October 6th 2000
The FBD MILK RÁS, Ireland’s premier cycle race, will take on greater international importance next year with the exciting news that the world controlling body, Union Cycliste Internationale, has selected the race as a qualifying event for points for Olympic Games and World Cycling Championships. Following many months of negotiations with the UCI, Race Organiser, Dermot Dignam, has confirmed the race will be classified 2.5 on the International Calendar of Events for 2001 and will as such carry all-important points needed by countries to qualify for major world events. To slot into the current UCI Elite Calendar the duration of the race will be reduced by one day to an 8 day event and will take place from Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th May.
National Dairy Council and FBD Insurance, sponsors of the race for the past eighteen years, have welcomed the growing importance of the race in world cycling and anticipate a greater demand for invitations to the race from countries anxious to achieve the necessary points to get into the top thirty countries in the world, which would gain them entry to the Olympics, and Worlds. The Irish Sports Council also welcomed the decision of the UCI and has promised additional funding to enable the race comply with UCI Regulations. The Sports Council is particularly pleased that Ireland will now be represented on the World Elite Cycling Calendar.
With the popularity and competitiveness of the FBD MILK RÁS soaring in recent years Dignam does not intend to make any drastic changes to the character of the race but is delighted with UCI status and says “the race is probably one of the toughest of its kind in the world and it is great that the efforts of the teams and riders will now be recognized by the UCI in the awarding of world ranking points.
Futher details:
Dermot Dignam, Tel: +353-1-848-1517.
Sally Ryan, Tel: +353-1-649-6400.
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