Wheelers launch National Junior Championships with great fanfare
The Centra National Junior Cycling Championships, promoted by Lakeside Wheelers Cycling Club, Mullingar was launched in great style on Thursday July 4 last.
These championships are coming to Mullingar for the first time and will be staged over the weekend of August 17 and 18.
The promotion of an event such as the National Junior Championships is a major undertaking for the club and organisers were delighted when the supermarket chain Centra agreed to come on board as main sponsors.
The support of a brand like Centra will give the championships a huge boost and it is hoped that the event will be well supported by the cycling public in and around Mullingar.
The official launch was held at O’Brien’s Centra, Lynn Road on Thursday morning, and the big attraction on the morning was the attendance of Centra brand ambassador and former Munster and Ireland rugby player, Donncha O’Callaghan.
The event was also attended by the new CEO of Cycling Ireland, Mr Matt McKerrow, as well as several members of Lakeside Wheelers Youths.
The racing will commence on the morning of Saturday August 17 with a time trial event which will be run over a course from Coole to Multyfarnham. This will be followed in the afternoon by a series of races to cater for all age groups from the ages of U11 to U16. The road race circuit will be on the 12km loop around Mornington.
To conclude the championships, there will be a Criterium in Mullingar on Sunday August 18, and by then it will be known who the new boys’ and girls’ national champions are for the coming year. There will be lots of local interest, with many of the Lakeside Wheelers Youths team taking part, so hopefully some of the medals will stay in Mullingar.
The National Junior Championships attract the very best young riders in the country every year and it is anticipated that there will be in excess of 180 riders competing over the weekend.
The participants will all be accompanied by family and friends, so there will be a considerable amount of people coming to Mullingar and Multyfarnham over the two days.