Irish XC National Championships - July 17th

C3PO

The XC National Championships are being held in Kilruddery, Bray, Co. Wicklow tomorrow on a spectacular course designed and built by 3 time Olympian Robin Seymour and his WORC club.
For anyone with even a vague interest in mountain-biking this will be well worth a visit with all the best Irish off road riders in attendance. Great location with some fantastic spectator points. Racing starts at 12pm with the senior races off at 2pm!

Tenzor07

Looks great and only 15mins from Bray

RobFowl

Irl_Cyc_Results (From Twitter)
Nat MTB Champs, Bray: 1 R Seymour 2 P Buggle 3 R Sherlock 4 J McCall 5 G McGee

Seymour is a legend in Irish MTB and Xcross. Seems to be ageless as well....

Peterx

Yep Robin Seymour is a class apart, and Peter Buggle and Joe McCall aren't exactly espoirs either..great racing from the top lads on a super course.
All in all a great day out with a lot of thought gone into support events, foodstalls, kids entertainment and a very well designed race course.
Some really good single track and also plenty of places for overtaking. Kilruddery is a class location for the Nationals.

this_time

Went to watch this on Sunday. Thought it was great. The course looked incredible. Some nice drops and really cool places to watch. Would of loved to take a spin round it.

Is there anywhere to ride courses like this around the country? It looked a big step up from Ballinastoe. Do clubs ride on tracks like this most of the time? or is this a race specific course?

Tenzor07

this_time wrote: »

Is there anywhere to ride courses like this around the country? It looked a big step up from Ballinastoe. Do clubs ride on tracks like this most of the time? or is this a race specific course?

Courses like this were designed specifically for a race...and of course so spectator's can get to see the riders a good few times in one small area..

Ticknock has some good singletrack, but you are best to join up with a club in case there are any good track's you may be missing out on by mtb'ing on your own..

Mad MTB run beginners spins..
Epic MTB run a saturday spin, open to all comers, so keep an eye on there forums...

this_time

Thanks for the reply. I'll keep an eye on the forum.

AstraMonti

Robin is amazing! And his handling skills are out of this world. Actually all the top5 are great, it's no luck that they are there.

C3PO

AstraMonti wrote: »

Robin is amazing! And his handling skills are out of this world. Actually all the top5 are great, it's no luck that they are there.

Peter Buggle was a clear 2nd - he's 50 next birthday and broke his collarbone on the road only two month ago!
Fantastic weekend! The only "dark cloud" is the lack of young upcoming XC racers ...... there is a shameful lack of help from CI in this area!

Bikerbhoy

AstraMonti wrote: »

Actually all the top5 are great, it's no luck that they are there.

Lets include one more placing there if I may in 6th place a mention for our own Richie Felle who could quite possibly have placed higher had it not been for a puncture...:mad:

But well done to all a GREAT day by all accounts

billy.fish

RPL1 wrote: »

....The only "dark cloud" is the lack of young upcoming XC racers ...... there is a shameful lack of help from CI in this area!

Thats odd last time I checked the guys who came 1st ,2nd and 3rd are in the U16 race are on the development program...and Claire O raced the Women's race as she was the only junior female.

Matt Adair was at the JT of Ireland on the Irish team (arguably should not have been on the same weekend) and Rob Scanlon was taking a well deserved break after his leaving cert.

Not to mention the DH lads (no involvement with them) who destroyed most of the masters field to take 1st,2nd, and 3rd.

Or maybe I read the results wrong....

Greg - assistant development squad manager...apparently

billy.fish

Back on with the thread...

Yeah, great day out! Think its the best course that WORC have put on (my contribution being mostly sign on and shouting at people).

Once again Kilruddery shows how magical a place it is with its perfect conditions despite crazy weather over the weekend. I was amazed when we turned up on Sunday morning to fnid the course still dry.

Hope you all enjoyed it, hopefully we can raise the bar again, no idea what would have to be done to do so though!

Now...am I allowed talk about cyclocross yet?

Tenzor07

billy.fish wrote: »

Now...am I allowed talk about cyclocross yet?

Nope! Not till After this: Castlewellan XC NPS 8

billy.fish

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Nope! Not till After this: Castlewellan XC NPS 8

Sadface.....

Tenzor07

And the Bull Raid in about 2 weeks time....

Then it's time to get training for Cyclo-X :-)

C3PO

Greg - I know you probably feel it's part of your job to "defend the indefensible" and I'm not having a dig at your team, who I'm sure have extremely limited resources, but really ......

billy.fish wrote: »

Matt Adair was at the JT of Ireland on the Irish team (arguably should not have been on the same weekend) and Rob Scanlon was taking a well deserved break after his leaving cert.

