Olympic medallist to compete in Clare cycle

OLYMPIC gold medallist Denise Lewis and leading Irish comedian PJ Gallagher have been confirmed as participants in the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, Ireland’s first closed road mass participation cycling event which takes place in Clare on August 22.
The announcement comes less than a fortnight after professional Italian riders and Team Sky members Dario Cioni and Davide Vigano were confirmed as participants, which is expected to attract an estimated 2000 cyclists in the first year.
The event is being marketed nationally and internationally and will attract everyone from novice cyclists up for a challenge to keen club riders eager to cycle on traffic free roads.
The 82-mile cycle will commence and finish in Ennis, as well as travel through Ruan, Corofin, Kilnaboy, Ballyvaughan, Fanore, Lahinch, Spanish Point, Connolly and Kilmaley.
West Bromwich native Denise Lewis won the gold medal in the heptathlon for Britain at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I am looking forward to travelling to Clare and taking part in what will be an enjoyable and challenging event. I am especially excited about cycling on closed roads around some of Ireland’s most famous landmarks such as the Burren and Cliffs of Moher,” Lewis said.
Etape Hibernia will raise funds for Sky Rainforest Rescue, a Sky and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) project to help save one billion trees in the Amazon Rainforest.