Businesses to lose out on €2m

BUSINESSES in Clare are set to lose more than €2 million in the next three years if a replacement organiser is not found for the Etape Hibernia cycle event, which was cancelled last week.
The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, Ireland’s first closed-road mass-participation cycle event, was held in Clare in August 2010. It was held again last year, with further races due to take place this summer, in August 2013 and in August 2014. Over the last two years, it brought more than 3,000 participants and thousands more supporters to the area, as well as generating €2 million for the local economy. However, IMG Challenger World last week pulled out of organising the 84-mile event for the remainder of its projected five years, saying losses made continuing the event “unsustainable”.
A statement from the company said it “invested significant resources and funds in launching the event. However, after recording losses in the first two years and the projection of a greater deficit in the future they see the event as unsustainable. This was mainly due to not achieving the level of entries hoped for at the outset of the project.”
James Robinson, managing director of IMG Challenger World, said, “We are truly sad that we are unable to continue running the Etape Hibernia. Our team has really enjoyed working on the event over the past two years and have put a lot of hard work into trying to make the project a success.
“Although the event attracted a significant number of cyclists and their families to County Clare on the stunning west coast of Ireland, the number of participants was disappointing and didn’t reach projected levels. This, unfortunately, makes the event not commercially viable for IMG,” he continued.
Shannon Development and Clare County Council expressed their disappointment with the decision by IMG Challenge World to cease its involvement in the cycle.
Director of services, Clare County Council, Ger Dollard commented, “As one of the primary event partners, Clare County Council has invested significant time and energy in supporting the Etape Hibernia since the idea for the cycle was first presented to us in 2009. Our participation in the organisation and marketing of this event was based on a commitment given by IMG World that it would remain involved over a five-year period in an effort to build the cycle into a flagship fixture on the sporting calendar. The company’s focus obviously has shifted, despite a hugely successful opening two years for the event.”
Paul Ryan, tourism marketing manager, Shannon Development said he was disappointed by the decision of IMG Challenger World but added that Shannon Development and Clare County Council will work with the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau to secure a similar cycle event for the county.
“We understand that IMG Challenger World, although acknowledging that the event attracted significant numbers of cyclists and their families to County Clare, felt the number of participants didn’t reach their projected levels and therefore was not commercially viable for IMG,” he added.