The Tour de France is underway - and for Irish cycling fans, a taste of Le Tour awaits as L'Etape Ireland returns on 28 September.
The routes for this year's L'Etape Ireland have been revealed, with the second edition finding a new home in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.
Two routes are on offer, 150km and 100km. Both will take place on closed or partially closed roads, offering 3000 cyclists a unique chance to enjoy the scenery largely free of traffic.
The event is part of the Etape series by Tour de France, an international sportive franchise sanctioned by Tour de France organisers ASO. 2024 saw the first Etape Ireland take place in Kerry.
> Ride report: L'Etape du Tour lands in Ireland >
So what lies in wait for the 3000 cyclists expected to arrive in Carrick-on-Suir?
Riders tackling the 150km long course look to have 6-7 significant climbs to prepare for, of which two are timed KOM segments. The first of these, and what appears to be the toughest, comes early in the race after 19km.
From the start riders will warm up with a relatively flat stretch heading west out of Carrick on Suir in the direction of Clonmel.
The first climb, heading south out of Ticincor, is 4.5km long with an average gradient of 7.9%. It's designated a Cat 2 climb by the organisers, with an estimated completion time of around 25-30 minutes (depending of course on how frisky you feel!).
From the summit it looks to be downhill all the way to the first of three feed stations in Ballymacarbry (34.7km).
Your next significant climb - the first of three in the middle section of the course - comes at 56.5km. It's a lengthy drag of 9km heading south out of Clogheen, but not as steep with gradients hovering around the 3-4% for most of the climb.
There follows a fast 14km of gentle descent before the road begins to climb - again gradually - until the 86km mark. You're now well past the halfway point, and can enjoy a few km of mostly downhill before the second feed stop at Ballynamult (94km).
After the feed there's a few km of rolling terrain - and one significant, 3km climb at the 106km point - to warm up your legs in preparation for the timed sprint. This comes just after the 115km mark: at 1.4km in length, between Barnakill and Lemybrien, the sprint is on a straight, descending road which should allow for some rapid times.
Riders now turn their wheels north towards the finish in Carrick on Suir, with the third and final feed stop arriving shortly after the sprint in Mahon Bridge (121.6km).
A couple of draggy climbs and nice descents follow until, with the finish almost in sight, the course takes a sharp detour to throw in a final climb. Coming at the 141.5km point, the climb of Seskin Hill is rated as a Cat 3. At 1.5km in length with an average gradient of 7.9%, it's not the longest but will feel tough on tired legs.
Your work is almost done when you reach the top, with just 6-7km left until you cross the finish line in Carrick on Suir - and like all the best sportives, it's pretty much downhill all the way!
The Short Route
Riders on the shorter route will enjoy the same two KOM climbs and sprint section as those on the long course. The two courses split at the 35km mark in Ballymacarbry, with short course riders skipping the western loop and a couple of climbs to save around 50km in distance.
Back at the finish, participants can look forward to exhibitors, shows, a pop-up Tour de France Museum, athlete meet and greets and more on the day.
"Carrick on Suir is steeped in cycling history and has some of the best cycling anywhere in the world, with the roads of Tipperary and Waterford being up there with the best on offer.
"L'Etape is special in that you don't need years of training to participate and live your dream of taking on a Tour de France stage. If you enjoy cycling, a bit of a challenge, and some spectacular views, then L'Etape Ireland is a perfect goal to work towards this summer."
Entries for L'Etape Ireland are open, with tickets priced €110 for the 150km distance and €95 for the 100km route.
Find out more and enter at ireland.letapebytourdefrance.com.
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