COMING SOON Cyclist Nicolas Roche visits Mayo next month.
Neill O’Neill
THE organisers of the Westportif are delighted to announce that current Irish National cycling champion Nicolas Roche, a member of the BMC Racing Team, will be part of this year’s event on Saturday, May 13.
Nicolas, son of Ireland’s only ever Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche, will cycle in each of the distance categories of the sportive at various stages during the event and will be in Westport on Friday evening, May 12, and Saturday, May 13.
During his visit, Nicolas will be giving a talk on Friday evening and launching his cycling youth development team, NRPT.
The 12-man team includes four Westport Covey Wheelers riders, Aaron Doherty, Ben Walsh, Eoghan McLaughlin and Shane Ryall. All four riders are having a great season so far with all of them winning top races throughout Ireland.
One of Ireland’s most recognisable professional cyclists, Nicolas is the current Irish National Road Race and TT Champion.
The Roche family is renowned in cycling circles and apart from his father, who also has a Giro d’Italia to his name, two of Nicolas’s uncles are former professionals, while his cousin Dan Martin currently rides for the UCI World Tour team, Quick-Step Floors.
As a busy World Tour rider, Nicolas rarely gets an opportunity to do sportives, so this is really a unique chance to cycle with a top professional and meet a true Irish cycling legend. More details on his schedule in Westport and the launch of his development team will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Westportif is a leisure cycle which begins in Westport and takes participants through some of the most scenic landscapes in Ireland.
Over 1,000 cyclists took part last year on a gloriously sunny day and more are expected for the 2017 event. Three distances are on offer for cyclists - 80km, 120km and 160km for those looking for a real challenge. The event is jointly run by Westport Covey Wheelers and Western Lakes Cycling clubs and the charity partner is Mayo/Roscommon Hospice.
All three routes start and finish at Westport Leisure Park and take in spectacular scenery on the coast road to Louisburgh and through the Doolough Valley. The longer routes enjoy the lovely views around the Inagh Valley and Tourmakeady and include some challenging climbs. Several refreshment stops are provided for all cyclists during the event and at the finish.
If you’d like to join the fun, don’t wait, sign up today on www.westportif.ie
