actually paid to take part and also I have a licence myself but I was with a friend who doesn't (he paid his €2 insurance) but again nothing to signify he paid. As with most sportives there's always one or two chancing there arm so I'd imagine without any numbers/bands or similar you're going to end up getting some free loaders.

I think your idea of starting in waves with expected ave speed is a good one. I made up a third of the picture posted above and I know of one person who was feeling the pressure of being left behind on his first sportive. Either way a great day out and a very welcome cup of coffee at the end.

Re the littering. What is wrong with some people?:mad: I'm constantly amazed at the littering at sportives. I came across numerous energy gel wrappers on the road granted they may not all have been from this event but some most definitely were. Also I did the 50K route and there was no need for anyone to be taking gels at that distance.

Anyway thanks to GMCI and your colleagues for an enjoyable event and that lovely down hill towards the end it certainly blew the cobwebs out

Koobcam

I would agree with the comments about security-the air base is a great place to start a sportive as there is loads of parking and it feels pretty safe when you leave your bike unattended for a few mins to get food, sign on etc.
In terms of value, I think €20 is absolutely fine and I am very happy that the money goes to supporting the Junior tour (though a part of me also wonders at the wisdom of this support for Juniors given the suffering they hand out in A3 races:mad:).
One thing I also liked, in comparison to other sportives, was the relatively late start. Most sportives seem to start at 8 or 9am, which I can understand given the normally long distances involved. However an early start also means getting up really early if you have any kind of distance to travel to get to the star, which kind of throws the body off its normal rhythm. Plus a later start is good for the winter months when roads can be dodgy. So basically, thumbs up for the start time.
Neutral service was very impressive-one of my clubmates got a flat and I was kind of amazed at how quickly he got back to the finish, until he explained that he'd gotten a spare wheel. I haven't done too many sportives in Ireland where there is any neutral service, except maybe a broom wagon, so fair play for this.
I liked also the way the lead car kept thanking people for stopping as we went through towns, junctions etc. It's kind of important for us a a cycling community to try to improve relations with motorists, so this kind of acknowledgement of people for the inconvenience we cause is kind of a good idea I think.
The only slight negative I have is about the food0basically not enough. However, given that we were riding to support the Junior Tour, I didn't mind this as much as I might normally since it's probably essential to use as much of the proceeds as possible to support the race.

Daroxtar

Quick suggestion Re the food - Clonard Cc did their tour of South Meath last September. When you signed in you gave preference for your choice of food and were given a ticket. At the finish you just handed in the ticket and got your plate of grub
Anyway, dont be too hard on yourself, Sunday was a great spin. I'm looking forward to next year.

CramCycle

Koobcam wrote: »

One thing I also liked, in comparison to other sportives, was the relatively late start. Most sportives seem to start at 8 or 9am, which I can understand given the normally long distances involved. However an early start also means getting up really early if you have any kind of distance to travel to get to the star, which kind of throws the body off its normal rhythm. Plus a later start is good for the winter months when roads can be dodgy. So basically, thumbs up for the start time.

Hear hear, I was able to get up with my kid in the morning and let my OH lie in for a bit so there was no annoyance at just f'in off out the door at 6:30 while making enough noise to wake the child. Its alot easier to sell to those with young families IMO but that could just be me.

mark kiernan

hi
i was doing neutral service with liam on the day
we brought a boot full of wheels with us ,not enough as it turned out
most of the wheels that punctured were well worn ,a winter of miles i suspect
but everyone got back ok
some speed for a so called sportive it hardly dropped below 50 kph on the way back .racing is easier !!!!

JK.BMC

mark kiernan wrote: »

hi
i was doing neutral service with liam on the day
we brought a boot full of wheels with us ,not enough as it turned out
most of the wheels that punctured were well worn ,a winter of miles i suspect
but everyone got back ok
some speed for a so called sportive it hardly dropped below 50 kph on the way back .racing is easier !!!!

Great job Mark/Liam; got my seasons-worth of drafting practice with 3 mechanicals and a natural break at a badly judged time. I nearly jumped into the ambulance at one stage, for a moment I thought we were on the final lap in Mondello or something..

