Well I know you're all waiting on me to get the party started...so here goes..
No it was definitely not an XC race course.
In fact it was only really suitable for Motorcycle enduro.
It was all doubletrack , a small section of heather single track and more doubletrack and a short steep fireroad.
Loads of punctures.
I wouldn't have called it technical at all, just harsh and hard..
Personally I was disapointed, its a fantastic area and the MBCC made the effort to run a great race, Sign on was flawless.
Parking was unnacceptable though.
Running the track all the way around the outside of a forest is obscene in my eyes.
No Chipit timing but at least no outrageous payonline only crap.
Fantastic location though
Max says we are too polite to say anything really bad in this country or criticise correctly.
I'll do my best..
If this race had been billed as Corks answer to a Beast of the Sputh or come and test yourself against the NAgles..
it would have been superb.
But it was supposed to be NPS two.
When I run an XC NPS, I spend months building singletrack, talking to locals , securing facilities like a Field to start and finish the race.
So do does, MAD with 3 rock
IMBRC with Slade
XMTB with Castlewellan
Banbridge with Tollymore
Team Worc with Kilruddery
Cuchulainn with Bellurgan
This is what is needed , Christ, Tony Kelly and Cuchulainn burst themselves putting hardcore and features into their race 2 weeks ago.
I don;t care whether the track was unsuitable for Carbon bikes or not but I do care that I can't have the craic in the finish area with my Club and other Clubs, I do care when I spend a year preparing for an event by trying to best what the Standard was.
Now people can come on here and have personal digs at me because I represent EPIC or because I am a Dub..
You'll be wasting your time..
I don't give a sh1t..i've ran more events than anybody, more different types of events than anybody been to more races than 99.9% of you .I know what I'm talking about.
The Commission or whoever the fcuks job it is to regulate or set standards for the NPS need to get the finger out , I thought there was a criteria.
Robin Seymour set the standard for XC racing with the K Capital Cup series. How long ago was that ? I wouldn't hand up anything less. Its supposed to be Cross Country Racing, there is a standard.
And if anybody tells me that was real mountainbiking than you have never raced, Djouce, Castlewellan or The Coolies..
That should never have been granted NPS status. Fair play to MBCC for running an event but somebody should have explained to them what was required.
Richie..in case you don't know who I am..disrespect me all you want though, my efforts and achievements, my Clubs ( thats all the Clubs i've been involved in since 1988) speak for themselves.
What a great day for the Epic team - Oz won S2, Llandai won S3 and Rob Deegan won the Under 16s! Caroline and Orla also podiumed!
After that it seems a churlish to complain but really the course wasn't up to the standard we've come to expect in the last couple of years! There was no visible signs of the usual trail building or water draining and with the huge amount of forestry in the area surely a more suitable XC course should have been found!
Personally I had a good day finishing mid field (I think) and most importantly my bike seems to have survived in one piece! The course actually suited me and I think most Epic riders because it was a bit like racing up and down the Boneshaker on 3-Rock!
All in all I enjoyed the day and fair dues to the Cork guys for not showing any animosity given the roasting they were given during the week!
Yeah well done to everybody who raced and well done to Oz and John, Rob, Caroline and Orla that was a long time coming Oz and well deserved.
Your dead right Rich, it suited our riders style and the stuff we ride but you need to revisit that hissy fit you had earlier.
As usual most of you will give out to me about this **** but I'm the one who has to take the flak when i say it out loud.
Well I won't be giving out to you on this one Rich! You are absolutely correct, the course was simply not up to scratch! It wasn't an effort to provide a challanging track but rather the easiest course to make with the least amount of effort!
Well, it was worse than I expected! Much worse....
I was really hoping that it wouldn't be but if you have to race a course that you (and your bike) are lucky to survive it's just ridiculous.
I'd say 30% of riders DNFed....wtf!
It was too long, too boring and too hard for an XC race. As Richie said it would've been great for an endurance type of event or a marathon type stage race.
The start/finish miles away from the parking, no proper timing set-up (were the lap times recorded at all?).
MBCC - you seem like a nice enthusiastic bunch that loves mountain biking and you did a great job with the Marathon Champs last year, but I think you were out of your depth here.
Well done Oscar, John, Caroline, Orla and Rob, great results!
It's a bad situation when you look forward to the climbs much more than the descents...
