By Robin Schiller

Copyright independent

The McGinty Autumn Classic takes place in Wicklow this Sunday with €4,200 in prize money on offer for the event which is free to enter.

Dan Conroy, a member of Bray Wheelers Cycling Club and one of the key organisers, said that they hope the race and the high prize money on offer will lead to a resurgence in cycling.

“Cycling in Ireland is dying, there’s no money like there was years ago,” he told the Irish Independent.

“So, we came up with the idea of a brand-new race, sponsored heavily by MJ Duncan and Sons. It’s unique in fact because the prize money is so good.

“It’s the richest race in the Irish calendar; there’s over €4,000 in total with €1,000 for the winner of the elite race.

“The other thing we’re doing differently – because if you don’t do things differently you get the same results – is we’re giving the first 15 riders over the line prizes, when normally it’s six.

“The other novel thing is that entry to the race is free, because it’s so heavily sponsored.”

The primary sponsors of the event are MJ Duncan and Sons, the well-respected building contractors who have been involved in high-end commercial, residential and conservation work for almost 30 years.

Owned by Mick Duncan, the elite race is named after his father, who is commonly known in the construction trade and to his friends as ‘McGinty’.

Cycling in Ireland is dying, there’s no money like there was years ago

Conroy says that the event has attracted a large number of domestic riders and Irish riders who normally race on the continent.

“We have unbelievable numbers; we’re going to have in excess of 100 riders. It’s amazing because sometimes for elite races you might get 15 riders. Every elite rider in the country is going to be there, Irish lads racing on the continent are making their way home for it,” he said.

One of those making the trip back to Ireland this week is Dan’s son Jack, who competes at the C1 elite level and recently finished second at a race in Belgium.

“I’d like to think he can win the thing,” Dan said, adding that his son has become passionate about racing in recent years and hopes to travel to Australia to compete next year

“It’s one hell of a big event. It’s never been done before with free entry and such a huge prize pot. There’ll be about 45 prizes given out on the day and it’s going to be an annual event.

“Hopefully we can lift cycling back to where it was.”

The McGinty Autumn Classic will see riders set off from Arklow Rugby Club on Sunday morning with the elite C1 category setting off at 10.0am and undertaking eight laps of the Beehive circuit totalling 131km.

The C2 category race, named the MJ Duncan Classic, will begin 10 minutes later and see riders take on five laps of the circuit (83km).