Munster Express Online

Dermot Blount and Damien Verecker in tandem coming up from Kilmurrin cove. | Photos: Robert Power

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The 2010 Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford, part of the An Post Cycle Series, took place last weekend and saw another glorious chapter in the history of this great event written.

In the week leading up to the Tour the organisers knew something extra special was going to unfold with an unprecedented 3708 having already pre-entered for the Sunday’s cycling extravaganza. This number was added to by a total of an amazing 800 cyclists taking part in Saturday’s inaugural 10k Kelly Ten. This was the first (and most certainly not the last) running of this family event and cyclists from age 7 to 70 took part in what was a really enjoyable leisure ride on mostly traffic-free cycle along Dungarvan’s old Railway Line.

Across the three events which took place on Sunday the breakdown was pretty much as follows: 1400 in the 160k Kelly Comeragh Challenge, 800 in the 50k Kelly Cruise and an amazing 1500 in the first ever 90k Kelly Coast!

Cyclists came from every county in Ireland, the UK, Europe and even the US. They arrived in cars, vans and camper vans, filled every hotel, B&B and hostel and were powered by 10,000 sandwiches, 15,000 cups of tea and coffee, 7000 bananas, 10,000 Flahavans Flapjacks, 4000 litres of Tipperary Natural Mineral Water, 2000 litres of Lucozade Sport, and much more!

The quality of the Sean Kelly Tour can not only be judged by sheer numbers as so many other ingredients go into making it the great event that it has become.

First among these extra-special ingredients is the unique ‘Waterford Welcome’ afforded by all of our volunteers right across the county to all of the cyclists. All those involved from people manning the registration desks in Dungarvan Sports Centre, to the crew setting up the barriers, to the parking personnel, to our stewards, to the post event massage therapists – and not forgetting the tour’s legendary food stops at Hillview Sports Club, Rathgormack Hiking Centre, Tramore Race Course and Cappoquin Community Centre, as well as the waterstops at St Molleran’s GAA Club, Ballymacarbry Community Centre, Kilrossanty Parish Hall, Kilbrien Parish Hall, Bonmahon, Stradbally GAA Club and Villierstown Community Hall.

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