The lack of effort put into that track was very disappointing
I pulled out of the race because I just couldn't face that warzone of a descent another time, it was a bike and spirit killer, it was embarrassing and demoralising to see the other S2's just whizz on by, but I had had enough at that stage.
well I've known a lot of the Cork lads a long time and they are enthusiastic and committed riders..but having talked to some of them about my views.I think they were just given the wrong advice on what we expect from an NPS.
We expect a field to park in and to watch the race from and create an atmosphere in. Every single, experienced XC racer in Ireland expects this. To say its not an essential factor is foolish and shortsighted.
The courses have to reflect what riders get when they go away to race.
We don;t need the NPS to encourage racers in..
I did that last year with my deveiopmental races and Niall did it this year with his Blitzes.
In 2012 I intend to run a series using all the top venues , with a a plan to get an E2 and with Bobs help involve Wales and Scotland in a Celtic League and then eventually get a World Cup.
We can keep limping along just providing races for the NPS or we can aim for the stars..we made a bollox of getting the European Masters here even with my last ditch efforts.
I think everybody has said everything there is too say about today, that wasn't up to par by a long way, your dead right Richie, seems like very little effort put into course, parking, timing and waiting an eternity for the prize giving!! There was sandwiches etc after at least.
Well I know you're all waiting on me to get the party started...so here goes..
No it was definitely not an XC race course.
In fact it was only really suitable for Motorcycle enduro.
It was all doubletrack , a small section of heather single track and more doubletrack and a short steep fireroad.
Loads of punctures.
I wouldn't have called it technical at all, just harsh and hard..
Personally I was disapointed, its a fantastic area and the MBCC made the effort to run a great race, Sign on was flawless.
Parking was unnacceptable though.
Running the track all the way around the outside of a forest is obscene in my eyes.
No Chipit timing but at least no outrageous payonline only crap.
Fantastic location though
Max says we are too polite to say anything really bad in this country or criticise correctly.
I'll do my best..
If this race had been billed as Corks answer to a Beast of the Sputh or come and test yourself against the NAgles..
it would have been superb.
But it was supposed to be NPS two.
When I run an XC NPS, I spend months building singletrack, talking to locals , securing facilities like a Field to start and finish the race.
So do does, MAD with 3 rock
IMBRC with Slade
XMTB with Castlewellan
Banbridge with Tollymore
Team Worc with Kilruddery
Cuchulainn with Bellurgan
This is what is needed , Christ, Tony Kelly and Cuchulainn burst themselves putting hardcore and features into their race 2 weeks ago.
I don;t care whether the track was unsuitable for Carbon bikes or not but I do care that I can't have the craic in the finish area with my Club and other Clubs, I do care when I spend a year preparing for an event by trying to best what the Standard was.
Now people can come on here and have personal digs at me because I represent EPIC or because I am a Dub..
You'll be wasting your time..
I don't give a sh1t..i've ran more events than anybody, more different types of events than anybody been to more races than 99.9% of you .I know what I'm talking about.
The Commission or whoever the fcuks job it is to regulate or set standards for the NPS need to get the finger out , I thought there was a criteria.
Robin Seymour set the standard for XC racing with the K Capital Cup series. How long ago was that ? I wouldn't hand up anything less. Its supposed to be Cross Country Racing, there is a standard.
And if anybody tells me that was real mountainbiking than you have never raced, Djouce, Castlewellan or The Coolies..
That should never have been granted NPS status. Fair play to MBCC for running an event but somebody should have explained to them what was required.
Richie..in case you don't know who I am..disrespect me all you want though, my efforts and achievements, my Clubs ( thats all the Clubs i've been involved in since 1988) speak for themselves.
What a great day for the Epic team - Oz won S2, Llandai won S3 and Rob Deegan won the Under 16s! Caroline and Orla also podiumed!
After that it seems a churlish to complain but really the course wasn't up to the standard we've come to expect in the last couple of years! There was no visible signs of the usual trail building or water draining and with the huge amount of forestry in the area surely a more suitable XC course should have been found!
Personally I had a good day finishing mid field (I think) and most importantly my bike seems to have survived in one piece! The course actually suited me and I think most Epic riders because it was a bit like racing up and down the Boneshaker on 3-Rock!
All in all I enjoyed the day and fair dues to the Cork guys for not showing any animosity given the roasting they were given during the week!
Yeah well done to everybody who raced and well done to Oz and John, Rob, Caroline and Orla that was a long time coming Oz and well deserved.
Your dead right Rich, it suited our riders style and the stuff we ride but you need to revisit that hissy fit you had earlier.
