Classic winner Martin leads Dunboyne cycle

Dan Martin, who won the Liége-Bastogne-Liége Classic race at the weekend, just weeks after winning the Tour of Catalyna, will be in Dunboyne next Saturday week for the DID Cycle4Life event for Temple Street Hospital.
Martin won the 261km race, regarded as the hardest race of the year, on Sunday, repeating a feat last achieved for Ireland by Sean Kelly in 1989. Kelly won the Catalunya and the Liége weeks later in 1984, providing inspiration for Martin, who is a nephew of another Irish cycling superstar, Stephen Roche, and cousin of current rider, Nicolas.
There are three routes in the cycle starting from Dunboyne on Saturday 4th May - a 5km family route; a 66km medium route and a 143km advanced route, travelling further around south Meath.
The 2012 DID Cycle4Life raised a €151,844 which was used to purchase vital equipment for the ICU in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The target for 2013 has been set even higher, says Cian Lynch, co-founder of DID Cycle4Life, with his brother, DID Electrical managing director Darragh Lynch.
Fortunate to have had the support of Dan Martin last year, the organisers are excited about the prospect of having him at the start line again on 4th May.
“Dan has already visited the ICU in Temple Street last November, which was a proud moment for us all. With an even bigger year ahead of Dan and DID Cycle4Life, to have his commitment to being on the start line will be a huge opportunity for his Irish and international fans to ride out with our best professional in the ProTour. And support a worthy cause,” says organiser Ciaran Hallinan.  Dan’s win in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, has elevated him to number 3 in the UCI World Rankings.
Yet another World Class rider, Colin Lynch (current UCI World Champion in Pursuit and Time Trial) will also be on the start line. Lynch, a member of the Irish Paracycling Team is excited at the prospect of supporting this event.
“I plan on riding the long route and I’ll be encouraging people who want to ride with me to do the same, but will be pushing all riders to sign up, even for the shorter routes.”
This year Temple Street are looking to completely refurbish its ‘Top Flat’ ward with three-bed wards with en-suites on all wards, building a small school room on the ward which will become a parent’s living room and kitchenette area at night and most importantly, four single-bed isolation suites with en-suite facilities and a bed for parents.
Top Flat is home to some of Ireland’s sickest children, a high percentage of whom are Cystic Fibrosis patients. Although the care in this ward is second to none, the ward itself is cramped and in urgent need of re-development in order to keep up with medical standards and requirements. Top Flat currently has 22 beds for babies and children suffering from all kinds of illnesses imaginable – they have two toilets between them and no facilities for parents. Parents sleep in a hard chair or sometimes in the bed beside their son or daughter.
“The support of this year’s Cycle4Life Appeal could completely fund one of the single-bed isolation suites,” says Cian Lynch. Isolation suites are vitally important – they are for children who either have an infection or who need to be protected from infection. Cystic Fibrosis patients must be kept in isolation when they are in hospital so these isolation rooms are really vital in their care. The cost associated with one isolation suite is €200,000. With the current ward, Temple Street sometimes have to close down a four-bed ward to keep one child in isolation.