The first round of the 2007 Irish NPS kicks off on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April 2007 in Cloon Wood, Enniskerry, Co Dublin organised by Dublin based Club, Epic MTB.
Cloon Wood is home to round 5 of the 2006 Irish NPS, as well as hosting 2 rounds of the Epic Winter league in 2007 at the same venue. The date for the Cloon race has been moved forward as unfortunately, Coillte has announced it will be felling the Forest during the summer.
The 2007 Irish NPS sees some changes to the 2006 Irish NPS, with all races on the calendar being 2 day events with uplift and medical cover on both days of the event. This will increase the standard of the race, and enable riders to make full use of practice on both days of the event.
Sign-on will be open at 10am until 3pm on the Saturday and riders will also be able to sign-on on Sunday morning between 9am and 11am.
Riders are reminded that they will not be permitted to ride on the course during Saturday or Sunday without an official race number plate on their bike. Failure to display this number plate will result in instant disqualification from the event.
TRACK DESCRIPTION
Sprint out of the startline down the singletrack through the trees. You'll hit some flat out open drifty corners on your way down to the rock gap. Hit the rock gap and you'll have stupid speed for the next few corners as your pointing straight down the mountain or go around it and get pedalling. Try and hold your speed as you exit the top section of the track and launch off a wall and into the next part of the forest.
Your now heading across the hill picking your way through the whoops and stumps to find the quickest line to rejoin the winter league track. Charge on and into a big berm and then hold which ever line you've picked through the stumps and exposed roots down into an off chamber corner. Get it right and your fired into a rocky or muddy cute depending on the weather and which line you pick. This brings you into a left hand berm and then on to the fun part. Jump into berm into jump into jump over rock garden into berm. Those of you who where at the winter league will know it well. Head down across the fire road and into the really fast section. Only this time its a bit different.
Its still fast only with a few more corners a ski jump into berm. Then hold your speed over the rock garden to get the fastest line through the next corner. Flat out into a rut which brings you onto a hip jump and down onto the fireroad.
Short fireroad sprint and back into the final section of woods which has been tweaked slightly to make it a bit trickyer. Drop in off the fireroad. Through the whoops which will really work your arms then through a few corners and try and pin it through the trees over the small drops and over the jump to cross the finish line.
RACE FORMAT
The format of the 2007 Irish NPS is as follows:
Saturday
Sign On: 1000-1500
Practice: 1000-1600
Sunday
Sign On: 0900-11.00
Practice: 0900-11.30
Course Inspection: 1130-1200
Race: 1200-1700
Prizegiving
COST OF ENTRY
Elite/Master/Senior/Sport/Junior/Vets/Ladies - 35Euro £25Stg
U14/U16/Junior - 25Euro £15Stg
+ 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.
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 Cloon HERE
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation for Co Enniskerry can be found at www.enniskerry.ie or www.visitwicklow.ie
