Leitrim has 'some of the best road surfaces in the country for cycling'
Leitrim Glens Sportive organiser Vincent Gilgunn says the annual event was established to showcase North Leitrim's scenery and roads as cyclists prepare for Sunday's event in Manorhamilton.
The annual Leitrim Glens Sportive cycling event will take place on Sunday morning, August 2, starting from W8 Eight Degrees West Restaurant in Manorhamilton.
The event will feature a 40km leisure cycle suitable for beginners and leisure cyclists, a 100km route, a 150km route and a 200km route featuring approximately 2,600 metres of climbing over nine categorised climbs throughout County Leitrim. All climbs are marked with continental-style summit signs.
Registration opens at 8am.
Last year's Leitrim Glens Sportive saw 200 cyclists register and arrive in Manorhamilton to participate in the event.
A spokesperson for Leitrim Glens Cycling Club said: "We would really like to continue to grow this event and showcase what our wonderful area and people have to offer."
Local organiser Vincent Gilgunn said: "In 2016, Seamus McGowan approached me with the idea of setting up a cycling event in North Leitrim.
"The aim was to showcase and promote the magnificent and largely undiscovered scenery of the area. Highlighting our county and our neighbouring counties (sportive passes through Leitrim, Fermanagh and Roscommon with spectacular views of Cavan Sligo Mayo and beyond) is something very close to all our hearts here at Leitrim Glens Sportive.
"Seamus is a passionate cycling enthusiast, and as I am also an avid cyclist; we decided to work together to turn the idea into reality. Shortly afterwards, Austin McManus joined our committee and got the IT and technical side of the event up and running. Ronan McManus also joined the committee and was also a great help at this time.
"We are fortunate to have some of the best road surfaces in the country for cycling. At the time we commenced, there was only one other 200km cycling event in Ireland, held in Wicklow; so we decided to establish a 200km sportive in Leitrim also."
Mr Gilgunn said: "A few years ago, we successfully secured a grant from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme in conjunction with Leitrim County Council and the Leitrim Development Company to install permanent continental style cycling route signs throughout the route and the greater Leitrim area.
"These distinctive yellow and white signs display the name of each route, the distance, and the gradient of every climb. To the best of my knowledge, we are the only county in Ireland with this type of permanent cycling signage."