UCI Gran fondo Sligo

seanin4711

Signed up initially for TT,

Then Medio as had notions to try and qualify in top 25%

subsequently realised thats only for the 155km Gran fondo as i am just over 50.

Emailed and Facebook IM multiple times to request a switch to GF from medio- radio silence.

They seem to be very happy to take the money but very hesitant to supply any sort of communication or customer service.

all about PR and discounts (none for initally signing up i may add,full whack there!)

Judging by the comments on the GF ireland page on FB,it seems like i am not alone in this.

TT route also changed from Strandhill loop to Collooney out and back and not a dicky bird said about it either.

very very strange organisation of this event.

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058355048/uci-gran-fondo-sligo

Who is actually running this event

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233715#Comment_122233715

A crowd called Titan Experience

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233763#Comment_122233763

crowd alright and its definatley an experience already

Michelin

Anyone have any info on this event? like is it going off in age category waves or a mass start?

benneca1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233763#Comment_122233763

Of GDBR fame ?

531

I have entered Gran Fondo on Sunday. I am looking for info and instructions re sign-on, car parking, exact start location, times etc.

I have emailed Titan Experience asking them to inform me, direct me to or send me a link to above info. and will post it here if/when they get back to me.

07Lapierre

Gran Fondo Start Times Confirmed

We are happy to confirm that both the Time Trial on June 29th and the Gran Fondo Race on June 30th will start at 7:30am sharp with Medium Fondo and Sportive Cyclists starting after the Gran Fondo Cyclists have taken off on June 30th (between 8 and 9am - exact times will be confirmed on event week). We advise that all participants arrive at 7am latest to ensure you are in position in your starting pens to start the race.

June 29th

• Time Trial - 7:30am start time at Toberbride Business Park, Collooney.

June 30th

• Gran Fondo - 7:30am start time
• Medium Fondo and Sportive - 8-9am start time
• All routes on June 30th will start on Wine Street, Co Sligo, Ireland. Exact meeting point will be confirmed closer to the event

Number Collection for Participants

Location: Queen Maeve Square

Friday afternoon, 4pm – 8pm

Time Trial Start Saturday morning, 6am – 7am

Queen Maeve Square Saturday afternoon, 2pm – 8pm

Queen Maeve Square Sunday morning, 6am – 7am

seanin4711

Not used to this level of communication from them,well done

07Lapierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297414#Comment_122297414

We got an email recently inviting us to buy the official jersey, book accommodation etc. this information was at the bottom of a fairly long email, so it could be easily missed.

531

Thanks, 07 Lapierre (will check now fir that email!).

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122298383#Comment_122298383

same thanks!

07Lapierre

another Email today… they are sending out a “participant handbook “ by email shortly so make sure your email firewall is not blocking their emails (check your spam/ junk folders)

seanin4711

Well this event has got it all and it hasnt even started yet

Expensive - I am doing TT-105e and GF 70e (optimistic on the transponder deposit being returned to me).

Very early start (7:30am to allow for closed roads) - air bnb 160 bucks required.

Zero communication until today when it was absolutley necessary

Route changes/updated- TT route changed on a whim and zero comms on it

Closed roads - uncertain what that entails- have my doubts.

Website very poor as is the organisers communication to very basic queries

GF was 155km approx now 132km and includes 2 laps

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47079489

medio was 110 now——-78km(same as sportive).- website could be getting updated tbh

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45488503

Sportive 78km

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45488503

TT

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45853839

All these routes are on GF ireland website as of 22:58 today- and definatley subject to change!

https://www.granfondoireland.ie/#routes

They are very obviously struggling for numbers with all the offers after the fact 10/15/20 % off etc.

I have a distinct feeling it will be the one and only GF in Ireland,with Titan Experience anyway.

Reminds me of of the "Challenge Galway" debacle.

hope i am wrong.

seanin4711

a1

MojoMaker

Seems like a disappointingly poor show alright.

Reality_Check1

does anyone have Strava links to the new routes please?

