Top class cycling in Charleville this weekend

The 17th annual Charleville 2-Day Cycle Race will take place this Saturday and Sunday. This is one of the biggest cycle events in Ireland, with riders from all over the country descending on Charleville, including riders from Estonia, Latvia and a couple from Portugal who are competing for Irish club teams.
Stage 1 will begin at 12 noon on Saturday when riders will be escorted through the town and out to the official start at Kil-twohig, Smith’s Road. The cylists will go to Shandrum School House Cross, and on to Dromina, Bog Cross, Dromcollogher, Milford, Newtown and back to Shandrum. This circuit will be completed another two times before the finish at Killtwohig, a distance of 86km. Stage 2, an individual time trial for A4 riders, starts at 5pm from Gortboy Service Station in Killmallock, racing back to the finish outside Crown Furniture in Garrienderk. Sunday morning’s racing will start at 8.30am, an individual time trial, and the grand finale for the weekend will be a race from Garrienderk to Kilmallock and on to Ard-patrick, Glenosheen and Kildorrery before an 8km climb, passing Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Centre on the descent. The riders will then return to Kildorrery to climb the mountain a second time, before finishing in Garrienderk via Ardpatrick and Kilmallock.
There will be an awards ceremony at 5pm in the Charleville Park Hotel and Leisure Centre. The organisers have asked residents to come out and cheer the cyclists on, and motorists travelling in the area this Saturday or Sunday are asked to be patient and drive with care.