Claremorris will be alive with excitement on Friday evening, June 14, as Western Lakes Cycling Club promote a criterium (crit ) bike road race in the town centre of Claremorris. The circuit will be a 1.3km lap around the town centre incorporating a finish in the Square. Several primes (sprints ) will be held during the race with live commentary throughout.
Race promoters Western Lakes CC who are organising the crit in conjunction with Claremorris Chamber of Commerce have a long history of hosting successful road races throughout Mayo and Galway and this inaugural crit is yet another example of the club’s promotion of cycling in Mayo and Connacht.
“Success in road criteriums requires a mix of good technical skills — in particular, the ability to corner smoothly while ‘holding your line’ on the road, as well as rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit and exceptional "sprint" ability to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners,” explained Shane Gilligan (race director ).
With Claremorris providing a technical circuit and open stretches, it is expected to be an exceptionally technical and fast race and has already attracted interest from some of the country’s top riders.
The event will be an exceptional spectacle and all supporters and spectators will be in for good entertainment throughout the evening with vantage points throughout the lap and music and a festival atmosphere at the finish line in the Square. “This is a great event for Claremorris and businesses in the town and we are delighted to be involved,” said Jimmy Flynn, chamber president.
“It’s guaranteed that this tough 1.3km circuit will allow the strong and the technically adept to battle for glory. With the first half of the circuit exceptionally tricky with sharp 90 degree turns and the infamous Mount Street wind will ripple through the riders’ jerseys coming along the fastest section of the course, providing a mixture of fast and technical racing with pure grit. The barrier-lined finish located in the iconic square coupled with what is expected to be a great atmosphere, live commentary and background music and voluminous crowd are set to make this one of the most exciting and challenging bike races around,” says Mr Gilligan.
Traffic diversions will be in operation in the town centre from the period of 8pm to 9pm.
For sign-on details and further information check out the Western Lakes Cycling Club facebook page.
