Innisfree Wheelers’ Spring Classic is on May 5

INNISFREE Wheelers Spring Classic Cycling Sportive takes place on Sunday, May 5, commencing from and finishing at The Mercy College Gym, Convent Hill, Sligo.

This year Innisfree Wheelers is providing cyclists from the region with an attractive and challenging sportive which is ideal training for anyone entering the Gran Fondo.

This event is part of the Connacht Cycling Series and will encompass many of the scenic routes that has attracted the holding of a major international cycling tournament The Gran Fondo to Sligo in June 2024.

This Innisfree Wheelers cycle is included in the list of events for the Queen Maeve Festival taking place in Sligo on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Choose from two routes 130km starting at 9am and 75km starting at 9.30am. Entry fee (online only) is €35.00 for CI members and €55.00 for non Cycling Ireland members.

130km Route

Heading south from Sligo past the mystical Knocknarea Cairn and the world famous Salmon Falls in Ballisodare cyclists encounter their first challenge of the day with a left turn and instant climb of the aptly named Hungry Rock.

This follows a lovely descent of the Ox Mountains into the village of Coolaney and continue on through quiet country roads and rolling hills to a right angle turn for the next challenging climb of Mass Hill and the amazing scenery of Lough Easkey nestled in a blanket of upland bog. One of the most inspiring vistas of the wild Atlantic opens up as we descend into Dromore West for the food stop.

Then a cycle along the Wild Atlantic Way towards the next climb of the spectacular Ladies Brae where many will stop to admire the views before descending back onto lovely flat terrain to Ballisodare where they then turn for beautiful Lough Gill and pass Dooney Rock famed for Yeats Poem “the Fiddler of Dooney”.

After cyclists join the main roads as they return to Sligo Mercy college for a delicious hot lunch.

75km route

Follows the same scenic route out from Sligo as the 130km but having passed through Coolaney village these cyclists will take a left turn and uphill into Lavagh village for a guaranteed friendly welcome with refreshments.

Returning past Knocknashee ( Hill of Fairies) and on into Ballisodare this group will also detour via Slish Wood along the shores of beautiful Lough Gill and back to the starting point for great food and chats with friends.