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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
Omagh Sports Forum Tour of Ulster 2009
By Paul Nugent, PR Officer, Tour of Ulster
27 Apr 2009,
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It is less than 1 week to go to this year’s race. Entries are now closed with the field complete. Twenty Two teams have entered, along with individual entries.
Winner of the recent Tour of the North, Martin Irvine from Curran Racing must line up as favourite, along side Brian Kenneally from Engraveit.ie/Cyleways the winner of the Ras Mumhan in Kerry. Three former Tour of Ulster Race winners also line up, 2007 winner Ryan Connor is leading the Dublin Usher Team, 2006 winner Ray Clarke of Worldwide Cycles, and 1997 winner Stephen O'Sullivan of Engraveit.ie/Cyleways. Former Ras winner Andrew Roche is also riding for the Isle of Man. Also in the field is former Tour de France rider and brother of Stephen Roche, Laurence Roche riding for Eurocycles.
Riders in form at the moment and looking for strong performance are Banbridge’s Sean Downey recently finished 38th place at the ZLM Tour race in the Netherlands just 14 seconds behind the winner after 111 miles of racing. Other riders in form and looking for stage wins must include Frazer Duncan of Curran Racing, Stephen Surdival of Orwell Wheelers winner of last weeks Stammullen Grand Prix and Philip Lavery of Winning Solutions.
The first stage of this year’s tour from Omagh to Omagh is a difficult stage. With the stage length just over 75 miles and also two climbs to get over. The stage starts from Omagh Leisure Centre and passes through Clogher, Fivemiletown towards the first climb of the day, which at 25 miles of racing outside Fintona and is a Category 1 climb (Sion Finn), the race then passes through Fintona, on route to Trillick, Ballinamallard and Ederney before the final climb of the day, a Category 3 climb at just 10 miles from the finish at Dromore Road, Omagh.
The second stage from Omagh to Omagh is a very hilly stage. The stage starts from Omagh Leisure Centre and with the stage length at almost 70 miles, and five climbs on the route. The first climb comes at just 5 mile at Mountfield and is a Category 3 climb. The race then heads to Cookstown, and the next climb at the top at Lough Fea and is a Category 2 climb. The next climb is a Category 1 climb on route to Plumbridge, then the race heads towards Gortin and another Category 3 climb, through Gortin and towards the last climb of the day at the top of Gortin Glen a Category 1 climb, just 8 miles from the finish at Omagh Leisure Centre.
Stage three is a 2.5 miles Individual Time Trial on the Dromore Road with an out and back course. The stage will be for the time trial specialist, on a flat course.
The final stage from Omagh to Omagh is another difficult stage. The stage also starts from Omagh Leisure Centre with five climbs on the stage and just over 65 miles. The race passes through Newtonstewart to the first climb of the day at 12 miles then the next climb comes 12 miles later. The race then heads towards onto Castlederg and Victoria Bridge and the third climb of the day at 33 miles. The race then heads towards Gortin and the final two climbs of the day at 47 miles and 8 miles later and the finish at Omagh Leisure Centre.
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