St Patrck’s Day Race Details

On Friday North Pole CC will promote their annual St Patrck's Day Race. Starting at St.Mary’s Hall Burt the race will proceed in the direction of Letterkenny for 17km.

This is a wide, well surfaced road with a generous hard shoulder and no dangerous junctions. Care should be taken at Callaghan’s Filling Station (1km) and at Kernan’s Filling Station (6km) which have a number of entrances onto the main road.

There are drags for this portion of the race and there may be attacks before Manorcunningham but the race should hold together. Upon reaching Manor Roundabout there is a left turn and the race will join the main Letterkenny to Strabane Road for 5km. most of it a Cat2 climb.

At the top of the climb there is a sharp left turn down the long fast Galdonagh Road which is 8k. long. The most interesting part of this road is the short sharp Cat1 climb after 27km of the race called the Forth Hill or Sallybrook Hill. Both this and the earlier Drumoghill climb could cause the race to split and expect attacks on this 13k. stretch after leaving Manor Roundabout.

The race joins the Derry- Letterkenny Road at Drumbarnett and takes a left turn back down in the direction of Manor Roundabout to complete the first loop of the Manor/Galdonagh Course.

The ‘A’ race will do 2 complete loops of this 20k course.

The ‘B’ and ‘C’ races will do 1 loop.

Course Maps for the St.Patrick's Day Races
A1, A2, A3 Race:

A4, Masters, Women's Race:

The home straight from Manor Roundabout at 37 kms.(at 57kms for ‘A’ race) will be over the Manorcunningham Climb (Cat3) for 3kms.This will be an attack zone, a precursor of a fast and furious race for the final 17 km. to finish at Burt Hall.

Race Schedule ‘A’ Race.

This race will be handicapped and the distance is 75k.

It will start before the other races at 10.30am.

Eligible riders are those holding a current A1, A2 or A3 licence.

N.B.

If the number of entries allows we propose to run a seperate A3 race.

‘B’ Race.www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/178214090

This race will be a mass start and the distance is 55k.

It will start after the ’A’ races at 10.35am.

Eligible riders are those holding a current A4 licence and anyone holding a ‘Limited Competition Licence’ who has taken out a ‘One Day Licence’ at Sign-on.

North Pole members holding a ‘Limted Competition Licence’ do not have to take out a ‘One Day Licence’ as they are members of the host club.

‘C’ Race.

‘Women’s  Race.

The women will start with the ‘C’ race unless there are adequate numbers to run a separate women's race. Women must hold a valid Cycling Ireland licence.

Marian Lamb UCN : marianlamb@ulstercyclingnews.com