UCI Gran fondo Sligo

shaymouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122306331#Comment_122306331

Yep, I think the Etape had a big effect, I signed up to this when it was announced, and then a few weeks later the Etape, which seems better funded, comes along.

It seems very strange that cycling Ireland, allowed 2 new big events start in the same year, it's not the entry costs but the accommodation, which is the killer, a later start and I would have driven up on the morning.

anyway, I hope it's a success, and the organisers learn from this year, as we have lost a few events since covid

Macy0161

Would CI really have the power to stop either of them? I'm not sure that's a power they have, particularly for 2 clearly commercial events.

Reality_Check1

has anyone got their official start time for the TT? I’m not getting any emails so the plan was to turn up at 7 and collect my numbers on the morning of the TT

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122307904#Comment_122307904

Lots of nice coastal roads in west Sligo. Spin out of Sligo around Strandhill, out through ballisodare and turn off after Beltra, follow coast road all the way to Enniscrone, turn inland and up over ox mountains back via Coolaney and Cooloney, do a loop of lough gill if you want

PinkSnacks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122308897#Comment_122308897

Yea I was a bit surprised when I booked this event and paid for accommodation(which was expensive and more than I'd like to pay for what we're getting, can only imagine it would be more in Kilarney) only to see the L'Etape advertised shortly afterwards. I'm all for having a choice of events to go to but we're still a niche sport and numbers at both will surely suffer, maybe the Sligo one more now.

Can only go to Sligo for personal reasons, a lot seem to have written it off already due to poor communication and last minute route changes.

We shall see, I'm doing the Gran Fondo hopefully it's a good day out with a decent turnout.

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122309113#Comment_122309113

wouldn't they have had to sanction them(give them the blessing?)

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122306331#Comment_122306331

lastest facebook comments on route change suggests otherwise,optimistic but also realistic.

seems like its done on a shoestring!

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122309858#Comment_122309858

Yes, but once they weren't clashing could they really block one or other? 2 commercial events, each under the remit of the two biggest organisations in the sport (UCI and ASO).

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122309558#Comment_122309558

I dont think I've ever heard cycling described as a niche sport before. If anything it's the opposite and there are club run sportives in all these places that can be better organized and not quite as busy and have cheaper accomodation attached to it

Anyway, hopefully they look for feedback and people say they would leave it to be an annual thing but use a different organiser

531

Between one thing and another, I will not be using my Gran Fondo entry. Available free (maybe a small donation to charity, if desired) to anyone who wants it.

IIt is for long spin on Sunday.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310283#Comment_122310283

Would they though (have to sanction them)? Once the event organiser has insurance, go ahead from Gardai, cooperation with local councils etc, what powers do CI have or what would the need be to involve them? I don't think Athletics Ireland's sanction is needed to run a road race in Ireland unless it's being advertised as somehow 'official' for the purpose of rankings etc (e.g. national half marathon etc.).

MojoMaker

Surely a UCI event has to be formally sanctioned by the NGB?

Reality_Check1

does anyone have the start list for the TT? I can only find the start list for Sunday

columbus_66

there is a link to the tt start list in yesterday's email.

Reality_Check1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312889#Comment_122312889

would you mind posting the link here please or DM’ing it to me? I haven’t been getting any of the emails

Edit - got it thanks

07Lapierre

Gran Fondo Ireland Participant Booklet 2024 (1).pptx

Here's the presentation..

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311131#Comment_122311131

I don't think so, but open to correction. For example, I'm told that CI had no involvement in the CX World Cup. It was UCI. All criticisms that were directed at CI (food/ drink etc) were misplaced as they had no say in the matter. And other than engaging with CI as a courtesy, UCI could have done what they liked with the event.

It seems more like the dynamic between Government and local councils - local councils given free reign to do what they want in their own areas within certain limitations, but that doesn't mean Govt can't bypass them entirely.

MojoMaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313759#Comment_122313759

I get ya.

Reality_Check1

Did the TT this morning and I have to say it was well organised. Everything started on time. Roads completely closed but still well marshaled. Sign on was easy. Toilets at the start line.

Tomorrow will be a much bigger prospect obviously but cautiously optimistic

fat bloke

Credit where it's due. Today's event was very well run. Well marshalled, well organised at the start and the finish.

