Grass root cycling, and youth development so important to establish a safeguard for the future of our beloved sport in Ireland!! The Belgian Project donate each year in January his “Youth Development Bursary Awards” (4) to some deserving clubs, or organisations who just do such thing!! (January 2025)

1. TC-Racing ladies Team (Oldcastle-West Meath)

Tom Clogher and his teenage cyclists can do with a bit of help…they can be seen on the road and off-road here in Ireland, but also entering races in Holland, Belgium, and GB to give the girls some very valuable experience, and also giving the older ones a chance to race the Ras Na Ban!! This photo was taken last Saturday in Collinstown near Mullingar overhanding the Development trophy and the bursary to Tom and some girls of the team present (Adventure X 28th Dec 24) All info of the team can be found on https://www.facebook.com/TCRacingCyclingTeam

2. Mc Crystals Track (Jenkinstown-Louth)

Here some of the kids at the midweek league of the Mc Crystal Track, organised by Bryan Mc Crystal, and his Bellurgan Wheelers (Photo courtesy of the Mc Crystal Track with Master 60+ World Champion Johnny Mc Cabe, local legend in the Dundalk area) Bryan and his volunteers promoting CX and off-road racing all year around, their youthwork just something that get very much noticed, and so welcome to our sport!! Go to https://mccrystalstrack.com/ for more info

3. Munster Cycling Academy

So many clubs in Munster to consider, so I decided to give the bursary to the Munster Cycling Academy who bring youth riders from all the clubs together with forming teams to travel to Europe and Britain to get experience, also putting teams in our Irish Stage races such as the Junior Tour etc… Many of this youngsters are now in top amateur teams, even some continental and UCI world teams lately. The work they are doing is just sublime and I am happy to help in a small way. I will hand over the bursary at the CX Nationals in Ballinasloe to some of the principals of the Academy present. To get info of the academy go to https://www.facebook.com/munsteryouthacadmey

4. Square Wheels Youth development

(Photo from the Square Wheels youngsters in 2022) Square Wheels is a club that concentrate in a big way towards their youth…they travel to all events in Ulster, and present at many events and championships in Ireland…they show up with sometimes over 20 of their youth and a lot of talent and determination been shown at such events attended!! It is a no brainer to help them out in a small way…we will give their bursary award this weekend at the National series or in Ballinasloe next weekend, you can follow the team and find info on https://www.facebook.com/SQ.Wheels

The Belgian Project get sponsored by this companies and clubs, 40% of their donations is going straight into the bursary foundation, and I add 50% of the income generated by doing the MC jobs (commentary + music) at cycling events all over the country. Last year (2024) we donated £4000 in total with the January bursaries + the June bursaries to individual riders. Hope we can reach that again this year, all depends on the MC jobs and the amount of the sponsors available.