The weekend of May 5th & 6th will see the Irish NPS train make its second stop of the season in Clashnacrona Wood, near Dunmanway in West Cork. 021 Racing promises a great event - including live timing on the Sunday organised by NACC Events - the team formerly behind the British NPS.
TRACK DESCRIPTION
Starting in the trees, a quick chute takes you down to cross over the fireroad and a nice quick bit spits you onto some rollers. If you know the track this is where the bridge used to be. A rooty right, over the remains of a wall and a little lefthand berm. Quick section next, made up small rocky "steps" and rooty corners takes you to the open section. Berms, jumps and high speeds make this a section loved by both racers and spectators alike. It's a shame that it's over so quickly!
A rocky righthander takes you back into the trees. A drop off a rock slab takes you down to the new section. Carving off the old track sets you up for a nice lefthand berm that takes you across the old track and into a big roller. Over some rocks and you cross the old track again into a new section... off camber roots, very tricky steep corners and steps. Should be very demanding on racers concentration, easy to blowout a turn here!. After the steps, it's the final high speed blast drifting through corners and floating over roots and and you get spat out of the trees to cross the line.
RACE FORMAT
The format of the 2007 Irish NPS is as follows:
Saturday
Sign On: 1000-1500
Practice: 1000-1600
BBQ with live band, Random Dirt Jumps and general chaos (bring your own meat) near Drinagh about 6ish
Sunday
Sign On: 0900-11.00
Practice: 0900-11.30
Course Inspection: 1130-1200
Race: 1200-1700
Prizegiving
NPS afterparty Party in the Southern Bar with live band, Race day footage on the big screen etc from 8
COST OF ENTRY
Elite/Master/Senior/Sport/Junior/Vets/Ladies - £25/E35
U14/U16/Junior - £15 /25E
+ Race Licence
RACE LICENCE
Riders must be able to produce a full licence or a day licence in order to race in the 2007 Irish Downhill NPS..
Full licence
You can choose between a full international licence or an MTB only licence. You get these from Cycling Ireland through a club or as a private member. Once you buy one of these you wont have to pay anything more than the race entry fee.
Underage riders may be entitled to a free race licence which should be acquired in advance from Cycling Ireland. For further information contact Cycling Ireland.
Day Licence
Any rider who does not hold a 2007 race licence needs to obtain a day licence. Day licences cost £10Stg or 15 Euro for all riders except youth riders (U14/U16) - A race licence for U14 and U16 riders will cost £3.50Stg or 5 Euro.
A day licence will not automatically make you a member of Cycling Ireland, and therefore, anyone wishing to compete in the national championships in Rostrevor in July, and who doesn't have a full licence will not be eligible for medal (and also your race place will not be counted).
If you intend to race in the national championships, it is recommended you purchase a full Cycling Ireland licence immediately as each day licence fee cannot be claimed back towards the purchase of a full licence.
MINI-BIKES
Mini-bikes are not permitted at any of the venues for the 2007 Irish DH NPS, therefore please do not put the event at risk by bringing one along. Riders using mini-bikes will be disqualified from the series.
UNWANTED WASTE
Part of the conditions set out by landowners for the use of the venues for the Irish DH NPS is that organisers leave the land in the condition they found it. When riders leave rubbish either at an event or prior to an event, they are putting the use of the venue at risk. Please take this into consideration when discarding unwanted waste.
PARKING
There WILL be parking restrictions over the weekend so please listen to the marshalls. There will be NO parking on the uplift route. Those of you staying in campervans over the weekend please contact Dave Barrett or Rory O Keffee via this website.
WEATHER
A full 5 day weather forecast can be obtained from www.bbc.co.uk/weather or www.accuweather.com
Check out specific conditions for Cork HERE
DIRECTIONS
The Track from where ever you are!
I suppose the handiest is to use the AA travel finder website to get as far as Dunmanway, then as you get into the square, go left at the far side beside the chipper, right at the next junction, straight through the next junction besides the Doheny Bar, past the “cinema” on your left to find yourself on the road to Bantry and the track is 2 miles out the road on the left. You should see a few signs to show your on the right track (It’s the hill with the trees and phone mast on top of it straight ahead, fairly hard to miss it) if you get to the lay by with the Clashnacrona sign you have gone too far turn back the road about 1 mile, turn Right there and the Fire road starts on the Right
Skibbereen From the track! (13/14miles ish)
As you come out of the Gate hang a left, and left onto the main road, travel along that past the 3lakes filling station (Handy for supplies) until you get to Drimoleague. Turn left at the cross roads at the end of the village by the new centra shop and stay on that road till Skibbereen. It’s as easy as that.
ACCOMMODATION
Hostels & campsites
Russach Mill hostel Russach Skibbereen (castletownsend road 2miles ish)
028-22451 (also adventure centre, nice spot)
Hideaway campsite castletownsend road Skibbereen 028-22245
Shiplake Hostel Dunmanway 023-45750
B&B’s, Hotels etc
Skibbereen
Bunalun Farm Dunmanway road 4miles from town 028-21502
Eldon Hotel Bridge St (town centre, secure bike storage) 028-22000
Grove House Dunmanway road 2 miles from town 028-22957
Havannagh castletownsend road 028-21148
Maple Lodge Cork Road (15min walk to pubs) 028-21553
Palm Grove Bantry Road 028-21703
PK Lodge Smorane 5min walk from town centre 028-21749
Sunnyside 42 Mardyke st (town centre) 028-21365
West Cork Hotel Ilen st (town centre) 028-21277
Whispering trees Baltimore road 10 min walk) 028-21376
Woodview Baltimore road (10min walk ish) 028-21740
Whitethorn Lodge Schull Road 028-22372
Dunmanway
Carraig House Bantry Road (2miles from track) 023-45667
Dun Mhuire Kilbarry Road (2miles from track) 023-45162
Parkway Hotel town centre (2 and a bit miles from track) 023-45236
Other accommodation available at:
http://www.corktourist.com/directory/accommodation/southwest_cork/skibbereen/ HERE
