Record turnout for Wicklow cycling events

A record 3,000 cyclists braved the gruelling Wicklow 200 and Wicklow Challenge cycling events - mainly in the rain in the Garden County today.

Starting the Shoreline Leisure Centre in Greystones the first riders left at 6am in a downpour on the gruelling endurance tests - a 200 km climb high into the Wicklow mountains and over to west Wicklow, and a shorter 100 kilometre route which also climbed into the hills but dropped the west Wicklow leg.

The route took cyclists northwards from Greystones to Kilmacanogue and into the hills turning southwest through Roundwood to Laragh. From there the Wicklow 200 route crossed the Wicklow Gap to Hollywood and south to Baltinglass before turning east and returning to Laragh via Tinahely.

Those on the shorter “challenge” route simply turned left at Laragh, omitting the western leg. Both cycle routes then went on to Avoca before turning north and back to Greystones.

Impressively, some of the first riders to return crossed the finish line in Greystones at about 10am, according to the chairman of Wicklow 200 Paddy Fitzsimons.

“It is like a disease, you get hooked on it” said Mr Fitzsimons who noted the number of entrants was at an all time high in the 33 year history of the twin events.

Fellow organiser Susan O’Mara said the event had grown tremendously in popularity “probably because it is so darn hard” and was now a big item on the calendar of the para-cyclists, a number of whom were visually impaired and rode with able sighted people on tandems.

Roads were not closed for the day as “you can’t close 200 km of Wicklow roads on a Sunday afternoon,” she said.

By about 4pm 1,371 cyclists had completed the cycle - just 146 of whom had done the 200 kilometre version. “I think the downpour may have put some people off” said Ms O’Mara. “People were able to decide at the last minute. If it was raining in the hills when they got to Laragh they could simply turn left” she said.

Organised by the Irish Veteran Cyclists Association which aims events at women over 35 and men over 40 years of age, the Wicklow 200 and Wicklow Challenge events are major fundraising events for cycling in Ireland.

“All of the money goes back into cycling” said Mr Fitzsimons.