The fact that Matt Adair felt that it was more beneficial for him to attend a track event rather than the XC Nationals says it all! It's hard to blame him given that he's rarely had more than 2 or 3 people to race against in this years NPS races.

billy.fish wrote: »

Not to mention the DH lads (no involvement with them) who destroyed most of the masters field to take 1st,2nd, and 3rd.

As you say the 1st 3 places in the Junior race were taken by Downhill riders in baggy-shorts and "piss-pot" helmets who are fantastic riders but this can hardly be considered proof that the XC Development programme is working? You also forgot to mention that only 7 Junior Men actually started the race!

billy.fish wrote: »

Thats odd last time I checked the guys who came 1st ,2nd and 3rd are in the U16 race are on the development program...and Claire O raced the Women's race as she was the only junior female.

Again you conveniently forget to mention that there were only 12 finishers in the combined boys and girls Under 16 race!

I have no problem standing over my original point that while Cross Country Racing in Ireland is going from strength to strength in the over-30 age group there is a shameful lack of development for the the riders in the 16-25 year bracket.
In fairness there is also some fantastic work going on with the very young kids but this is at a Club level, driven by enthusiastic individuals such as Richie Byrne of EpicMTB but without any help from Cycling Ireland!

Tenzor07

Mad to think that we won't have any Irish riders at this:
www.london2012.com/cycling-mountain-bike

Am i right in saying our only Olympic hopeful is a 41yr old Robin Seymour?


Jeeze if Ireland can send a junior to the World Youth Track and Field Championships and get a gold medal in the 5k Walk, then why the hell don't we have any young MTB'er's who we can send to London next year??

billy.fish

RPL1 wrote: »

Greg - I know you probably feel it's part of your job to "defend the indefencible" and I'm not having a dig at your team, who I'm sure have extremely limited resources, but really ......



The fact that Matt Adair felt that it was more beneficial for him to attend a track event rather than the XC Nationals says it all! It's hard to blame him given that he's rarely had more than 2 or 3 people to race against in this years NPS races.



As you say the 1st 3 places in the Junior race were taken by Downhill riders in baggy-shorts and "piss-pot" helmets who are fantastic riders but this can hardly be considered proof that the XC Development programme is working? You also forgot to mention that only 7 Junior Men actually started the race!



Again you conveniently forget to mention that there were only 12 finishers in the combined boys and girls Under 16 race!

I have no problem standing over my original point that while Cross Country Racing in Ireland is going from strength to strength in the over-30 age group there is a shameful lack of development for the the riders in the 16-25 year bracket.
In fairness there is also some fantastic work going on with the very young kids but this is at a Club level, driven by enthusiastic individuals such as Richie Byrne of EpicMTB but without any help from Cycling Ireland!

Everything is defend-able But as this is not a development thread I'll be brief.

As I said, JT-of I should not have been on the same week. Which was a week long road race for a national team. Not a single track race.

I think its great to see the DH lads showing it to the XC crowd. Even more reason for a cross discipline development program within the off-road arena.

Im aware Richie is doing great work, doesn't he tell us al every time, and it is great. These riders and the others are the future. Its just a pity there was a few years where it went by the wayside.

If you want to base previous issues with XC development, try not to get confused with a program that has been taken on by two people in their own time to fill that gap for future years, rather than what has been done in the past.

As normal, if anyone is interested in giving their spare time to XC Development I'd love to hear from you. We have riders going to UK races and can always do with people to give up their spare time and money to come over and help just as we do.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to help out, I'll clear some space.....

billy.fish

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Mad to think that we won't have any Irish riders at this:
www.london2012.com/cycling-mountain-bike

Am i right in saying our only Olympic hopeful is a 41yr old Robin Seymour?


Jeeze if Ireland can send a junior to the World Youth Track and Field Championships and get a gold medal in the 5k Walk, then why the hell don't we have any young MTB'er's who we can send to London next year??

Not down to who can we send. More so down to chasing points over a 2-3 year period than just sending someone. Qualification process is quite prolonged and not always possible.

Think we are derailing the thread BTW.

morana

RPL1 wrote: »

Greg - I know you probably feel it's part of your job to "defend the indefencible" and I'm not having a dig at your team, who I'm sure have extremely limited resources, but really ......



The fact that Matt Adair felt that it was more beneficial for him to attend a track event rather than the XC Nationals says it all! It's hard to blame him given that he's rarely had more than 2 or 3 people to race against in this years NPS races.



