On yer bike!
Thousands upon thousands of festival goers will descend upon Stradbally for the annual highlight of the festival calendar this weekend, including many who will make their way to Electric Picnic on two wheels.
There’s a lot to be said for this method of travelling to a festival; to name two, you can avoid the traffic and you’ve got a good block of exercise out of the way to allow you to relax and enjoy all the festival has to offer.
Amongst those cycling to the festival will be over 1,000 participants in the 11th Tour de Picnic, sponsored again this year by Complete Natural and officially launched recently by Irish rugby player Rob Kearney and Soulé, a rising star in the Irish music scene, a regular performer at Electric Picnic and a novice cyclist to boot.
In return for weekend tickets to the festival, Tour de Picnic participants were required to raise a minimum of €395 each, with proceeds going to three very worthy charities, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, Ronald McDonald House and ISPCC Childline.
The 80km cycle will set off from Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Friday morning (30 August), ascending towards the Blessington Greenway before meandering through some of Ireland’s biggest dairy farms and the picturesque village of Brannockstown.
Finally, on the last hurdle, cyclists will travel along Barrow Blueway before arriving at Stradbally to reap the rewards of their hard graft and charitable endeavours.
An 80km cycle is pretty strenuous exercise, of course and with that in mind, organisers have issued some tips to Tour de Picnic participants and anyone else getting on their bike to Electric Picnic this weekend.
- Wear cycling shorts. No one wants a sore bum arriving to EP
- Take it handy – this is not a race!
- Have your bike checked before you set off – you don’t want to break down as soon as you start
- Make sure you bring a helmet – you won’t be permitted to cycle without one
- Eat plenty and drink loads of water
As far the last tip is concerned, those on the Tour de Picnic will be able to enjoy a Tour de Dairy menu at a number of stops along the route and there will be plenty of sustenance with which to refuel following their arrival in Stradbally.
There will be beer and food at the official Tour de Picnic Welcome Area, where there will be DJs, the Irish Dairy Cocktail Bar, hot tubs, massages, endless refuel food and recovery chats from Irish Dairy ambassadors.
Further information on festival fitness and the Tour de Picnic can be seen below:
Commenting on this year’s Tour de Picnic, organiser Brian McDermott said: “We’re very excited to bring Tour de Picnic to the next level for its eleventh year. The event has grown every year, in 2019 over one thousand people will be taking part. Irish Dairy, The Complete Natural will be offering nutrition tips and training plans to participants this year along.
“The rest stops along the route have been upgraded and the Tour de Picnic Welcome Area at Electric Picnic will get everyone in the party vibe. The Electric Picnic line-up for 2019 is exceptional. I’m delighted to welcome LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, ISPCC Childline and Ronald McDonald House Charity as our 2019 charity partners.
“I would like to thank Festival Republic and all our partners for helping us make this event happen every year.”
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