Tour de Kilkenny

Saturday 30th July 2011 

Note: Online Entry has now closed.

Registration is still possible at the Kilkenny Rugby Club (Event HQ) on Friday Evening 7pm – 9pm and on Saturday Morning from 7am (Closes at 8.30am for 110km/160km and closes at 10.45am for 40km/70km).

Important Briefing For All Participants

We are in the final few days leading up to the Tour de Kilkenny 2011!  We would like to highlight the following points to you:

• Online registration is cheaper, guarantees you a goody bag and closes this Wednesday, so get registering!
• Safety is paramount to us, so please be aware of the following:
  • Helmets are compulsory.
  • Roads are open to the public, so rules of the road still apply.
  • Bikes must be in roadworthy condition.
  • Time trial bikes and TT bars are not allowed.
  • Sign-on is open from 7pm to 9pm this Friday at Kilkenny Rugby Club and from 7am to 8.30am on Saturday morning, for those doing the 40km/70km sign on will stay open until 10.45am.  Please note that sign-on is still required from those who registered online.
  • An additional €5 fee is payable for any participant who does not present a Cycling Ireland licence at sign-on (even if they swear on their grandmother’s grave that they have one at home!)
  • All money raised is in aid of Barretstown Childrens Camp, a specially-designed camp for children with serious cancer related illness.  Should you wish to make a further donation to this excellent charity, you can do this at sign-on.
  • Anyone who has an old mobile that you don’t need, please bring it with you to donate to Barretstown, as there will be a recyclable mobile phone bin at sign-on.
  • Keep Kilkenny Clean – please leave nothing behind, hang on to your empty energy gel sachets etc and dispose of them at any of the water/feed stops.
  • Emergency numbers on the day are Michael Shields 086 6045918 and Pat Murray 087 9221987.

If you have any queries that are not answered below, please do not hesitate to contact Michael Shields at 086 6045918.

Safe and happy cycling and hopefully we’ll see you on Saturday.

Marble City Cyclers.

About the Event

Having quickly established itself as one of the  best run sportives in the country after just 2 years, Marble City Cyclers are delighted to announce that they are running the third Tour de Kilkenny on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend, 30^th July 2011 in aid of Barretstown, a charity aimed at rebuilding lives affected by childhood cancer.  After raising over €6,500 from the 2nd TdeKK in 2010, MCC are hoping that with your help, we can raise even more much-needed funds for this excellent charity and their good work in 2011.

The Tour de Kilkenny is on just 4 weeks before the (slightly!) more famous Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford so its ideal preparation for those of you thinking of doing that.

This year we have added a 4th route which will allow us to cater for cyclists of all abilities, please see further description below.  The 160km & 100km cycles will start at 9am while the 70km & 40km cycles will start at 11am.  All four cycles will be leaving the Kilkenny Rugby Club, which is just outside Kilkenny on the Waterford Road; its location can be viewed here on Google maps.

How to Enter

Entrance fee is €25 on the day or €22 online. Please note if you do not have an annual Cycling Ireland License, there is an additional €5 payable on the day to take out a one day license. It is mandatory for all participants taking part in this event to hold either an annual license or a one day license.



*No extra payable if you hold a CI license

Registration will also be available on the Friday evening before from 7pm to 9pm and in the morning from 7am until 8.30am (registration for the 40km will continue to open until 10.45am).  Please note that sign-on will still be required by those who register online.

Goody bags will be gauranteed for online entrants and there will be a limited number of goody bags for on the day entrants which will be given out on a first come first served basis.

If you are unable to make it on the day but would like to support Marble City Cyclers’ effort in raising fund for Barretstown, please click here to donate!

The Routes

40km route: This is a newly designed route for 2011. Starting and finishing at Kilkenny Rugby Club the route will take cyclists through Bennetsbridge, Dungarvan, Thomastown, Bennetsbridge (again!) and then across to Danesfort and head back for the finish. There is a waterstop in Thomastown.

Click Here to See a Map of this route - 40km Route

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

70km route ~ New for 2011!!!!: This is an additional route that has been added for 2011 and has been designed to fill the void that we had in the last 2 years between the 40km route and a particularly challenging 110km route. This new 70km route will take cyclists through Bennetsbridge, Gowran, Goresbridge, Graiguenemanagh, Thomastown, Bennetsbridge (again), across to Danesfort and head back for the finish. There is a waterstop in Thomastown.

Click Here to See a Map of this route - 70km Route
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

110km route: This is a challenging route and is ideal for someone looking to progress to the challenges of the Seán Kelly’s 160km cycle.  Participants will be able to enjoy a water-stop in Thomastown and a sit down food-stop in Listerlin and will be challenged by the climbs in Graiguenamanagh, Woodstock and the final hill at Bennettsbridge.  This route is suitable for participants with some cycling experience and looking for a serious challenge.

Click Here to See a Map of this route – 110km Route
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

160km route: For almost the first half of this route, participants will be cycling the same route as the 100km route.  At the food stop in Listerlin, cyclists will continue further south where they will be cycling a challenging yet enjoyable terrain.  Another water-stop will also be provided in Kilmoganny for the 160km cyclists, which will help the cyclists to keep their much needed energy to get them over the sting in the tail that is Kilmanagh Hill and bring them back to base.  This route is suitable for experience and able cyclists.

Click Here to See a Map of this route – 160km Route

Accommodation

The following is a list of hotels for your August Bank Holiday weekend in Kilkenny (link provided to each hotel at their heading).

Hotel Kilkenny: Reasonably near the Kilkenny Rugby Club (approx 2 miles), walking distance into Kilkenny centre and leisure facilities and leisure facilities available.  This would be our first suggestion!

Ormonde Hotel: Reasonably near the Kilkenny Rugby Club (approx 2 miles), in Kilkenny centre and leisure facilities available to its patrons.

Springhill Hotel:  Nearest hotel to Kilkenny Rugby Club, approx 1½ walk into city centre and leisure facilities available to its patrons.

Langtons Hotel:  Probably the most famous establishment in the Marble City, approx 3 miles from Kilkenny Rugby Club and normally includes free entrant to their nightclub!

Rivercourt Hotel:  Probably has the best beer garden in Kilkenny, it’s approx 3 miles from Kilkenny Rugby Club and has leisure facilities available to its patrons.

Days Hotel: On the ring road, near Kilkenny Rugby Club.

All of the following B&Bs are reasonably located to both Kilkenny Rugby Club and Kilkenny city centre, perfect for your August Bank Holiday weekend in Klikenny.

• Olinda House, Castle Road, Kilkenny                 Tel 056 7762964
• Laragh House, Waterford Road, Kilkenny          www.laraghhouse.com
• Fanad House, Castle Road, Kilkenny                  Tel 056 7764126
• Beaupre, Waterford Road, Kilkenny                  Tel 056 7721417

Getting there….

Getting to Kilkenny is easier than before, with new motorways recently opened to Kilkenny from Dublin, Waterford and Cork.  Once in Kilkenny, look for the Waterford Rd roundabout on Kilkenny’s ring road.  Approximately one mile from existing the Waterford Road roundabout (towards Waterford), you will see the Kilkenny Rugby Club on your right hand side.

You can view the location of the starting point for all three routes, Kilkenny Rugby Club, on Google maps by clicking here.

Other information

Please do not hesitate to contact us at marblecitycyclers@gmail.com.