International Track Cycling at Sundrive next weekend

Beasty

Venue: Eamonn Ceannt Park, Sundrive Road, Crumlin
Date: 01-07-2017 - 02-07-2017
Time: 10:00

This is your best chance to see international cycling stars close up

Come down to Sundrive Velodrome in Crumlin next Saturday and Sunday to see the best domestic track cycling stars take on riders from the UK, Europe and possibly elsewhere in the only UCI ranked track cycling event to be held in Ireland.

This annual event has in the past attracted numerous World and Olympic champions looking for UCI ranking points in their quest for World and Olympic glory. Hopefully we will see a similar quality field including some of the best Ireland has to offer (including winners of World Cup events over the past winter)

Admission is free, and everyone gets close up to the stars as they warm up and prepare to race from the infield, and the racing on the 460m tarmac track at Sundrive

More details on the Cycling Ireland website

Here's a flavour of last year's event

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT2RXA2JJE4

As an added bonus you may even get the chance to rub shoulders with the likes of nee, possibly HarryBelafonte and indeed one or two other Boardsies as well as World and Olympic stars:)

kumate_champ07

last year 2 out of the 3 GB mens team sprint Rio gold medal winners raced there, it really is amazing to see such talent in a local venue for free! if youve ever wondered what a 70km/h sprint looks like this is the only place in Ireland to see it.

CramCycle

Really gutted I can't make it down this year. For anyone at a loose end, it is well worth it. Sundrive know how to make people feel welcome and an event that caters for the enthusiast down to a family looking for something to let the kids watch, well worth popping down.

magicbastarder

starts at 10 - how long would the events last? i.e. if you popped down at 3pm on the sunday, would there still be events running?

eeeee

magicbastarder wrote: »

starts at 10 - how long would the events last? i.e. if you popped down at 3pm on the sunday, would there still be events running?

You should catch a couple of races after 3, provisional timetable here:
http://www.trackcycling.ie/?page_id=3060

Track runs like a clock though, so the earlier you get there the better.

Come say hello! I'll be working in the starter's tent/pen.

Beasty

Just seen the entry list - some very high class riders there

9 nations represented in the women's list including most of the top Irish racers as the likes of Elinor Barker and Emily Kay from GBR

Men are travelling from far afield places such as Argentina, Brazil and Mongolia. 11 countries represented including Irish World Cup star Felix English and many top domestic riders such as Eoin Morton

There are many riders from the World Cup circuit and strong GBR representation with the likes of Stephen Burke, Jon Mould and Sam Harrison and 6 day star Moreno de Pauw from Belgium

This is building up to a very exiting event

Beasty

Events start at 9.30 on Saturday and 9.45 on Sunday (warm ups from 9.30) and are due to run to about 5.30 on Saturday and just before 4 on Sunday (I'm assuming the weather stays dry, although there may be one or two light showers based on current forecasts with a higher risk of some delays on Sunday morning)

magicbastarder

nee wrote: »

Come say hello! I'll be working in the starter's tent/pen.

you do realise i have a problem with saying hello, in that i'll have to approach someone i don't know and say 'hello, i am magicbastarder'?

eeeee

magicbastarder wrote: »

you do realise i have a problem with saying hello, in that i'll have to approach someone i don't know and say 'hello, i am magicbastarder'?

I've said worse!

robyntmorton

magicbastarder wrote: »

you do realise i have a problem with saying hello, in that i'll have to approach someone i don't know and say 'hello, i am magicbastarder'?

Walk into the tent, yell "Hey Boardsie!" And see who responds the best way. Problem solved

eeeee

robyntmorton wrote: »

Walk into the tent, yell "Hey Boardsie!" And see who responds the best way. Problem solved

Oh I could be mean and just pretend I hear nothing...

magicbastarder

i hope to pop along in the morning; i've met beasty before so at least should be able to recognise him.

Beasty

I'll be there in my Yorkshire sunhat*

Sun always shines on the Track GP:)


(* or my Burberry umbrella)

P_1

I'll pop down after the rugby. Is there a timetable knocking about anywhere?

CramCycle

P_1 wrote: »

I'll pop down after the rugby. Is there a timetable knocking about anywhere?

http://www.trackcycling.ie/?page_id=3060

Beasty

Finishing touch applied...



...or should that be "supplied"

magicbastarder

you can get up close to the track i hope? i.e. if i bring the camera, i won't need a long lens?

Beasty

There is an old running track inside the track. Maybe 5m or so wide. Inside that there is an old soccer pitch. You can place yourself pretty much anywhere on that pitch subject only to there being seated areas and official desks/tents along the home straight

That means other than the finishing line area which will be cleared for riders and officials you can get within 10m of the action most of the way round the (460m) track. You would only need a long lens if you want to photograph action on the other side of the track from where you happen to be standing

Beasty

CramCycle wrote: »

http://www.trackcycling.ie/?page_id=3060

That looks like the schedule for last year

This year's (with estimated timings) is here

Full list of entrants

magicbastarder

just a quick edit on a few of the shots i got - was there for some of the sprints and the men's omnium elimination.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder

any problems with rain in the second half today? we had a couple of showers i'd class as 'heavy mizzle' this afternoon on the northside.

morana

here is some footage more of the ladies omnium my twitter

https://twitter.com/moran_anto/status/881095604239073281

Beasty

magicbastarder wrote: »

any problems with rain in the second half today? we had a couple of showers i'd class as 'heavy mizzle' this afternoon on the northside.

Very light drizzle at its worst

eeeee

Stijn Geluk's back wheel skidded on the Kat corner of one of his heats, but it was fine.
I did not rain on our parade!

Incredible racing, multiple Olympians racing (including the Dutch woman who rode the *very* edge of the track in the Olympics) and a couple of multiple Olympic champions.
Highest rated race meeting in Ireland. Savage racing!

Beasty

Those Omnium fields were very strong in particular, and the Danish guys in particular were savage. Felix English mentioned to me after the scratch he'd been undergeared as he'd never raced that quickly outdoors before

Beasty

Reckon some of those Omnium riders will be licking their wounds, while looking for opportunities to impress in tomorrows bunch races (when, unlike today, they are less likely to be thinking about seeing through the remaining events)

We'll be seeing most of them in the scratch, points and pursuits and the sprinters will be back for the kierin

Promises to be another great day of racing so try and head on down if you get a chance

First race is off at 9.45

magicbastarder

great weather for it so far...

Beasty

... and the heavens opened...

... but not too much and more importantly not before the final race was done

Track is a bit sparsely populated now after another great day's racing