This article is from page 19 of the 2012-06-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
A NORTH Clare man was recovering in hospital yesterday after an accident during the An Post Tour de Burren cycling race in Ballyvaughan. 49-year-old Martin Clancy came off his bike at the foot of Ballyella Hill in Fanore on Saturday morning, sustaining head injuries in the collision. The Ennistymon native, who is currently living in Ennis, was attended to by a doctor who was taking part in the race before being airlifted to hospital in Cork. The Clare People understands that Mr Clancy was fully conscious in hospital yesterday (Monday), and is expected to make a full recovery.
Mr Clancy was one of an estimated 2,200 cyclists who took part in the various stages of Saturday’s Tour de Burren, the largest number ever to take part in the seven-year history of the event.
“There was a doctor in his own party who attended the gentleman, and from this point on our emergency plan was activated. The medical team on site requested immediate transfer by helicopter to Cork University Hospital, and we tasked the Coast Guard to co-ordinate this,” said John Sweeney from Clare Sports Partnership, one of the organisers of the Tour de Burren.
“Conditions at the time were dry and no other cyclists were involved. We would like to wish the gentleman a speedy recovery and also we would like to thank all who attended at the scene and to Doolin Coast Guard for their help and co-operation.”
Besides the single accident, this year’s Tour de Burren is being hailed as a great success by the organisers. Due to strong headwinds, this year’s tour was considered to be the most difficult in the event’s history.
Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly was one of those who took part in the event, which has become a key part of Clare’s sporting and tourism calendar.