As usual most of you will give out to me about this **** but I'm the one who has to take the flak when i say it out loud.
Well I won't be giving out to you on this one Rich! You are absolutely correct, the course was simply not up to scratch! It wasn't an effort to provide a challanging track but rather the easiest course to make with the least amount of effort!
Well, it was worse than I expected! Much worse....
I was really hoping that it wouldn't be but if you have to race a course that you (and your bike) are lucky to survive it's just ridiculous.
I'd say 30% of riders DNFed....wtf!
It was too long, too boring and too hard for an XC race. As Richie said it would've been great for an endurance type of event or a marathon type stage race.
The start/finish miles away from the parking, no proper timing set-up (were the lap times recorded at all?).
MBCC - you seem like a nice enthusiastic bunch that loves mountain biking and you did a great job with the Marathon Champs last year, but I think you were out of your depth here.
Well done Oscar, John, Caroline, Orla and Rob, great results!
It's a bad situation when you look forward to the climbs much more than the descents...
The lack of effort put into that track was very disappointing
I pulled out of the race because I just couldn't face that warzone of a descent another time, it was a bike and spirit killer, it was embarrassing and demoralising to see the other S2's just whizz on by, but I had had enough at that stage.
well I've known a lot of the Cork lads a long time and they are enthusiastic and committed riders..but having talked to some of them about my views.I think they were just given the wrong advice on what we expect from an NPS.
We expect a field to park in and to watch the race from and create an atmosphere in. Every single, experienced XC racer in Ireland expects this. To say its not an essential factor is foolish and shortsighted.
The courses have to reflect what riders get when they go away to race.
We don;t need the NPS to encourage racers in..
I did that last year with my deveiopmental races and Niall did it this year with his Blitzes.
In 2012 I intend to run a series using all the top venues , with a a plan to get an E2 and with Bobs help involve Wales and Scotland in a Celtic League and then eventually get a World Cup.
We can keep limping along just providing races for the NPS or we can aim for the stars..we made a bollox of getting the European Masters here even with my last ditch efforts.
I think everybody has said everything there is too say about today, that wasn't up to par by a long way, your dead right Richie, seems like very little effort put into course, parking, timing and waiting an eternity for the prize giving!! There was sandwiches etc after at least.
Well I know you're all waiting on me to get the party started...so here goes..
No it was definitely not an XC race course.
In fact it was only really suitable for Motorcycle enduro.
It was all doubletrack , a small section of heather single track and more doubletrack and a short steep fireroad.
Loads of punctures.
I wouldn't have called it technical at all, just harsh and hard..
Personally I was disapointed, its a fantastic area and the MBCC made the effort to run a great race, Sign on was flawless.
Parking was unnacceptable though.
Running the track all the way around the outside of a forest is obscene in my eyes.
No Chipit timing but at least no outrageous payonline only crap.
Fantastic location though
Max says we are too polite to say anything really bad in this country or criticise correctly.
I'll do my best..
If this race had been billed as Corks answer to a Beast of the Sputh or come and test yourself against the NAgles..
it would have been superb.
But it was supposed to be NPS two.
When I run an XC NPS, I spend months building singletrack, talking to locals , securing facilities like a Field to start and finish the race.
So do does, MAD with 3 rock
IMBRC with Slade
XMTB with Castlewellan
Banbridge with Tollymore
Team Worc with Kilruddery
Cuchulainn with Bellurgan
This is what is needed , Christ, Tony Kelly and Cuchulainn burst themselves putting hardcore and features into their race 2 weeks ago.
I don;t care whether the track was unsuitable for Carbon bikes or not but I do care that I can't have the craic in the finish area with my Club and other Clubs, I do care when I spend a year preparing for an event by trying to best what the Standard was.
Now people can come on here and have personal digs at me because I represent EPIC or because I am a Dub..
You'll be wasting your time..
I don't give a sh1t..i've ran more events than anybody, more different types of events than anybody been to more races than 99.9% of you .I know what I'm talking about.
The Commission or whoever the fcuks job it is to regulate or set standards for the NPS need to get the finger out , I thought there was a criteria.
Robin Seymour set the standard for XC racing with the K Capital Cup series. How long ago was that ? I wouldn't hand up anything less. Its supposed to be Cross Country Racing, there is a standard.
And if anybody tells me that was real mountainbiking than you have never raced, Djouce, Castlewellan or The Coolies..
That should never have been granted NPS status. Fair play to MBCC for running an event but somebody should have explained to them what was required.
