Great Results for Ulster in Inter-Regionals Off Road
The Inter Regional Mountain Bike Championships, run by British Cycling, brings together the best of young talent from all regions of the UK. The event is made up of teams of Under 14 and Under 16 boys and girls, competing against one another to gain points for their teams. The standard of competition is extremely high, with British and European champions in attendance.
On Friday 22nd September, the Ulster team headed to Essex with Team Coach, Graham Boyd and Team Manager, Lisa Millar. Team Assistant, Gareth Skelly, had already set sail, aboard the Belfast to Liverpool ferry and met everyone else there.… Read more
Cycling Ulster Off-road Commission – Youth Coaching Sessions
The Cycling Ulster Off-road Commission plan to run a series of coaching sessions aimed at the U12/U14/U16 age groups. These intermediate level sessions are aimed at existing racers who would like to improve their technical riding skills with the aim of improving their race results. The first of the sessions is planned for Saturday 11th February at Barnetts Demesne trail centre at 12:30 pm at the Mary Peters car park at the trail head. The session will be lead by Mark Harvey, a Level 2 Mountainbike Instructors Association coach (MIAS).… Read more
CU Off Road need Expressions of Interest for British NPS Series
In 2016 Cycling Ulster had sent a cross-country mountain bike team to the British NPS series. The Off-road Commission is now looking for expression of interest from riders who wish to join this team to compete at the British events in 2017. As per 2016 the team will be made up of a maximum of 4 riders. Age categories are Junior and Under 23 (male or female).
Eligibility for the team is as follows:
- The rider must have been born in Ulster, or the rider must belong to an Ulster cycling club or the rider must live in Ulster.
Halloween Howl Mountain Bike Event Sunday 30th October
Tir Chonaill Gap Cycling Club is holding a mountain bike event around the hills of Glenties at the end of the month. Registration will take place at 12 noon at Glenties Community Centre, on Sunday 30th of October, with the event getting underway at 1.00pm.The participants have to ride down the steps beside the Garda station in Glenties to start off this event in style. The pace will then be controlled up the Glen of Glenties road for three and a half miles. From this point they’re on their own as they turn off the road and start climbing the mountain, a climb sure to make the riders glad when they have reached the top.… Read more
Breck Epic – The Final 3 Stages
Breck Epic Stage 4 – 67km 1900m ascent.
Stage 4 was another big day on the bike and was also Conor’s first stage of the event. This stage was my nemesis, and in the past two times I competed the hour long climb out of feed station 2 nearly broke me each time. As such it was not a stage I was looking forward to, but it was the stage I had returned to try and to conquer! While I was positioned up front with the other leaders, Mark and Conor started the stage rolling out together. … Read more
Breck Epic Stage 3 – 66km 2200m ascent.
Stage 3 was billed at the “Queen Stage” and would take us up over 3600m over French Pass and across the continental divide twice. On top of the back issues I had picked up a chest infection from the inhaled dust on Stage 1 so decided to take this much bigger day as it came a supposed to trying to “race myself”. The roll out at the start of Stage 3 was a good bit longer than the previous day which meant I got a good warm up before we turned off the tarmac road onto the dirt. … Read more
Breck Epic Stage 2 – 67km 1800m ascent.
Stage 2 dawned early next day and we were promised smooth singletrack sweeping trails along the famous Colorado trail. Being in the leaders jersey I was up front with the other category leaders for the start which again as a neutralised roll out through the streets behind the big cop car. Unfortunately the roll out wasn’t quite long enough to warm my legs and lungs up and within a few minutes of the start we hit the first section of off road which ramped up steeply from the off. … Read more
Breck Epic Report Day 1 by Ciara MacManus
Team Summit Mountain Biking at Breck Epic 2016 - Colorado
The Breck Epic MTB race is a 6 day stage race centred around the town of Breckenridge, Colorado at an elevation of 2900m with each stage starting and finishing in and around the town and ranging from 55km – 70km in length and topping out at 3900m elevation. One of the challenges of the event is not purely the length of the stages or even the amount of climbing each day but the altitude we would compete at where there is between 63% and 71% of the normal oxygen availability as at sea level. … Read more
Ulster XC Series Round 6 Sunday 4th September
On Sunday next Island Wheelers will host the sixth and final round of the Ulster XC series at Drumcairne Forest, Stewardstown, County Tyrone. All races will be starting from near the car park. Riders will go up the grass and turn left onto a fire road for 50 m. They will then turn right into the trails which are fast and rooty in places, continue into the pine section and through the potato drills. After the potato drills the riders will go through another tight, rooty section until they come onto a fire road for plenty of overtaking opportunity. … Read more
Competitive Events this Weekend.
This weekend sees Newry Wheelers promote their very popular three day stage race on Friday to Sunday while in Donegal Four Masters Cycling Club witll be promoting the JG Memorial Race on Saturday For those who prefer to go it alone against the clock you can line up in the Ulster 50mile Tommy Givan Championship event. Fill details of this Ulster Championship can be found HERE. For the Off Roaders there is the Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup Rd3 doubling up as the Ulster Enduro Championships.… Read more
