Thousands of cyclists rolled through Dublin city centre on Wednesday as the world’s largest cycling conference continued this week.
International delegates, schoolchildren and their parents were led along the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) cycle route by the newly elected Lord Mayor Paul McAuliffe.
Mr McAuliffe said he hoped the international visitors attending Velo-City 2019 would get “the opportunity to experience all [that] our wonderfully friendly city has to offer”.
The “unparalleled views of Dublin Bay” along the Bike Parade route were sure to be one of the highlights of their trip, he said.
The Velo-City Bike Parade began at the Convention Centre, where the conference is taking place, and travelled along a section of the coastal route before arriving at St Anne’s Park in Raheny, where cyclists were greeted by music, GAA demonstrations and a demonstration by stunt cyclists.
Chief executive of Dublin City Council Owen Keegan said the parade was a “fantastic opportunity for Dublin City Council to showcase the S2S route to international delegates and to engage the local community in a family friendly cycle”.
Climate change, road safety and innovation in cycling have been key aspects of this year’s “Cycling for the Ages” conference, with transport and city-planning experts flying in from around the world to discuss the role of the bicycle in future cities.