Richie..in case you don't know who I am..disrespect me all you want though, my efforts and achievements, my Clubs ( thats all the Clubs i've been involved in since 1988) speak for themselves.
What a great day for the Epic team - Oz won S2, Llandai won S3 and Rob Deegan won the Under 16s! Caroline and Orla also podiumed!
After that it seems a churlish to complain but really the course wasn't up to the standard we've come to expect in the last couple of years! There was no visible signs of the usual trail building or water draining and with the huge amount of forestry in the area surely a more suitable XC course should have been found!
Personally I had a good day finishing mid field (I think) and most importantly my bike seems to have survived in one piece! The course actually suited me and I think most Epic riders because it was a bit like racing up and down the Boneshaker on 3-Rock!
All in all I enjoyed the day and fair dues to the Cork guys for not showing any animosity given the roasting they were given during the week!
Yeah well done to everybody who raced and well done to Oz and John, Rob, Caroline and Orla that was a long time coming Oz and well deserved.
Your dead right Rich, it suited our riders style and the stuff we ride but you need to revisit that hissy fit you had earlier.
As usual most of you will give out to me about this **** but I'm the one who has to take the flak when i say it out loud.
Well I won't be giving out to you on this one Rich! You are absolutely correct, the course was simply not up to scratch! It wasn't an effort to provide a challanging track but rather the easiest course to make with the least amount of effort!
Well, it was worse than I expected! Much worse....
I was really hoping that it wouldn't be but if you have to race a course that you (and your bike) are lucky to survive it's just ridiculous.
I'd say 30% of riders DNFed....wtf!
It was too long, too boring and too hard for an XC race. As Richie said it would've been great for an endurance type of event or a marathon type stage race.
The start/finish miles away from the parking, no proper timing set-up (were the lap times recorded at all?).
MBCC - you seem like a nice enthusiastic bunch that loves mountain biking and you did a great job with the Marathon Champs last year, but I think you were out of your depth here.
Well done Oscar, John, Caroline, Orla and Rob, great results!
It's a bad situation when you look forward to the climbs much more than the descents...
The lack of effort put into that track was very disappointing
I pulled out of the race because I just couldn't face that warzone of a descent another time, it was a bike and spirit killer, it was embarrassing and demoralising to see the other S2's just whizz on by, but I had had enough at that stage.
well I've known a lot of the Cork lads a long time and they are enthusiastic and committed riders..but having talked to some of them about my views.I think they were just given the wrong advice on what we expect from an NPS.
We expect a field to park in and to watch the race from and create an atmosphere in. Every single, experienced XC racer in Ireland expects this. To say its not an essential factor is foolish and shortsighted.
The courses have to reflect what riders get when they go away to race.
We don;t need the NPS to encourage racers in..
I did that last year with my deveiopmental races and Niall did it this year with his Blitzes.
In 2012 I intend to run a series using all the top venues , with a a plan to get an E2 and with Bobs help involve Wales and Scotland in a Celtic League and then eventually get a World Cup.
We can keep limping along just providing races for the NPS or we can aim for the stars..we made a bollox of getting the European Masters here even with my last ditch efforts.
I think everybody has said everything there is too say about today, that wasn't up to par by a long way, your dead right Richie, seems like very little effort put into course, parking, timing and waiting an eternity for the prize giving!! There was sandwiches etc after at least.
Well I know you're all waiting on me to get the party started...so here goes..
No it was definitely not an XC race course.
In fact it was only really suitable for Motorcycle enduro.
It was all doubletrack , a small section of heather single track and more doubletrack and a short steep fireroad.
Loads of punctures.
I wouldn't have called it technical at all, just harsh and hard..
Personally I was disapointed, its a fantastic area and the MBCC made the effort to run a great race, Sign on was flawless.
Parking was unnacceptable though.
Running the track all the way around the outside of a forest is obscene in my eyes.
No Chipit timing but at least no outrageous payonline only crap.
Fantastic location though
Max says we are too polite to say anything really bad in this country or criticise correctly.
I'll do my best..
If this race had been billed as Corks answer to a Beast of the Sputh or come and test yourself against the NAgles..
it would have been superb.
But it was supposed to be NPS two.
When I run an XC NPS, I spend months building singletrack, talking to locals , securing facilities like a Field to start and finish the race.