As you say the 1st 3 places in the Junior race were taken by Downhill riders in baggy-shorts and "piss-pot" helmets who are fantastic riders but this can hardly be considered proof that the XC Development programme is working? You also forgot to mention that only 7 Junior Men actually started the race!



Again you conveniently forget to mention that there were only 12 finishers in the combined boys and girls Under 16 race!

I have no problem standing over my original point that while Cross Country Racing in Ireland is going from strength to strength in the over-30 age group there is a shameful lack of development for the the riders in the 16-25 year bracket.
In fairness there is also some fantastic work going on with the very young kids but this is at a Club level, driven by enthusiastic individuals such as Richie Byrne of EpicMTB but without any help from Cycling Ireland!

Its far from indefensible CI fully supports all development aspects of cycling. the membership is growing but at the wrong end but how can you blame me , I assume I am CI, for the lack of juniors taking part.
We have implemented Sprocket Rocket program which ahs been rolled out across the country bar NI and had 1600 youths (8-12) thru its program. We are implementing a followup program Gearing up which hopefully will take these boys and girls thru to junior when they will then be on the verge of junior HP etc. We have some work done specifically in the MTB area with another body which will be rolled out soon.

And this isnt a road oriented program either its cyclist oriented.

So lets hope that out of that 1600 we get 2 or 3 Robin Seymours coming thru. If anybody needs any help from CI they just have to ask...in fact pls just pm me here and we can see what we can do...or should I be psychic?

Tenzor07

As RPL1 says, the only MTB program for kids is run by a guy who works in a bike shop and gives up his spare time for it with no help from anyone or am i wrong there?

Bit worrying when CI are offering a non-specfic program with corporate sponsorship when you see what a guy on his own is doing specifically for mountain biking...


Don't think anyone expects CI to be "psychic".....I think the word is "pro-active" :-)

C3PO

billy.fish wrote: »

Think we are derailing the thread BTW.

Well I started it ...... can you be moderated for derailing a thread you started? :rolleyes:

morana

Tenzor07 wrote: »

As RPL1 says, the only MTB program for kids is run by a guy who works in a bike shop and gives up his spare time for it with no help from anyone or am i wrong there?

Bit worrying when CI are offering a non-specfic program with corporate sponsorship when you see what a guy on his own is doing specifically for mountain biking...


Don't think anyone expects CI to be "psychic".....I think the word is "pro-active" :-)

Mods/MTBers apologies for taken this OT

A non-specific program.,..they are 8 to 12 years of age....I think they need to learn some fundamentals rather than specifics of MTB/road/track...wouldnt you agree?
The corporate sponsorship is welcomed and without it 1600 kids wouldnt have had this oppurtunity...Mick lawless takes riders out every week with his broomwagoin van...orwell ran a cycling school down in sundrive on their own...thats the good thing about cycling - great volunteers.

proactive? I think I have been quite proactive coming onto this board for the last year or so and done my utmost to impart information and help when required I have always been open to any suggestions and try to take them to conclusion.

Tenzor07

Specifically on mountain biking though...The only "program" I can see for youths is run by Richie Byrne/Epic...he even spoke about running an NPS series for that age group!

I'm not having a go entirely at CI, I just find it a bit crazy that at a National champs the only juniors we have are a few lads who are primarily downhill racers competing at XC racing...

After all who want's to see a bunch of 30+yr old farts flying around on Mtb's, where's the future of Irish mountainbiking in that?

ryan_sherlock

billy.fish wrote: »

As normal, if anyone is interested in giving their spare time to XC Development I'd love to hear from you. We have riders going to UK races and can always do with people to give up their spare time and money to come over and help just as we do.

just wanted to clarify something here - no one is sending riders anywhere - for the last 4 years, the riders have been sending themselves (cost is about €300 for the weekend to the UK per rider - thank god Mel is winning some prize money! ).

I have never been sent anywhere on the MTB... I think the last time anyone was sent anywhere in relation to MTB (as in, had some form of assistance, financial or otherwise) was pre-Beijing.

We have all gotten frustrated with the lack of support (we have tried) but are now starting to put together something eying towards 2016. It is not 'development' - it is about getting a woman to Rio. Who is behind this? The riders who are passionate about their sport and seeing it develop on the HP level - Mel and Cait taking the lead.

Please IM me if you are interested in getting involved. We will (hopefully) be working with CI in the future on it when our plan matures and will be going public soon.

* * * *

Back to the original post for a second. Great course, venue, event etc... real well run and Robin is a legend - he nailed the race from the gun. The course is almost opposite of what suits me - twisty, technical and almost no climbing. But as I said, great race course etc... Good job Worc