The Belfast round of the two-race Halfords Tour Series Ireland hit town on Friday night, and I was there to watch the action.
(delays do not apply to cyclists)
With the city centre roads closed from about 6:00pm, the party started with music and chat from the commentary box just outside City Hall getting the gathering fans in the mood for the race. Lining the course there was a well mixed crowd, from Lycra-clad enthusiasts to families with small children out for a night’s entertainment. There was a real buzz in the air and everyone seemed to be out for a good time. Somewhat surprisingly, and I’m happy to report, there were no troublemakers or alcohol in evidence the whole evening.
The course was laid out as a simple oval, running from City Hall, Donegall Square West, May Street, Montgomery Street then back up Chichester Street to the start line again. Flat, with long straights, it promised a high speed race.
Commuter Challenge Relay winners: Phoenix Gas
The action started with the Travelwise NI Commuter Relay Challenge. Teams from local businesses competed on whatever they rode to work on with each rider taking on half a lap each. Phoenix Gas took the honours despite having a handicap applied (they clearly outclassed the other teams!) and were presented with a trophy for their efforts by Conor Murphy, the NI Minister for the Environment.
Then it was time for the big boys. Teams from UK and Ireland, and special guest rider Dan Martin from the pro level Garmin-Transitions team fresh (or not so fresh, he claimed) from the Giro d’Italia, lined up at the start and we were off. After a few sighting and warm-up laps , the racing proper started.
Dan Martin leads the peloton to catch a breakaway
For the next hour the riders whipped past my position on Donegal Square East hugging the barriers, readying for the banking turn into May Street. The pace was hot from the start and quickly left a number of competitors unable to keep up. There were a couple of early moves that were reeled in, then a break of five hung on for a while before Dan Martin dragged the peloton along behind him to close the gap and allowed some more to jump across. This expanded group pulled away again, but again efforts by Dan Martin and Team Ireland closed them down as the race entered the closing stages. With only a few laps remaining, An Post Sean Kelly rider David O’Loughlin managed to break away on his own and crossed the line first for the individual victory.
Up close and personal with the riders!
Having never seen a top level cycle race up close, I have this to say: woah! You could stand close enough to the course to touch the riders (really not advised) and the sense of speed and rush of air as the peloton flew past was something you can’t appreciate from just watching the races on television.
Good crowds lined the course, despite there being an (apparently) important football match on at the same time.
This Grand Prix was something worth seeing. It was a great night’s entertainment that was suitable for all ages, no matter if you were a cycling enthusiast or not. It appears to have gone off without a hitch or hint of trouble (I’m not even aware of any whining about road closures), and all involved in the organisation and planning of the event are to be commended for their efforts.
Official results and reports of the Belfast and Dublin races can be found on the Tour Series Ireland website. Cycling Ulster have a good report, and some excellent pictures, of the Belfast stage, as do BikeRadar. I was also snapping away with my compact camera, and you can see the (less than professional) results on my Halfords Tour Series Belfast photo album. I’m disappointed not to see any coverage from local newspapers.
I don’t recall a time Belfast ever staged anything like this and I hope the Tour – or something like it – will be back again soon.
