International Track Cycling this weekend (7 & 8 July)

Beasty

It's that time of year again, and the track cyclists have once again delivered weather of the highest quality for both spectators and participants

Another international field of top quality track racers will be descending on Sundrive velodrome early on Saturday, and this is a UCI Class 1 event (the only one in Ireland AFAIK).

There will be a combination of sprint and endurance events, including the spectacular Madison, the Omnium, Kierin, Sprint, Points and Scratch races for both men and women with a couple of junior events thrown in. This is a rare opportunity to see the best of our domestic riders take on the best in the world, and it's all for free

Racing starts at 9.45 on Saturday, and 9.30 on Sunday. All spectators are welcome although I would suggest bringing along a hat and plenty of suncream There should be chairs on the infield and you will always be within 200m of the action.

Come along and have a gander - you may start to better appreciate the quality of track racing, and how spectator-friendly it is.

Access is through a manned gate at the track and you may find yourself held up at the gate a short time as they will not allow people to walk across the track while a race is on

magicbastarder

if you want to take photos, bring a longer lens than i did last year (i nearly got in trouble for standing too close to the track)

Hungrycol

Beasty wrote: »

It's that time of year again, and the track cyclists have once again delivered weather of the highest quality for both spectators and participants

Another international field of top quality track racers will be descending on Sundrive velodrome early on Saturday, and this is a UCI Class 1 event (the only one in Ireland AFAIK).

There will be a combination of sprint and endurance events, including the spectacular Madison, the Omnium, Kierin, Sprint, Points and Scratch races for both men and women with a couple of junior events thrown in. This is a rare opportunity to see the best of our domestic riders take on the best in the world, and it's all for free

Racing starts at 9.45 on Saturday, and 9.30 on Sunday. All spectators are welcome although I would suggest bringing along a hat and plenty of suncream There should be chairs on the infield and you will always be within 200m of the action.

Is that not pretty far away?

magicbastarder

i think the 'within' is important there - that's the furthest away the action can possibly be.

Beasty

Yes, if you go where magicbastarder wanted to go last year you are possibly as close as 5m for part of the lap, and maybe up to 150-180m when they are at the other side

If you stand in the middle, the scaffolding from the Commissaire's tower may obstruct part of the view, but you are probably never more than about 80m away from the action wherever it is on the track

You also get the chance to intermingle with very sweaty bodies as they warm up and cool down on their rollers (well in many cases not "their's", but in one case probably "mine":))

I've heard they have 82 entries and the vast majority will be travelling in from overseas. Not heard who's on the start list yet though

eeeee

There's a timetable of events here:
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/cycling-news-item/dublin-track-cycling-international-7-8-july-/18067


Entries are there as well.

ED E

magicbastarder wrote: »

if you want to take photos, bring a longer lens than i did last year (i nearly got in trouble for standing too close to the track)

How close is one permitted to be?

eeeee

ED E wrote: »

How close is one permitted to be?

You're not allowed in the apron.
Basically stay on the grass and you're ok. There's only a thin running track between you and the action.

The racing is savage. It's the fastest racing in the country. The speed and proximity of the bunch is something else.

Beasty

On the straights it's (literally) the width of a running track. You are further away on the bends. It is basically the shape of an athletics field with the "apron" being the running track and the ends where they put on the field events being out of bounds.

ED E

Perfect

magicbastarder

hopefully this link will work. i think i was standing where i shouldn't have been while recording this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9btjk1d728rg5m/20170701_140001.mp4?dl=0

magicbastarder

what time would you expect the action to finish tomorrow? didn't get to go today.
hope everyone was wearing sunscreen.