LIFE assurance and pension company Friends First has increased its support of St. Tiernan’s Cycling Club’s Laragh Classic to set up the Wicklow race as the last domestic road race of the season for A1 and A2 riders on Sunday, September 14.
In its inaugural year, the Laragh Classic was open to A3s with a separate race for A4s. This September, every category will be able to compete on the hilly circuit that locally-based National Junior Champion Fintan Ryan conquered in blinding rain to lift the Laragh Classic cobble 12 months ago.
Brian O'Neill, Strategic Marketing Director, Friends First, said: “We were delighted to be associated with both St. Tiernan's Cycling Club and the inaugural Laragh Classic Race in 2013. Fintan Ryan was a worthy winner and it was a particularly special day for him given the fact that the race took place on his local roads.
“This year we have increased our support and this will enable the club to hold three races, including a headline A1/A2 event, which will be open to the top riders in Ireland. We hope that the challenging race circuit and generous prize fund continues to attract big numbers on the day.
“After last year, the only thing that we want to change in 2014 is the weather - hopefully the rain stays away this time.”
Friends First sponsored a race for the first time in 2013 and O’Neill explained why the company decided to support the sport.
He said: “Firstly, we like supporting constructive activity in our local community and St. Tiernan's Cycling Club is part of our community. As a leading provider of life assurance and income protection, we want to promote health awareness and the benefits of healthy living.
“We like the fact that cycling is an all-inclusive sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and people from all walks of life. It doesn't matter if it's a three-year-old child learning to ride a bike for the first time or a
seasoned road racer - cyclists all have the shared experience of better health through exercise and the sense of freedom that comes with seeing the world on two wheels.”
Friends First will retain title sponsorship of the new Laragh Classic, open to A1 and A2 riders, while Stillorgan bike shop FitzCycles.ie will support the A3 and A4 category races after providing prizes for last year's A4 race.
Entries will open on www.sttiernanscc.com for all races on Wednesday, July 23 and riders are advised to enter early as start lists were filled two weeks before the closing date for registrations in 2013.