John Burrows: I'd love Cookstown 100 to go ahead but logically I can't see how it can happen

On Wednesday, the organisers of the national road race – postponed from April due to the coronavirus pandemic – reaffirmed their commitment to running the event from September 11-12, with limited numbers of spectators granted access to the 2.1-mile Orritor course in Co Tyrone.

The Cookstown Club plans to make a restricted number of admission wristbands available online ‘in due course’ to keep crowd numbers down.

In a statement, the organisers said: “One tough decision the club has had to make is to run the event as a closed event, with restricted spectator numbers to accommodate social distancing regulations, allowing limited numbers in vantage points throughout the course.

“The online pre-booked wristband will be available in due course.”

However, ex-racer Burrows says that while he would ‘fully support the event’ if it did go ahead, he struggles to see how social distancing measures could be efficiently policed.

“I’d be surprised if it happened,” Burrows told the News Letter.

“For example, how would we get parked up in the paddock. It’s always jammed, so I can’t see how we would congregate in the paddock and maintain social distancing.

“Also, if the Cookstown 100 is the only road race we have this year, then you’re going to have massive crowds wanting to attend. The event always gets a decent crowd as it’s usually the first race of the season, and if it goes ahead in September then everybody is going to want to go to it.

“How would you police it and stop fans coming and trying to get into the course who miss out on the wristbands? I don’t think it would be possible,” he added.

“As a team, we would be fully supporting the event and I’d be going there with two riders and two bikes. I’d be delighted to be there too, but logically I just cannot see how it would happen.

“I have massive respect for the club in what they are trying to do and everyone obviously wants to see it happen, but teams alone will bring a lot of people with them and there is limited space in the paddock, so I’m just confused as to how it can happen with social distancing restrictions likely to still be in place at the time.”

Along with the Cookstown meeting, the Tandragee 100 is the only other Irish road race that has not been cancelled in 2020.