Also does anyone have any information on what way the pens are going to work at the start? From talking around to lads there’s a lot of quality racers going to this so it will be hot out the gate. A bad starting pen and it’s effectively over

vintcerf

signed up early (155 - now 132?) and will be there but … wow

tinpib

Not a cyclist but live in Sligo. Just happened to be doomscrolling on Facebook and the local radio station Ocean FM had posted something about it regarding traffic restrictions etc.

I hadn't seen or heard anything about this event.

Of course I may have missed it but I always flick through the 2 local newspapers when I visit my parents, nothing in there in recent weeks as far as I saw. That should have been a no-brainer for coverage you would have thought.

Hope it all goes well for people involved, but communication looks pretty sh*t so far from reading comments on here. Like others I also noticed the time trial seems to have moved on the Irish site for the event, but not on the main global one.

Best of luck to all involved, weather looks to be half decent for it, well no major rain anyway.

fat bloke

Wtf?? 30km lopped off the 2 flagship routes just like that??? That's cause for refund surely.

fat bloke

Where are you getting your route change info from? There's nothing on the website - it still has the original info and routes. I've not received a email on it either.

Edit - not having a go at you like, but the haphazard event communications! - At this rate I'd have been as well to stay at home and do my IVCA race!

spudpicker2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305258#Comment_122305258

check out their FB page

retalivity

I had plans to do this, but as its the week before ROK and ive a few other things lined up i let it pass. Was even tempted to sign up again when they were offering discounts around April time, but again let it go.

Seems like I dodged a bullet, the organisation seems a mess

ellyU

Sounds like you made the right choice.

07Lapierre

It’s too early to condemn this event in my opinion. The ROK cycle is on next week…the Etape (which in my view has a wider appeal) may have taken away interest in this event. As for the route changes? Any event taking place on public roads is always prone to last minute changes. For me what’s important on the day is the weather! Followed by good company, a nice route and fully closed roads! So far these criteria look like they will be met. Also a night out in Sligo with a nice meal and a few beers after…I’m look forward to it!

fat bloke

Hmmm. Well if it was advertised day one as a 78km event I doubt if my Mrs would've have bothered with it.

MojoMaker

Wait….what? The Medio Fondo is now 78k?

Michelin

Info is all over the shop here, website is messy and not updated properly. hard to really plan properly for this event.

HighSlice

Travelling from Dublin for the weekend, thinking about sacking this off now and just going out along the coast solo. Definitely can't be bothered with anything involving laps or circuits. Not a racer so just interested in an enjoyable spin.

Does anyone know the new route - is any of it worth seeing? From what i've checked on google maps it just looks like bog standard featureless country lanes, I can ride that any time I want in North Co. Dublin.

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305294#Comment_122305294

'there has been amendments' so there has, begorrah. Top quality communication straight away.

I admit I was going to sign up, probably for the TT, maybe the Road event itself, very glad I didn't. I know a few colleagues heading to this and I wish them well but I had a sense that this was a money-grabbing nonsense from the start. I await the post-mortems

shaymouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122306331#Comment_122306331

Yep, I think the Etape had a big effect, I signed up to this when it was announced, and then a few weeks later the Etape, which seems better funded, comes along.

It seems very strange that cycling Ireland, allowed 2 new big events start in the same year, it's not the entry costs but the accommodation, which is the killer, a later start and I would have driven up on the morning.

anyway, I hope it's a success, and the organisers learn from this year, as we have lost a few events since covid

Macy0161

Would CI really have the power to stop either of them? I'm not sure that's a power they have, particularly for 2 clearly commercial events.

Reality_Check1

has anyone got their official start time for the TT? I’m not getting any emails so the plan was to turn up at 7 and collect my numbers on the morning of the TT

beggars_bush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122307904#Comment_122307904

Lots of nice coastal roads in west Sligo. Spin out of Sligo around Strandhill, out through ballisodare and turn off after Beltra, follow coast road all the way to Enniscrone, turn inland and up over ox mountains back via Coolaney and Cooloney, do a loop of lough gill if you want

PinkSnacks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122308897#Comment_122308897

Yea I was a bit surprised when I booked this event and paid for accommodation(which was expensive and more than I'd like to pay for what we're getting, can only imagine it would be more in Kilarney) only to see the L'Etape advertised shortly afterwards. I'm all for having a choice of events to go to but we're still a niche sport and numbers at both will surely suffer, maybe the Sligo one more now.

