Countdown to Yeats Tour
WITH just over a week to go to the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo cyclists are encouraged to register for the event by Wednesday 19th April to avail of the early bird entry fee. The event is generating huge interest with entries received from every county of Ireland and a number travelling from oversees to take part. Event ambassador Eve McCrystal gold medallist at the Rio Paralympics will be in attendance and on Saturday will cycle in the family fun day with her daughter while taking on the bigger challenge of the Ox Mountain Challenge on Sunday. Eve is encouraging people to take part. She said: “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”.
Locally cyclists are getting in gear through a number of cycling programmes for newcomers to the sport including a Bike for Life six week programme involving 36 adult cyclists. Cyclists of all cycling experience will be catered for at the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo with events on Sunday 30th April over 60k/ 100k/ 160k. A highlight of the weekend is the Family Fun Day which takes place on Saturday 29th April. Families and newcomers to cycling can participate in the 10k spin to Hazelwood or the 2k bike trail at the IT Sligo headquarters. Registration for the family fun day is from 1.30pm onwards and aside from the 10k/ 2k activities include cycling skills, exciting entertainers, face painting and music. Samaritans Sligo is the nominated charity for the event and will be helping with volunteering throughout the weekend. Cyclists can give a donation on line when registering for the charity. Also, a monster raffle is being undertaken in conjunction with the event by the Samaritans and raffle tickets can be obtained from Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership or from the Rooftop Restaurant, WB’s Coffeehouse and Specsavers Opticians. The raffle will take place on April 30th during the cycle after party. To avail of the early bird entry fee participants are encouraged to register by Wednesday 19th April at www. tourofsligo. ie or contact SSRP at 071 9161511.