Champion on board for Yeats Tour
THERE was a great turn out of cycling enthusiasts and community people for the launch of the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo 2017 which took place at City Hall on Saturday. In advance of the launch special guest and event ambassador Eve Mc Crystal gold medallist at the Rio Paralympics led a group of 40 cyclists representing the many cycling clubs across the county from Doorly Park through Sligo Town to arrive at City Hall for the launch.
The Sligo Champion is delighted to be on board as official media partners of the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo 2017.
Mayor Cllr Marie Casserly extended a welcome to all associated with the event to City Hall and remarked on the many benefits associated with the hosting of this mass participation cycling event not least the very significant tourism and economic benefits for Sligo Town and County.
The event is supported nationally by Sport Ireland and Cycling Ireland and is now in its ninth year and over 2000 cyclists are expected to participate.
A Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday 29th April which will include the 10km Spin for All, and 2km Bike Trail while on Sunday 30th April the more experienced cyclists will have three events to choose from including a 60km, 100km and 160km route.
Speaking at the launch event ambassador Eve Mc Crystal stated “I’m delighted to be ambassador for the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo for 2017. While my main focus is cycling at performance level I think recreational cycling offers great opportunities for people to be active.”
She added, “Cycling is good for fitness and health and I encourage people of all ages and cycling experience to start training and join me in Sligo on the May Bank Holiday weekend for the first event of the Sport Ireland Cycle Series”.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Una May, Head of Participation and Ethics at Sport Ireland explained, “We are delighted to be supporting the Sport Ireland Cycle Series at five locations across the country for the summer.
“It is an event where everyone is welcome, and a great opportunity for a family to take a leisurely spin and enjoy the wonderful scenery along the way”.
The nominated charity for the event is the Samaritans Sligo and speaking on their behalf Fergus Callagy welcomed the opportunity to be associated with the event, stating that all sponsorship received will go towards sustaining services in the Sligo region.
Event co- ordinator Deirdre Lavin SSRP acknowledged the support of all organisations at national and local level.
With just over two months to go she encouraged all intending participants to get training. She announced that registration for the event had opened with people having the option to either enter on line or through postal application. Full details of the event and regular updates will be available at www. tourofsligo. ie or at 071 9161511.