Date: Sunday 19 August 2012
Event: Ulster MTB XC Championships
Location: Castlewellan Forest
Host club: Xmtb McConvey Cycles
The superb mountain biking haven of Castlewellan Forest Park was the venue for the 2012 Ulster Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships. Host club Xmtb McConvey had been spending considerable amount of time in the forest in the lead up to the race preparing the track. The club wish to thank the Northern Ireland Forestry Service for their willing co-operation in facilitating use of the forest.
The forest had been used by Xmtb the previous year for a round of the National Point Series (NPS) / round of the Ulster XC series so the trail builders were very familiar with what the forest had to offer. The club had their work cut out for them with lots of wet weather in advance but thankfully they were blessed with reasonable good weather on race day. With this round not being part of the NPS series the numbers were greatly reduced from the previous year. To compound the issue the Da Cooley MTB marathon was on the previous day and there were very few would could do both events in the one weekend!
The organisers had created three separate courses for the Under 8s, 10s and 12s at the top of the fire road. Each course was longer than the previous and increasingly more technical. Each started with a sprint up the fireroad to get into the single track among the trees. The course then popped out onto the fireroad again to allow riders to overtake. There was a big crowd of spectators and well wishers around the youth courses showing their support.
The Under 14s, 16s and all the senior riders began their races at the bottom of the fireroad near the lake and sign on area. The Under 14s had their own course well marked out for them. The others used the main course. There was a lot of talk about the technical section “the waterfall” which had attrached the photographers keen to capture any fallers!
Many thanks to Xmtb for putting on a great championships. The podium was set up again at the edge of the lake with great views behind the riders. There was plenty of food laid on afterwards.
Results here
Photos
Michael A (FlickR) here
Alan G (Facebook) here
Paul A (Facebook) here