Can only go to Sligo for personal reasons, a lot seem to have written it off already due to poor communication and last minute route changes.

We shall see, I'm doing the Gran Fondo hopefully it's a good day out with a decent turnout.

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122309113#Comment_122309113

wouldn't they have had to sanction them(give them the blessing?)

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122306331#Comment_122306331

lastest facebook comments on route change suggests otherwise,optimistic but also realistic.

seems like its done on a shoestring!

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122309858#Comment_122309858

Yes, but once they weren't clashing could they really block one or other? 2 commercial events, each under the remit of the two biggest organisations in the sport (UCI and ASO).

531

Between one thing and another, I will not be using my Gran Fondo entry. Available free (maybe a small donation to charity, if desired) to anyone who wants it.

IIt is for long spin on Sunday.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310283#Comment_122310283

Would they though (have to sanction them)? Once the event organiser has insurance, go ahead from Gardai, cooperation with local councils etc, what powers do CI have or what would the need be to involve them? I don't think Athletics Ireland's sanction is needed to run a road race in Ireland unless it's being advertised as somehow 'official' for the purpose of rankings etc (e.g. national half marathon etc.).

MojoMaker

Surely a UCI event has to be formally sanctioned by the NGB?

Reality_Check1

does anyone have the start list for the TT? I can only find the start list for Sunday

columbus_66

there is a link to the tt start list in yesterday's email.

Reality_Check1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312889#Comment_122312889

would you mind posting the link here please or DM’ing it to me? I haven’t been getting any of the emails

Edit - got it thanks

07Lapierre

Gran Fondo Ireland Participant Booklet 2024 (1).pptx

Here's the presentation..

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311131#Comment_122311131

I don't think so, but open to correction. For example, I'm told that CI had no involvement in the CX World Cup. It was UCI. All criticisms that were directed at CI (food/ drink etc) were misplaced as they had no say in the matter. And other than engaging with CI as a courtesy, UCI could have done what they liked with the event.

It seems more like the dynamic between Government and local councils - local councils given free reign to do what they want in their own areas within certain limitations, but that doesn't mean Govt can't bypass them entirely.

MojoMaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313759#Comment_122313759

I get ya.

Reality_Check1

Did the TT this morning and I have to say it was well organised. Everything started on time. Roads completely closed but still well marshaled. Sign on was easy. Toilets at the start line.

Tomorrow will be a much bigger prospect obviously but cautiously optimistic

fat bloke

Credit where it's due. Today's event was very well run. Well marshalled, well organised at the start and the finish.

People say the route could have been more scenic but scenery would've been wasted on the Gran Fondo. 40kph for 3 and a half hours I didn't dare take my eyes off the wheel in front of me til we rolled back into Sligo. 😳

07Lapierre

completed in 3hours 55minutes. happy with that. Great support from locals along the route! Kids out cheering us on while holding up homemade “Welcome GranFondo” signs.

Marshals were great..except for the last left turn at the end of lap 1. As they had no idea which riders were on lap 1, 2 , the 130 or 80k route, so there was a bit of confusion. But overall a well run event. Just a shame it didn’t attract more entrants.

Reality_Check1

managed to snag myself a qualifying spot 🙌

would agree with the lads above I thought it was a well run event and enjoyable all around. For balance if I was to have some criticisms from today;

1. Mass start was a bit dicey. I don’t know how feasible it was to let it off in age groups but it made the first 10km more dangerous than it needed to be

2. Some of the roads were partially closed which I don’t have an issue with but the cone layout was weird and kinda boxed too close together which brought a few lads down

3. It was dangerous to have some of the leisure cyclists on the same road as the Fondo riders were finishing off their second lap - this was particularly evident coming into the finish when everyone was fighting for position or winding up for a sprint

4. I’m not a fan of downhill finishes especially with lads racing but that’s just a personal thing

Like I said overall massively positive event I’m just making the points above for some balance