News Release -
County Clare Riding High Over Announcement of Major New Cycling Event
A major new international cycling event valued at an estimated €2 million has been secured for County Clare by Shannon Development in partnership with in partnership with Clare County Council, Fáilte Ireland, and the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau.
The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, will take place over an 80-mile (approx) course in scenic County Clare on Sunday, August 22nd 2010. The event was announced today (Tuesday 9th February 2010) will be run by IMG the world’s largest sports, entertainment and media company, and is Ireland’s first closed road cycle event.
Up to 2000 entrants from throughout Ireland and abroad this year, are expected to participate, bringing significant economic benefit into the local economy, with numbers increasing considerably over the next five years. The mass participation event, which is being marketed internationally and nationally, is open to all standards of cyclists aged 18-80. The cycle will start and finish in Ennis and travel through County Clare, taking in part of West Clare’s spectacular coastline.
Sky, the UK and Ireland’s leading entertainment company behind the Sky Ride series of events, is the title sponsor of The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia. The sponsorship supports Sky’s aim to encourage one million more people of all ages and abilities to get cycling by 2013. Sky Ride consists of a range of initiatives to get people back on their bikes, with activities like mass city cycling events on traffic-free streets through to local group rides led by British Cycling ride-leaders.
As well as Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, IMG have extensive experience organising mass participation events including the internationally renowned events the Macmillan Cancer Support Etape Caledonia, Tour de Suisse, Melbourne Marathon, The London Triathlon, Triathlon de Alpe d’Huez and UK Challenge.
Welcoming the event John King, Assistant Chief Executive of Shannon Development said, “Shannon Development, along with its partners, is delighted to have helped secure this very prestigious event for the Shannon Region for the next five years. Winning this event helps us build on our campaign to promote the Region’s growing reputation as a leading sports and events destination. Etape Hibernia is one of a number of international events we are working on this year to bring additional visitors to the Shannon Region which have the potential to generate 10 million euro in new revenue for the Region. This new cycling event complements our strategy to secure more mass participation events, in particular sports events, which can be firmly rooted in the Shannon Region for many years to come.”
Mr. King noted that the Lonely Planet ‘Best in Travel 2010’ guide’s inclusion of Clare in its top 10 list of ‘Super Cycling Routes in the World’ was a great endorsement of the County’s cycling product. “This endorsement is a testament to the amount of work that has gone into the development of the tourism cycling product in Clare in recent times. We look forward to working with IMG and our partners to ensure the success of this event in terms of delivering additional visitors and revenue”, concluded Mr. King.
Speaking at today’s event launch in Spanish Point, County Clare, Jo Dytch of IMG said: “The popularity and growth in road cycling is very exciting. Along with our partners we are looking to lead the way in providing a prestige event for cycling in Ireland and to establish a major fixture on the Irish sporting calendar delivering a significant boost to the local economy. This event will bring a welcome boost to the tourism in Clare annually and will see the most scenic parts of the County and its coastline exposed to the world’s cycling enthusiasts and media.”
Ms. Dytch continued: “Sky Ride Etape Hibernia is Ireland's first closed road cycle event and is open to the general public. It affords cyclists with the unique opportunity to cycle safely on closed roads, whilst rising to the physical challenge at the same time. We expect to draw enthusiasts, the health conscious, challenge-seekers, charity fund-raisers and lapsed cyclists. For the inaugural Etape Hibernia, we hope to attract as many as 2000 entrants and plan to grow this number considerably by 2014. IMG are grateful for the support of the title sponsor Sky, and regional sponsors Failte Ireland, Shannon Development, Clare County Council, and the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, without whom staging this event in Ireland would not be possible and we look forward to making it a legacy event for the region”.
Details of The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia are available from www.etapehibernia.com or info@etapehibernia.com.
On Their Bikes
Pictured at the announcement of the new Sky Ride Etape Hibernia cycling event for County Clare are (l-r ) Karen Brosnahan, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, Finbarr Brougham, Regional Manager Shannon Development County Clare, Jo Dytch, IMG and Pat Daly, Tourism and Marketing Division Manager, Shannon Development.
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