Wicklow 200 Y2023

Just got the priority registration for the Wicklow 200.

New 150km route, in addition to the 100km and 200km.

Went through the registration process, and it's working out at just over 100 euro, including insurance, I think I will be giving it a miss at that price.

billyhead

100 euro is a joke. Rip off Ireland is alive and well.

whomadewho

It was 79.50e last year, that price jump is scandalous

JMcL

Is that €100 including the CI license? €85 showing up on the registration page. It's a bit OTT alright

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119970868#Comment_119970868

They can hardly put it down to the increased cost of energy. A 20 euro mark up per participant for dearer petrol for the broom wagon😂

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119971260#Comment_119971260

It works out at just over €100 - €85 for the spin, €10 for mandatory insurance (even if you have CI insurance) and then €5.70 in fees.

I bought one earlier as I had believed that clubmates were all doing the same - they then decided not to get one due to the mess the organisers made of the 2022 event 😫

MojoMaker

Complete sh1tshow this year alright.

Whatwicklow

Sod that

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119971366#Comment_119971366

What was the mess for 2022 event?

this.lad

Better value!

https://www.granfondostelviosantini.com/granfondo/iscrizioni-e-tariffe

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119972502#Comment_119972502

Badly prepared food stops, I believe. I didn't get doing it this year, but clubmates were forced to head further on and buy stuff in shops instead.

Grassey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119972821#Comment_119972821

That's a great day out. I must go back!

The mass descent from Bormio in a massive peloton was something else!

iwillhtfu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119972909#Comment_119972909

That's not really true to be fair to them they were just very busy food stops. There was plenty of choice at them also.

I still think its mad money but they're all more or less the same. I put off entering as no confirmation on new routes.

ratracer

For reference, Skoda Series Tour de Connemara is gonna be €55 in 2023, that’s the benchmark for me.

I had kinda wanted to give WW200 another go after a few years break, but not a hope of it at that price. It’ll probably sell out, and that will in turn justify the organisers another €10+ on the entry the following year……. People need to vote with their feet!!

Mr. Cats

What do people think are the best alternative events? WW200 has the reputation of being ‘Ireland’s toughest sportive’. I’m thinking I’d like to give the Inishowen 100 a go. Are there other sportive as tough or tougher?

The Ging and I

The Inishowen is a great event. Well organised and the route well marked. I did it a few times. The last time I did it I arrived at the end to find the event organisers waiting to leave. I was really surprised as I had been passing people all day. Looks like a lot cut corners :-)

A hot shower at the end - luxury.

easygoing39

I was planning on doing the 200 next year,as the last time I did it was 2011,which was the year riders got hyperthermia,or some ended up badly hurt after crashing into a river!! Anyway,€100 entry fee is ruling me out,which is a pity,as I like the route and a hard day out on the bike.

beggars_bush

Donegal Bay sportive in April is tough

And very reasonably priced

PringleDemon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973701#Comment_119973701

Inishowen 100 is a great event and well worth the effort to get to. Also consider Man Of Sperrin sportive based out of Dungiven Co.Derry . A tough day in the saddle on near empty roads around the Sperrin mountains.

hesker

Tour de Beara in Sept is good and challenging and cost €55 last year. Great event even if the burger at the finish was like a hockey puck.

Ring of Beara in May cost almost €90 this year with a mandatory one day CI licence included. I really wanted to skip it this year as that is too much for me but got roped in as others committed.

iwillhtfu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973297#Comment_119973297

It's the location of the Wicklow 200 start that pushes the price up they've a captive audience with Dublin on the door step. For a lot you'd be adding €40+ in fuel to some of the sportives out west.

PringleDemon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119974216#Comment_119974216

Lots of people travel to W200, its not just for 'Dubs'.

The spiralling costs of an overnight stay in Bray or South Dublin area may well be a major factor on deciding if they travel for this event in 2023

nilhg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119974216#Comment_119974216

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119974555#Comment_119974555

There's no law that says the WW200 has to start from the Bray/Greystonnes area, I'm sure there are many places in West Wicklow that would be happy to host the start.

Amother option would be to run a dual start system, let those coming from outside Dublin start from somewhere like Baltinglass, it would spread the load and ease pressure on the various roads and feed stations

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119971366#Comment_119971366

I signed up sight/unseen for the 150 in the end as I've a few mates doing it as well, and we're intending going to use it as a warm-up for a longer spin we've planned for late June/early July

I didn't get stung for insurance, but they did force me to renew my CI license first (which I'd intended to do anyway - I'd just rather have pushed it out to the February Visa bill). The "booking charge" is very sneaky though I suppose what do you expect

There's no law that says the WW200 has to start from the Bray/Greystonnes area, I'm sure there are many places in West Wicklow that would be happy to host the start.

Most of the last 30km up through Greystones I found really meh - especially with Sunday lunchtime traffic. After you get back off the N11 (and over the shock of finding yourself on the feckin' thing in the first place) the road up through Enniskerry was a nice spin. So yeah, I'd be all for anything that avoids going east of the M/N11

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975318#Comment_119975318

That’s a bit like the Boards stock answer ‘Galibier’ for gear recommendations!

07Lapierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975336#Comment_119975336

Yep, Reservoir Dogs on a Road bike with Conti S5000 Tyres!

iwillhtfu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119974555#Comment_119974555

Well sure every days a school. Thanks for imparting your wisdom there I mean I'd never have grasped that.

In your haste to get offended at my reference to Dublin of which I'm not one btw you completely missed my point that the population is far higher and thus number of cyclists in close proximity would be greater. In other words they're not fighting to sell the tickets.

iwillhtfu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119974584#Comment_119974584

I'm fairly sure Bray wheelers have a pretty strong association with the event so I'd imagine they might disagree. I do recall a start in Greystones for a year or two though.

iwillhtfu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973701#Comment_119973701

Tour de Kilkenny would be up there on the tougher side of things. Elevation gain isn't as much as the WW200 but the long route is pretty tiring towards the end, scenery isn't really anything to shout about though.

saccades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973297#Comment_119973297

TdeC is an amazing event.

My club have decided to do the W200, I do like it as it pushes me to train but the cost is extortionate for a club fundraiser, and I noticed in the t&c's that it's non-refundable for any reason too.

lissard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119975523#Comment_119975523

It has nothing to do with the club, we have our own sportive later in the year on similar roads and at a quarter of the price. The W200 is an IVCA gig. At €85 it's a total rip off if you ask me.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119977898#Comment_119977898

It is not €85: it is over €103 as there are charges and everyone needs to take out insurance even if they already hold insurance.

FixdePitchmark

Was looking to do my first event of this type ...so kinda was committed to paying whatever...but to be honest it is a complete rip off ...particularly as I'm only doing the 100. (Back on bike after 10 years)

Mr. Cats

Is it same price for 100k!? Wow, that is madness. I know that it’s run to fund some of the Vets events and organisation etc & not done for ‘profit’, but they are at risk of killing their golden goose with such pricing.

Same price for all distances.

I

loyatemu

they've been jacking up the price for years and haven't killed the attendance yet. I think they're benchmarking themselves against the Dublin marathon, which is over €100.

JMcL

Ring of Kerry is up there in price as well

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119987379#Comment_119987379

That is actually nicer done on a day with no crowd on the roads.

stop somewhere like the Cove for lunch in Caherdaniel

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119973701#Comment_119973701

Haven't you heard of the Boards Evil Ride? - twice the elevation of the WW200 and it won't cost you anything (well financially anyway!).

this.lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119988327#Comment_119988327

Tempted. I've read all the threads, think it's time I did it!

saccades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119987379#Comment_119987379

But crucially, is raising funds for charity.

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119988885#Comment_119988885

Most club run sportives do

daragh_

If I had a Euro for every time someone posted a Thread complaining about the W200 I would have nearly enough to enter it.

Anyway, everyone should do the Boards Evil. Totally FOC but as Wishbone Ash has pointed out, you will pay dearly in other ways >insert evil laugh here<

Macy0161

RoK is not closed roads, or wasn't when I did it, except for a couple of sections. And also how much actually goes to charity....

As I understand it the WW200 is outsourced to an events company, with the vets only providing the marshals/ bodies.

MojoMaker

The problems started when the IVCA relinquished control of the event to a commercial operation who have sucked all the joy out of the event, strand by strand. The finish in Bray Emmetts during the summer was really awful.

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119988327#Comment_119988327

I was interested to do it but heard that the food stops were terrible

07Lapierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119990978#Comment_119990978

Food stops awful and no medal at the end either! :)

Arthurdaly

100 euro is madness and is pretty disheartening. The so called premier sportive event, surely at that price its not really encouraging any new blood to the sport. Wicklow 200 has a great tradition and quite sat its turned into a purely financial venture to fund ICVA bank accounts. Are they just chancing their arm.

Maratona Dles Dolomites is the same price for closed roads, high quality castelli jersey & jersey and lots of other small items that exceed the value of the entry, a pure celebration of cycling.

Was thinking of riding the WW200 next year but no chance at that price.

Mick Byrne randonee is 25 euro and lovely small event with better hospitality in Wicklow.

benneca1

The event has been living on its reputation for the last few years and has not been helped by outsourcing. The Reservoir cogs event is a much more enjoyable gig and to be very fair is very well ran

MojoMaker

You might be being a little hard on the IVCA there @Arthurdaly - been a while since they were directly involved other than for marshalling (which is a high point of the event to be fair).

I don't think anyone anywhere ever called it "the premier sportive". Self-called perhaps, at best.

Those tuned in on the sportive wavelength have a good handle on what are truly the best events and the best cycling experiences in and around the country, and I'd wager that WW200 wouldn't make anyone's top 10 even.

Bit like what Ironman is to long distance multi-sport.....ultimately disappointing.

Daroxtar

IMHO, The Reservoir Dog really is the benchmark in terms of route and organisation with the Orwell Randonee a close second. The Ox Mountain 4 Passes is much prettier and on almost completely empty roads. The Sleive Bloom Extreme is a hell of a tough spin and then there's the Mick Byrne and the Evil200.

I did my first and probably last W200 this year. Far too much boring road after Wicklow gap and the last 40 or 50km were dire too. There was a stretch of about 10 km that was just non stop roundabouts, speed ramps, pedestrian crossings, potholes and heavy Sunday traffic.