About the event

The Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford came about because of the desire of the people of Waterford to pay tribute to the name of Sean Kelly in a manner befitting his legendary cycling status. It also came about because of Sean Kelly’s willingness to lend his name to an event which would benefit his own area and his own people. Finally, it came about because of the willingness of local authority and development agencies to come together with the cycling community to plan and deliver this exciting event.

2009 saw the third running of the event and it was an unrivalled success with 2800 riders registering to take part across the three events.

Here is just a flavour of what some of last year's participants thought of the Sean Kelly Tour:

'Having completed numerous triathlon/duathlon events through the summer, this has been without doubt the highlight for me simply because of the huge amount of organisation put in and the community spirit it generated.’ (Aishling Foley, Wexford)

‘It was a brilliant day out which was shared by both young and old. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers and sponsors who worked effortlessly (so it seemed) and we look forward to sharing this event again in the future.’ (Joe Stockdale, Cork)

‘I also forgot to mention how much I loved that bowl of Muesli beforehand, I hadn't any breakfast and it tasted really good, think Flahavan’s Muesli will be making an appearance in my cupboards soon.’ (www.boards.ie)

‘From the warm Dungarvan welcome to the amply stocked food stops I can't praise the organisation and more importantly the people that made it a fantastic day‘. (Rob Hamilton, Limerick)

‘The whole day was fantastic. So well organised with stewards on all junctions & dozens of helpers at both food stops & water stops. From someone who organises races myself (running ones) I was amazed by the quality and quantity of the support ye had’. (Declan Horgan, Meath)

‘What a pleasure to take part in such a well organised cycle this morning. With the huge numbers involved the whole thing was faultless – excellent planning obviously went into this event. The parking, signs, registration, food, marshals, massagers were all brilliant – hats off to all for a great helpful & friendly atmosphere everywhere’. (www.boards.ie)

‘I wasn't in good cycling form, the weather was starting to turn nasty, my "summer" kit was getting muddied by the spray and I was thinking I might not finish, the organisation of the event moved it from a bad day to a good one. As usual, the marshalling was the best I have come across, people were standing outside their houses, standing at the car park on Mahon Falls in the rain and cheering you on. It was really uplifting and somewhat embarrassing when you are cycling so badly.’ (www.boards.ie)

‘I took part in the Sean Kelly Challenge yesterday and would like to convey my appreciation and thanks to all involved in the day for giving each rider such a fantastic day out. Even the weather did not dampen the spirits of such a lively bunch!  Everyone from the stewards to the people manning the food and water stops to the mechanics were a pleasure to talk to and deal with. I have participated in only a few races of this kind and am happy to finish them rather than post times. The encouragement and bright demeanour of all involved with the race, including the riders, was enough to push anyone through a bad patch, and believe me there were a few! Thanks again and provided my legs have recovered I'll be back next year’. (www.boards.ie)

‘The Tour of Waterford is a tribute to Sean Kelly and the people of Waterford who embrace this event with such passion’.(www.boards.ie)

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to write or e-mail such kind words.

As part of the overall event, there are three different routes of varying degrees of difficulty. The 50 km Kelly Cruise should be accessible to most everybody who does some regular cycling. The 90 km Kelly Coast is a new route for 2010 taking in Waterford's breathtaking Coast Road and is aimed at the experienced touring cyclist. But the 160km Kelly Comeragh Challenge is only for the very experienced, the very fit, and, maybe even, the foolhardy. It requires guts and ability in abundance – but, the whole event can provide a hell of a challenge for all levels of ability, and, that is what this event is about – participation, fun and sporting challenge.

Are you up for it? Go on – get on your bike, and get ready for the Sean Kelly!

The 2010 event will be held on Sunday, August 29th and is part of a bigger overall objective to make County Waterford an extremely cycle-friendly place, firstly, for visitors to the County - whether from home or abroad, but, also for our own communities, because we want everybody to have the opportunity of realising the beauties and benefits of cycling, whilst also experiencing the hospitality and breathtaking scenery of County Waterford.