MARTIN DONNELLY MAIN SPONSOR TO JUNIOR TOUR

The Junior Tour will once again be sponsored by the Meath-based businessman Martin Donnelly, who came on board in 2002 and whose support has made a huge difference to the race. The Clareman has had a history of sports sponsorship, having been involved with GAA teams for many years, and indeed the day before the Junior Tour begins, the Poc Fada hurling competition he backs will take place in the Cooley Mountains.

Race Sponsor Martin Donnelly presents Race Organiser Alice Sherratt with the Big Cheque

‘I like being involved in sport and am delighted to help out with the Junior Tour again this year’ he said. ‘I was very impressed by what Alice, Phil and the others did last year and think that the race worked very well in Waterford. People reacted in a very positive way last year and so with a response like that, I am delighted to help out. Last year was my first time sponsoring it…I came into it quite late and so there wasn’t much time available, but the goal is now to build on that start and make the race bigger and better.’

Donnelly is a keen leisure cyclist, having done numerous events including six Mizen Head to Malin Head rallies, and so helping raise funds for the Children’s Hospital. Later this year he will be going on a fundraising cycle to South Africa, and so it is obvious that the sport is important to him. And helping to make it bigger is, for him, a considerable motivation.

‘Cycling doesn’t get as much coverage as other sports do in this country’, he says. ‘That is a pity as in the past there have been some really great riders from Ireland. I feel that there are a lot of other good cyclists out there who could achieve success. I believe that the Junior Tour can help bring new riders to the fore, and so would hope that my input is in some ways contributing to the future of the sport.’

Philip Cassidy, Alice Sherratt and Martin Donnelly go over final preparations for the race

Race directory Phil Cassidy agrees with this, stating that the Junior Tour has benefited greatly from Martin Donnelly’s input. ‘It has made a huge difference to us to have the support of Martin, who is synonymous with sport. It is great to have this kind of backing for cycling, and while it will not happen overnight, I think it can make a real difference to the future of the sport here in Ireland. If we can bring guys on from the race – guys like Mark Scanlon, who won the Junior Tour and who could be a future stage winner of the Tour de France – then the public will sit up and notice the sport. And this time Irish cycling will be ready to really capitalise on that.’

‘Martin’s input really is a huge boost. There are no big pressures from him as he is letting it develop at its own pace. It really is a pleasure to work with somebody like him – it took less than five minutes over a pint in the Grasshopper Inn for him to pledge his support. He is a very generous man with sport in his heart.’

Race organiser Alice Sherratt agrees, stating that Donnelly’s support has been of huge importance to the race and has helped the Junior Tour make the crucial move out of Dublin. ‘It was getting really difficult to run the race around Dublin due to the big traffic problems there. Martin’s backing was essential for us to be able to move to Waterford, and we are really happy with the results of that. It was a great success last year thanks to his help, and also because of the input of the Waterford Institute of Technology, Joe Robinson and the local Gardaí, plus the Chief Marshal Pat Power.’

Shane Stokes Irish Times Cycling Correspondent