UCI Gran fondo Sligo

Anyone have any info on this event? like is it going off in age category waves or a mass start?

I have entered Gran Fondo on Sunday. I am looking for info and instructions re sign-on, car parking, exact start location, times etc.

I have emailed Titan Experience asking them to inform me, direct me to or send me a link to above info. and will post it here if/when they get back to me.

Thanks, 07 Lapierre (will check now fir that email!).

another Email today… they are sending out a “participant handbook “ by email shortly so make sure your email firewall is not blocking their emails (check your spam/ junk folders)

does anyone have Strava links to the new routes please?

Also does anyone have any information on what way the pens are going to work at the start? From talking around to lads there’s a lot of quality racers going to this so it will be hot out the gate. A bad starting pen and it’s effectively over

Not a cyclist but live in Sligo. Just happened to be doomscrolling on Facebook and the local radio station Ocean FM had posted something about it regarding traffic restrictions etc.

I hadn't seen or heard anything about this event.

Of course I may have missed it but I always flick through the 2 local newspapers when I visit my parents, nothing in there in recent weeks as far as I saw. That should have been a no-brainer for coverage you would have thought.

Hope it all goes well for people involved, but communication looks pretty sh*t so far from reading comments on here. Like others I also noticed the time trial seems to have moved on the Irish site for the event, but not on the main global one.

Best of luck to all involved, weather looks to be half decent for it, well no major rain anyway.

Where are you getting your route change info from? There's nothing on the website - it still has the original info and routes. I've not received a email on it either.

Edit - not having a go at you like, but the haphazard event communications! - At this rate I'd have been as well to stay at home and do my IVCA race!

I had plans to do this, but as its the week before ROK and ive a few other things lined up i let it pass. Was even tempted to sign up again when they were offering discounts around April time, but again let it go.

Seems like I dodged a bullet, the organisation seems a mess

It’s too early to condemn this event in my opinion. The ROK cycle is on next week…the Etape (which in my view has a wider appeal) may have taken away interest in this event. As for the route changes? Any event taking place on public roads is always prone to last minute changes. For me what’s important on the day is the weather! Followed by good company, a nice route and fully closed roads! So far these criteria look like they will be met. Also a night out in Sligo with a nice meal and a few beers after…I’m look forward to it!

Wait….what? The Medio Fondo is now 78k?

Travelling from Dublin for the weekend, thinking about sacking this off now and just going out along the coast solo. Definitely can't be bothered with anything involving laps or circuits. Not a racer so just interested in an enjoyable spin.

Does anyone know the new route - is any of it worth seeing? From what i've checked on google maps it just looks like bog standard featureless country lanes, I can ride that any time I want in North Co. Dublin.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Here's the presentation..

I get ya.

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. 😳

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