Riders gearing up as major Leitrim cycle returns this Sunday
The cycle, which is open to people of all abilities, is aimed at showcasing the “magnificent and largely undiscovered scenery of the area.”
This year's eagerly awaited and highly popular annual Leitrim Glens Sportive cycling event will get underway on Sunday morning, August 2, from Manorhamilton's W8 Eight Degrees West Restaurant.
Once again Sunday's Leitrim Glens Sportive cycling North Leitrim event will feature a 40km leisure cycle – suitable for beginners and leisure cyclists; a 100km route – scenic rolling terrain, ideal for club cyclists, a 150km route – designed for experienced cyclists who want to extend their distance without tackling excessive climbing and a 200km route – featuring approximately 2,600 metres of climbing over nine categorised climbs throughout County Leitrim; all marked with continental-style summit signs to enhance the cycling experience.
Meanwhile, last year's Glens Sportive was special for its organisers, the Leitrim Glens Cycling Club, when 200 cyclists registered and arrived in Manorhamilton to participate in the event. A spokesperson for the 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.”
Cyclists' registration for Sunday's Glens Sportive event commences at 8 am in the W8 Eight Degrees West Restaurant. Commenting on the origins of the Leitrim Glens Sportive, 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.
“Nuala McNulty was a great help with social media also, and always a great ambassador and supporter of the event. We then introduced shorter routes to cater for cyclists of all abilities,” Vincent added.
Explaining about more recent Leitrim Glens Sportive developments, Vincent Gilgunn stated, “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.
“In 2023, we were delighted to welcome two new members to the organising committee. We held a meeting, and) Shane Kerrigan, Kerrigan Group, proprietor of Eight Degrees West Manorhamilton and JJ O'Hara, CEO of Future Cast, joined the team.
“Shane and JJ have become a tremendous driving force behind the event and its continued development. Social media and website development is now managed by committee members Mariia Hrab and Oksana Koshmann. A special thank you to local man PJ Leddy for his continuous promotion of our event each year,” Vincent Gilgunn added.