(Photo courtesy of Shea Gribbon The Shoe Doctor)

I had a little hope that maybe racing would resume in May but that’s before we knew the severity of the killer Covis 19 virus!! We could be faced with more races called off or postponed…I feel for all this organisers and volunteers that put all these efforts in, to give us a race, their sponsors who make it possible and the riders as stars of the show we call cycle racing. The Victus Tour of Ulster is a prime example of that, not only the hardest stage race in the North but also a general repetition for the Ras later in the month (if it happens now still not known but I expect they will have to follow as the situation worsened) Here below the official statement of the organiser Garry Nugent (BGN Sports Management) and sponsor Neil O’Brien (Victus Energy)

(photo BP Media)

As part of the fight against the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19), BGN Sports Management and Victus Energy have made the joint decision to postpone the 2020 Victus Tour of Ulster as scheduled for the 2nd to the 4th May 2020. In the light of recent developments, the decision has been made in the best interest of the riders, staff, volunteers and the local community. In these trying times, we must pull together to slow the growth and spread of Covid 19. The decision was not taken lightly but due to the uncertainty around the current lockdown, we have decided to postpone the event with its current date. Will we work closely with Cycling Ireland to find a suitable date in the 2020 season. Please keep an eye on our website www.tourofulster.com for any additional details. Yours in Cycling, Garry Nugent & Neil O’Brien