National Road Races set for Beaupark/Yellow Furze
CYCLING
The National Road Championship races will take place in the Beaupark/ Yellow Furze area just outside Navan on on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June, hosted by two local clubs, Navan Road Club and Yellow Furze Road Club.
This partnership has been instrumental in putting everything in place for such a big event with Seneschalstown GAA Club and Yellow Furze National School facilities in use over the weekend.
The National Championship are the 'blue riband' race in the Irish cycling season with separate races for junior men and women, under-23 men and women and the prestigious elite senior men and women's races.
Each category winner not only takes home the championship gold medal, but they earn the right to wear the National champion's tricolour jersey for the following 12 months.
The races, set in the beautiful Boyne Valley, will attract competitors and spectators from across the country to the area.
It will prove a stern challenge to the riders with two local hills of Hayestown and Realtogue set to test the riders over multiple laps of the 25km course:
The elite men's race on Sunday will see the biggest field of riders, with a total of 170km of racing to be completed.
The 2024 championships saw a fantastic weekend of racing, as Fiona Mangan took both the Time Trial and Road Race championship on the women's side, as EF Education EasyPost's Darren Rafferty took the men's Road Race title.
"We are really excited to be hosting this year’s Road Races. Navan Road Club along with our neighbours Yellow Furze Road Club are co-hosting the races. The cooperation has been brilliant in this regard, with a great team working behind the scenes," said Navan Road Club's Niall Doggett.
"The circuit promises to be an exciting one, with a mixture of fast, rolling roads and short climbs. It’s going to be wide-open regarding potential winners.
"After the recent edition of Rás Tailteann starting and finishing in Meath, there's a real buzz around the cycling scene in the area.
"We are really hopeful of attracting large crowds to both days racing. The circuit is easily accessible from Dublin and other major routes.
"We're right in the heart of the beautiful Boyne Valley, with iconic locations such as Newgrange, Tara, Slane, only a stones throw from the circuit.
"We have changed the schedule slightly too, giving the Junior Women's race a more visible platform on the Saturday afternoon. It’s important for us to make these races accessible & attractive to all riders.
"Hosting this event wouldn't be possible without the support Meath Co Council, whose help has been incredible. Meath is known as the Royal County, let's see who is going to be crowned Kings and Queens this year."
Navan Road Club has a long and successful history of cycling success. Founded in 1953 it has become of the leading cycle racing clubs in Ireland.
Navan RC has seen numerous winners of National Championships and Rás Tailteann in their history.
Cycling is booming locally at the moment. Between the recent Rás Tailteann finish in Bective, local cycling clubs, newly developed Greenways, its fast becoming a cycling-centered county.
The finish for all races is outside Yellow Furze National School. A fan zone in the adjoining school yard will provide live race commentary, coffee truck, kids cycling area, and media centre.
Some traffic restrictions will be in place over the weekend on the course, but it will be very minor.