People say the route could have been more scenic but scenery would've been wasted on the Gran Fondo. 40kph for 3 and a half hours I didn't dare take my eyes off the wheel in front of me til we rolled back into Sligo. 😳

07Lapierre

completed in 3hours 55minutes. happy with that. Great support from locals along the route! Kids out cheering us on while holding up homemade “Welcome GranFondo” signs.

Marshals were great..except for the last left turn at the end of lap 1. As they had no idea which riders were on lap 1, 2 , the 130 or 80k route, so there was a bit of confusion. But overall a well run event. Just a shame it didn’t attract more entrants.

Reality_Check1

managed to snag myself a qualifying spot 🙌

would agree with the lads above I thought it was a well run event and enjoyable all around. For balance if I was to have some criticisms from today;

1. Mass start was a bit dicey. I don’t know how feasible it was to let it off in age groups but it made the first 10km more dangerous than it needed to be

2. Some of the roads were partially closed which I don’t have an issue with but the cone layout was weird and kinda boxed too close together which brought a few lads down

3. It was dangerous to have some of the leisure cyclists on the same road as the Fondo riders were finishing off their second lap - this was particularly evident coming into the finish when everyone was fighting for position or winding up for a sprint

4. I’m not a fan of downhill finishes especially with lads racing but that’s just a personal thing

Like I said overall massively positive event I’m just making the points above for some balance

fat bloke

Mass start was bananas. If you didn't have a good grid position you were toast from the start. I though we were only about 5m back from the start line and we'd be grand but the when we got going there was groups WAY up the road. I could taste blood in my mouth trying to hang in and catch on the first 15k ish.

Ended up in a big group which I thought might have been the 3rd group on the road but we caught another big group about half way and then another big group with ca 40k to go. So then we had a massive group altogether. Easily over 100 riders. Made it a bit dicey and really hard to get towards the front.

As we headed into Sligo the last couple of K got really silly so I just eased off. We came in shortly before 11am, but the fast first group finished 25 - 30 mins before us again!! Savage speed.

dahat

How many were qualified for Denmark by default? First 20/30 riders?

Reality_Check1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122322089#Comment_122322089

top 25% for each age category so between 10-20

shaymouse

I did the 133km leisure sportive, I enjoyed the cycle in particular the closed roads, which were great.

on the negative, by the time we finished, the food was pretty dire, bananas or tuna sandwiches.

We were lapped by the gran fondo qualifyers, marshals had informed us of the first peleton, and to go single file, but not the 2nd or 3rd group, when the 3rd group passed us, I was cycling side by side with a woman from Belfast, and the group came very close, one lad passing on the inside, and referring to my Belfast friend as a c**t, as in "get out of the way c**t".

So, not sure if making the 2 different events use the same course works,

talking to an organiser after the event, he said the reason for the route change, was that they didn't have enough volunteers to man all the junctions.

Would I do it again?, probably as the road closures are a big draw

Reality_Check1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122322788#Comment_122322788

I was probably In the front group. Not saying this was the lady you were riding with but there was one lady in the leisure group who swung to the middle of the road as we were passing and shouted “slow down you f**king as**les”

Absolute suicide thing to do with a group doing 43km/h at the time.

Not taking sides just showing there’s 2 sides to every story. And it would be very odd for someone to shout abuse at a someone for absolutely no reason

But again I wasn’t there so I don’t know

BH2008

The issue here is everyone has paid their entry fee and is entitled to ride the event to their abilities and in safety, when you take money off people you have a duty of care to ensure they can enjoy the event safely…not everyone is going to be firing around at 40km/hr and the organisers knew this…I didn’t do the event, but happen to know this lady and heard about the abuse, for a leisure cyclist to be cut up on the inside and called a cxxt is way out of order….this isn’t the tdf and everyone is out for the day to achieve their own goals, whatever they may be…the idea that she may have swung out into the middle of the road or called someone an asshole is pure speculation…

shaymouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122322954#Comment_122322954

Definity not my lady, when the first group passed, we were informed beforehand, and went into single file, and we were just chatting together when the other groups passed.

It was abuse pure and simple, and then to squeeze by us on the inside, was dangerous.

Weepsie

I find the idea of a circuit with the laps thay mixes such groups mind boggling