So do does, MAD with 3 rock
IMBRC with Slade
XMTB with Castlewellan
Banbridge with Tollymore
Team Worc with Kilruddery
Cuchulainn with Bellurgan
This is what is needed , Christ, Tony Kelly and Cuchulainn burst themselves putting hardcore and features into their race 2 weeks ago.
I don;t care whether the track was unsuitable for Carbon bikes or not but I do care that I can't have the craic in the finish area with my Club and other Clubs, I do care when I spend a year preparing for an event by trying to best what the Standard was.
Now people can come on here and have personal digs at me because I represent EPIC or because I am a Dub..
You'll be wasting your time..
I don't give a sh1t..i've ran more events than anybody, more different types of events than anybody been to more races than 99.9% of you .I know what I'm talking about.
The Commission or whoever the fcuks job it is to regulate or set standards for the NPS need to get the finger out , I thought there was a criteria.
Robin Seymour set the standard for XC racing with the K Capital Cup series. How long ago was that ? I wouldn't hand up anything less. Its supposed to be Cross Country Racing, there is a standard.
And if anybody tells me that was real mountainbiking than you have never raced, Djouce, Castlewellan or The Coolies..
That should never have been granted NPS status. Fair play to MBCC for running an event but somebody should have explained to them what was required.
Richie..in case you don't know who I am..disrespect me all you want though, my efforts and achievements, my Clubs ( thats all the Clubs i've been involved in since 1988) speak for themselves.
What a great day for the Epic team - Oz won S2, Llandai won S3 and Rob Deegan won the Under 16s! Caroline and Orla also podiumed!
After that it seems a churlish to complain but really the course wasn't up to the standard we've come to expect in the last couple of years! There was no visible signs of the usual trail building or water draining and with the huge amount of forestry in the area surely a more suitable XC course should have been found!
Personally I had a good day finishing mid field (I think) and most importantly my bike seems to have survived in one piece! The course actually suited me and I think most Epic riders because it was a bit like racing up and down the Boneshaker on 3-Rock!
All in all I enjoyed the day and fair dues to the Cork guys for not showing any animosity given the roasting they were given during the week!
Yeah well done to everybody who raced and well done to Oz and John, Rob, Caroline and Orla that was a long time coming Oz and well deserved.
Your dead right Rich, it suited our riders style and the stuff we ride but you need to revisit that hissy fit you had earlier.
As usual most of you will give out to me about this **** but I'm the one who has to take the flak when i say it out loud.
Well I won't be giving out to you on this one Rich! You are absolutely correct, the course was simply not up to scratch! It wasn't an effort to provide a challanging track but rather the easiest course to make with the least amount of effort!
Well, it was worse than I expected! Much worse....
I was really hoping that it wouldn't be but if you have to race a course that you (and your bike) are lucky to survive it's just ridiculous.
I'd say 30% of riders DNFed....wtf!
It was too long, too boring and too hard for an XC race. As Richie said it would've been great for an endurance type of event or a marathon type stage race.
The start/finish miles away from the parking, no proper timing set-up (were the lap times recorded at all?).
MBCC - you seem like a nice enthusiastic bunch that loves mountain biking and you did a great job with the Marathon Champs last year, but I think you were out of your depth here.
Well done Oscar, John, Caroline, Orla and Rob, great results!
It's a bad situation when you look forward to the climbs much more than the descents...
The lack of effort put into that track was very disappointing
I pulled out of the race because I just couldn't face that warzone of a descent another time, it was a bike and spirit killer, it was embarrassing and demoralising to see the other S2's just whizz on by, but I had had enough at that stage.
well I've known a lot of the Cork lads a long time and they are enthusiastic and committed riders..but having talked to some of them about my views.I think they were just given the wrong advice on what we expect from an NPS.
We expect a field to park in and to watch the race from and create an atmosphere in. Every single, experienced XC racer in Ireland expects this. To say its not an essential factor is foolish and shortsighted.
The courses have to reflect what riders get when they go away to race.
We don;t need the NPS to encourage racers in..
I did that last year with my deveiopmental races and Niall did it this year with his Blitzes.
In 2012 I intend to run a series using all the top venues , with a a plan to get an E2 and with Bobs help involve Wales and Scotland in a Celtic League and then eventually get a World Cup.
We can keep limping along just providing races for the NPS or we can aim for the stars..we made a bollox of getting the European Masters here even with my last ditch efforts.
I think everybody has said everything there is too say about today, that wasn't up to par by a long way, your dead right Richie, seems like very little effort put into course, parking, timing and waiting an eternity for the prize giving!! There was sandwiches etc after at least.