After 22 years as co-sponsor of Ireland’s premier international cycle race, FBD Insurance have now taken the sole sponsorship of the event, which will  be known as the FBD Insurance RÁS.
 
The 2005 staging of the  FBD Insurance RÁS will be the 53rd staging of the event, which will take place from May 22 – 29.  It will cover an 1 100 kilometre anticlockwise route around the country and at least 10 countries are expected to take part .

The race organiser, Dermot Dignam, pointed out , “this is one of the longest and most established sports sponsorships in the country and we are delighted that FBD is now assuming title sponsorship.” 

Thanking FBD for their unswerving commitment to Irish cycling, he said: “When the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world controlling body, set new financial standards for international races, it jeopardised the prospects of many well-known events throughout the world. Irish cycling was fortunate in having the support of FBD Insurance, which greatly increased its sponsorship to meet the challenge and secure the future of this great race.”
 
FBD Insurance Chief Executive, Philip Fitzsimons commented, “our long association with the RÁS has been a positive one for us and Irish cycling. We are happy to take the opportunity to become sole sponsor. The RÁS attracts the interests of young and old for eight days every May, and the colour and spectacle of this great international event is brought into every home in the country.”