Race details | |
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Date | September and October 1985–1992 August 2007, 2008 |
Region | Ireland |
Local name(s) | Nissan Classic (1985–1992) Tour of Ireland 2007–09 |
Nickname(s) | Nissan Classic (1985–1992) |
Discipline | Road race |
Competition | UCI Europe Tour |
Type | Stage race (2.1) |
Organiser | The Events Group / Shadetree Sports |
History | |
First edition | 1953 |
Editions | 35 (as of 2009) |
Most wins | Sean Kelly (IRL) (4 wins) |
Most recent | Russell Downing (GBR) |
The Tour of Ireland (Irish: Turas na hÉireann, known from 1985 to 1992 as the Nissan Classic) was a bicycle stage race held in August, which ran for 35 editions over a 56-year period. Irish rider Seán Kelly recorded the most wins, four.
The first Tour of Ireland race debuted in 1953 and ran until 1957. It was revived in 1965 and ran until 1985. In 1985 the 5-day Nissan International Classic took over as the Tour of Ireland. This lasted for 8 years until 1992. The race returned 15 years later, in 2007, as the Tour of Ireland and was part of the UCI Europe Tour. The organisers confirmed on 1 June 2010 that the 2010 race would not take place due to a financial shortfall,[1] and as of 2019, there is no further news of a revival.