Thanks got to Sligo City Tri Club cycling officer Colm Casey for the following advice to anyone who is tempted to give bike racing a go in 2010...Cycle racing is a great opportunity to get quality fast road miles in a non boring way from March right through the summer.
Racing is great for building endurance/speed and most importantly bike skills. Anyone who is training regularly on Saturdays/Sundays will be well able to race in the coming year and racing will improve your bike splits.
Cycle races are great for preparation for the triathlon season. Category A4/A3 races will most likely be between 50-70k in the early season. The average speed usually ends up around 23- 25 MPH. You wont get that in training.
Combined races or Open races will usually be a 70k-120k. In 2010 it looks like category 4 races will be run separately or with a handicap from category A3/2. The majority of races will be either categorised (separate races or they are handicapped).
The Eire Og club races are on the weekend of the 20th of March and would be something for members to aim for in the early season. The connacht league races are well handicapped according to category and there is one a month all season. There are plenty of races in connacht this year so travelling long distances will be a thing of the past.
If you want to race you will need a racing licence. A racing licence will cost approx €100 for the year. A one day licence fee is approximately €10 per race and you can enter on the day (These are limited depending on the size of the entry to a race). A race usually costs around €10 to enter on the day. A stage race will cost a little higher but this is for 3 days of racing.
Note: In 2010 Cycling Ireland are going to be strict on club gear/ trade gear. The simplest explanation is you either race with a registered club and in their teams gear and colours or you race as a unattached racer with plain shorts/Jersey (you cannot turn up as lance armstrong or in any other trade teams jersy/shorts).
Anyone interested in cycle racing for the coming season or might be interested in racing with Eire Og give me a call (0876811197) or email (casey.colm@gmail.com). The Eire og club are currently registering riders and ordering new club gear for 2010. There is no membership subscription for the club.
See the 2010 Cycling Ireland race calendar for more details of upcoming races.
