Connacht Team In Halfords Tour Series

A Connacht team will be racing in the upcoming Halfords Tour Series of city centre races in Belfast & Dublin. Two events that will see ten top professional teams from Ireland and Britain battling it out on the streets of Belfast and Dublin to be declared the number one team in Ireland.

The Connacht panel includes a mix of youth and experience with seasoned riders such as Padraig Marrey, Simon Coughlan, David Brennan and Chris Coyle mixing it with up and coming stars Charles Prendergast, Gavin Keane, Paul Giblin and Michael Duffy. Any Connacht rider who feels they may be an addition to the team and have been overlooked feel free to contact info@connachtcycling.com to discuss your inclusion on the panel.

Sponsoring the Connacht Squad for the races is Black Rose Studios in Galway.

Belfast June 18th
Belfast host the first of two Halfords Tour Series events on the island of Ireland – the 'Halfords Tour Series Dublin' takes place the following evening – both events will see five of the best British and five of the best Irish cycling teams do battle for the right to be crowned the best team in Ireland.

The professional team race will take place over a one-kilometre circuit taking in many central Belfast streets including Donegall Square South, May Street, Seymour Street and Chichester Street.

Commuter Challenge begins at 7.00pm

The Halfords Tour Series also falls on the same day as 'Bike to Work Day', which encourages as many people as possible to use their bikes to travel to work. All those who travel to work by bike that day will receive a complimentary breakfast in the grounds of City Hall. Prior to the main race, Travelwise will also be staging a Commuter Challenge with relay teams from local businesses and organizations racing against each other.

Main race starts at 7.30pm

Spectators are encouraged to travel to the event by bicycle and to make use of the increasingly extensive cycle lane network across the greater Belfast area with free bike parks being provided on Donegal Square East.

Belfast is a city for cyclists. This Victorian city, steeped in culture and industrial heritage, is just waiting to be discovered by bike. Also, the city's many parks and green spaces, such as Ormeau Park provide traffic-free, family-friendly bike rides. Belfast also boasts two mainly traffic-free routes stretching into County Antrim and County Down. The Comber Greenway follows the trail of a disused railway line as far as the edge of Strangford Lough and the Lagan and Lough Cycle Way passes along the River Lagan and Belfast Lough, right into the heart of the city.

Dublin, June 19th
The Halfords Tour Series Dublin circuit is based on the historic Temple Bar area of the city, famous for its bars and nightlife, making it an excellent location to watch the top British and Irish professional teams battling it out for victory. The main race starts at 6pm