{"id":3998,"date":"2023-06-25T16:54:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T16:54:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?p=3998"},"modified":"2023-06-25T16:54:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T16:54:22","slug":"skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place last month.<\/strong> This year\u2019s Tour saw riders navigate either an 80km or 140km route along Ireland\u2019s stunning Wild Atlantic Way, helping to officially welcome the summer cycling season in style!<\/p>\n

We look back at the event with the help of cycling enthusiast Libor Pavlas, Product Manager at \u0160koda Ireland, who participated in this year\u2019s Tour!<\/p>\n

1. Libor, can you tell us a bit about the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tour de Conamara is part of the \u0160koda Celtic Series\u2013 of which \u0160koda is very proud. Cycling plays a crucial role in the \u0160koda story, because we actually started out producing bicycles before progressing into the car brand we know today. Thanks to this historical connection, \u0160koda Ireland wanted to create an event which would celebrate cycling in such a uniquely Irish setting \u2013 and so, in 2013, the Tour de Conamara was launched to much excitement.<\/p>\n

The Tour de Conamara is a sportive event which sees over 3,000 participants take part in each year. We find that it gets booked out in just a few days when the event is launched each season, and it has really grown to become an important event in the Irish cycling social scene.<\/p>\n

2. How did you prepare for this year\u2019s Tour? <\/strong><\/p>\n

As I do cycle regularly, I\u2019d not really trained specifically for the Tour de Conamara. Every Saturday, I go for a spin with my local cycling club in Dublin or I cycle around the beautiful Wicklow Mountains. I really enjoy cycling in the mountains as the whole area is picturesque \u2013 and I can gain some elevation metres while I\u2019m at it!<\/p>\n

Because the Tour de Conamara is more of a sportive \u2013 or \u2018socialising on a bicycle\u2019 as one of my friend\u2019s has described it! \u2013 the preparation doesn\u2019t quite require you to pass the Team Jumbo-Visma pre-season camp! I\u2019m a big believer that anyone can do either the 80km or 140km course. It\u2019s just important to make sure that your bicycle is ready for the cycle and is in good nick both technically and visually. In the end, a clean bike is a fast bike…<\/p>\n

3. What was your favourite element of this year\u2019s Tour?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My favourite element of the Tour de Conamara has to be the people who participate. Last year, I met a great bunch of individuals from all around the world and it was fantastic to stand with them again on the start line of this year\u2019s edition. The route starts and finishes in the lovely town of Clifden, which is bursting with character, and there\u2019s plenty of rest and refuel stops dotted along the scenic route.<\/p>\n

The friendly cycling community is what makes the Tour de Conamara special. On top of that, the setting of the Conamara National Park is just spectacular, and always takes my breath away!<\/p>\n

4. Are there any other cycling events you are planning on participating in over the <\/strong>next year? <\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s always pleasantly surprising how many cycling events happen in Ireland each year. As I really enjoy the Irish cycling culture, the Tour de Conamara is not the only event I will aim to take part in over the coming months. I\u2019m especially looking forward to the second \u0160koda Celtic Series event, the Ring of Clare, in July. This midsummer sportive shows off the best of what Clare has to offer cyclists looking for a sociable cycle in another stunning area of Ireland.<\/p>\n

5. Do you have any advice for anyone who is thinking about participating in next <\/strong>year\u2019s \u0160koda Tour de Conamara? <\/strong><\/p>\n

My only two pieces of advice would be, \u201cStop thinking and do it,\u201d and \u201cHave fun!\u201d<\/p>\n

If you’re super keen on taking part in the Celtic Series fun, registrations are now open for the Ring of Clare<\/a> in July, which is not to be missed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Want to learn more about the \u0160koda Celtic Series? Take a look at our overview of the events<\/a> to learn more about the series!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":3999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"global-categories":[73],"class_list":["post-3998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling-in-ireland","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\n\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight! - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-25T16:54:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ciarabreen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ciarabreen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/\",\"name\":\"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight! - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-25T16:54:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/77414fc27b78622bdf4fc3a165b44d08\"},\"description\":\"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1200},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/\",\"name\":\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland\",\"description\":\"Just another \u0160koda WeLoveCycling Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/77414fc27b78622bdf4fc3a165b44d08\",\"name\":\"ciarabreen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f751ecb0138da6f10fd321bedfa1aba0407cbf92d86ef61dbc2c27e63991f457?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f751ecb0138da6f10fd321bedfa1aba0407cbf92d86ef61dbc2c27e63991f457?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"ciarabreen\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/author\/ciarabreen\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight! - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland","description":"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight!","og_description":"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/","og_site_name":"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland","article_published_time":"2023-06-25T16:54:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"ciarabreen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"ciarabreen","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/","url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/","name":"\u0160koda Tour de Conamara takes the spotlight! - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp","datePublished":"2023-06-25T16:54:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/77414fc27b78622bdf4fc3a165b44d08"},"description":"We were delighted to see cyclists back for the 2023 edition of the \u0160koda Tour de Conamara, which took place in the West of Ireland.","inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2023\/06\/25\/skoda-tour-de-conamara-takes-the-spotlight\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/14\/2023\/06\/Tour-de-Conamara.webp","width":1600,"height":1200},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/","name":"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - Ireland","description":"Just another \u0160koda WeLoveCycling Sites site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/77414fc27b78622bdf4fc3a165b44d08","name":"ciarabreen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f751ecb0138da6f10fd321bedfa1aba0407cbf92d86ef61dbc2c27e63991f457?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f751ecb0138da6f10fd321bedfa1aba0407cbf92d86ef61dbc2c27e63991f457?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"ciarabreen"},"url":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/author\/ciarabreen\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3998"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4000,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3998\/revisions\/4000"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3998"},{"taxonomy":"global-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/global-categories?post=3998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}