But regardless, I would agree with the positive comments above as it was a very good way mark the start of the season and raise the necessary funds; fair play all round.

On another point, the event was starting to look like the World Toilet-Break championship in the first hour. Nothing the organisers can do there I suppose! But mildly amusing all the same

Derrydingle

GMCI wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback everybody and there are certainly areas I would look to improve on for the future such as:
- If the numbers were to be greater, I would start off in waves based on a pre notified expected average speed for the group and the riders could choose their group based on that
- I would quickly do the Raffle Draw before the start while everybody was there so at least the winners would know who they were instead of trying to make contact in the week after.

In relation to comments made:
- The catering was my biggest concern and caused the greatest workload for the day. We did put on Tea/Coffee before the start because it was such a cold morning but wasn't expecting so many to be coming in and having refills
- The catering after was worse. I held trays back for the longer group arriving and while I knew cyclists could be a hungry bunch, there were cases of people taking the mick altogether taking seconds and thirds and not considering the stragglers who would need it more after them. At the end of the day it was only a €20 cycle yet I may be wrong in saying that people seemed to think they could take as much food as they liked. A bit harsh for their fellow cyclists and then the organisers get it in the neck. I would go for a hot wet dish served up (Pasta dish or something like the nationals had in Mullingar) which would be more suitable all round.
- I agree road markings are more favourable for the cyclists but they certainly are not with the councils and so we opt for signs to avoid any comeback from them.
- We had the service cars and the Broom Wagon with a van also behind the broom de-routing. I did not expect riders to be stopping in coffee shops on the route (again inexperience of sportives) and allowed the broom to continue to the next group. I would leave the arrows up until the following day for those who do opt to stop.
- I was happy with the decision not to have a food stop on the course, simply too cold and tough to get the body going again after in those conditions.

The Littering Culture is still a massive problem. I had to do a sweep of the area around the HQ after the start to pick up used cups, banana skins and wrappers. These were more my concern considering the venue was my place of employment which is the risk I took. But I was still shocked at the level of littering in there.

I couldn't believe how many people I heard were there , that I knew but did not see. Guess I was in the zone. haha.

I was very happy with everything else that went as I had planned like the escort bikes, lead cars, Sign on Staff and my work colleagues who assisted with parking. They knew I was involved in cycling but never had an idea of the scale of what I was working on when I asked them to help on the day. So their reactions were priceless.
No complaints from the employers (yet) so happy days everywhere and roll on the next one for the Air Corps which will be the Morgan Sparrow Sportive later in the year. A hillier course in Wicklow but a well supported day out.

Thanks again and if anyone thinks of anything else, shout.

Sportive was a great day fully enjoyed it, what month is the Morgan Sparrow sportive on?

GMCI

Derrydingle wrote: »

Sportive was a great day fully enjoyed it, what month is the Morgan Sparrow sportive on?

Normally September as far as I know

nailik

Anyone know if there will be a Junior Tour Sportive in 2016, or does the fact there's a sponsor mean it's unnecessary? I really enjoyed last year's, I'd happily do it again to raise cash for the juniors, or Cycling Ireland.

Crocked

nailik wrote: »

Anyone know if there will be a Junior Tour Sportive in 2016, or does the fact there's a sponsor mean it's unnecessary? I really enjoyed last year's, I'd happily do it again to raise cash for the juniors, or Cycling Ireland.

I was looking for this the other day. It's on the Cycle Ireland calendar for April, but I can't see it down anywhere else so that might just be a holding date on the calendar

lennymc

I was talking to someone who said that it would go ahead but be later in the year so April sounds about right

buffalo

nailik wrote: »

Anyone know if there will be a Junior Tour Sportive in 2016, or does the fact there's a sponsor mean it's unnecessary? I really enjoyed last year's, I'd happily do it again to raise cash for the juniors, or Cycling Ireland.

We were only talking about this on the spin yesterday - it was a great leg-opener for the start of the season, get the racing started early!

Stevieg2009

It's a real shame it's not on until April as said was a great pipe opener last year when it was held in February