Tour of Inishowen on Sunday 1st July

28Jun/120

Tour of Inishowen on Sunday 1st July

The Tour of Inishowen promoted by North Pole CC takes place on Sunday 1st July. Now in its sixth year, it is a sportive which will challenge even the most experienced cyclist. It is confined to the peninsula of Inishowen a region of Donegal which lies between Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly. The 160k route brings in all the towns and villages of Inishowen,linked by traffic free roads.

The event starts at Buncrana Leisure Centre. Facilities there include ample car-parking, toilets, changing rooms and showers. Sign-on €20(£15stg) opens at 8am and the first lead car (160kroute) will depart at 9.30am. The second car will depart at 9.45 to cover the 96k.route. They will be followed by a service car and a broom wagon. The 'easy' route will also have a lead car and service and will depart at 10am. Tea break at Culdaff will service all the groups between 11.30 and 1pm.By that time the long route cyclists will have traversed Cooks Hill at Greencastle, a category 1 climb which would be fitting for a hard stage of An Post Rás.

After Culdaff the hard route takes in The Malin Head stage with a number of cat 2 climbs on the Knockameny Bends. After Carndonagh comes the cat 3 climb at Ballyliffin Village made famous as a cycle race finish in the National B Championships in 2009. The jewel in the crown of the event is the Mamore Gap climb on the north face. This 1.9k climb with its hairpin bends and 27% gradients will test even the best but will give riders lots of stories for years to come. Be careful on the descent of the straight side which is 1 mile long but be assurred of a warm welcome back at Buncrana Leisure Centre for showers and food.