Cycling fever to take hold of Kilmallock ahead of Rás Tailteann stage one finish

HISTORY beckons for Kilmallock tomorrow, Wednesday, as the town gears up to host the stage one finish of this year's Ras Tailteann for the first time in the cycling races history.

From 3pm onwards the main street of the town will be full of the 145 cyclists that are taking place in the Rás this year after finishing their first stage of the race encompassing 148 km of road while also passing through the Limerick towns of Caherconlish and Bruff.

Tomorrow's stage begins in Tullamore while finishing in Kilmallock for the first time. Spectators are encouraged to get out early, with road closures within the town itself, to support the cyclists as they enter Kilmallock.

Rás Tailteann itself is spread over five different stages covering 784.8 kilometres of Irish roads and is one of the largest cycling races of its kind in Ireland. The penultimate stage finish will be in Beactive in county Meath where cyclists will take in three laps of a 14.1KM spectator-friendly finishing circuit.

The stage finish in Kilmallock is down to the hard work and dedication of cycling enthusiast Paul Gammell. The pride felt by the people of Kilmallock is well-deserved, as hosting a stage finish of the Rás Tailteann puts the town on the map for cycling enthusiasts and brings together athletes, spectators, and the community in a celebration of sport and local heritage. Paul has been working with various groups and councillors to gain the stage finish for the Limerick town. Cyclists are expected to arrive in Kilmallock from 2:45pm tomorrow evening.