Pre-entry to the 2016 John Beggs Memorial promoted by Banbridge CC on Saturday 13th August is NOW OPEN. Two races will be promoted in Dromore, Co. Down, as part of the event;
The main race for the day catering for A+, A1, A2 & A3 category riders is the penultimate round of the National Road Series and is expected to attract a very competitive field, but with a generous prize fund for unplaced category riders there will always be something for everyone to race for. Unfortunately due to ongoing roadworks the race organisation has once again had to source an alternate circuit.
The replacement circuit will live up to the reputation of ‘the Beggs’ as a hard man’s race and with the re-introduction of a finishing circuit in Dromore town after a 20 year absence the racing will be on show until the very end. The Beggs is a race any Irish cyclist would be delighted to have on their palmarès and in 2015 it was Damian Shaw’s chance to engrave his name on the trophy as his first victory as Irish Road Race Champion.
The support race will cater for A4 men and A3 & A4 Women. Using the same course and finishing circuit as the main race the A4 & Women’s race is unlikely to be a straight forward affair and plenty of action is expected when the roads rise, with the finishing circuit offering a perfect launch pad for late attacks. In 2015 the women demonstrated their ability to perform when the chips were down against their A4 men competitors and managed to take 2 of the top 4 places in this race.
With the combination of a town centre criterium available the night before in Banbridge as part of the Irish Championships it offers women an excellent opportunity to tune up ahead of the Rás na mBan which will also include a criterium stage alongside it’s undulating road stages. Again, a generous cash prize fund has been reserved for this support race with separate prizes also reserved for women.
Please not an Over 50’s Masters League race will not be promoted as part of this event.
Pre-entry is available on the Cycling Ireland website until it closes next Wednesday, 10th August, and can be accessed directly here. Entry for all categories is £13 when pre-registering with entries on the day only accepted where availability allows at a cost of £15.
Details of the course can be found here, with a separate map profile of the finishing circuit available here.
Those who are travelling for both the Criterium Championships and the John Beggs Memorial are encouraged to contact Banbridge Tourist Information who will be happy to assist with locating suitable accommodation in the area.
Further information will be available in the Race Manual which will be available in the coming days, otherwise please contact Race Director Aaron Wallace via aarwallace@gmail.com
