The EPIC XC league is over for 2008

Well Tim is the Mens champion for 2008
a well earned and deserved Club Champion and our first overseas Champ..
When Tim first came to us as a man mountain, he was a shy retiring, reflective yet very tall person and never changed..
I don't know how long it took but he became a member of my gang very quickly, that was probably the beginning of The legend of Tim..he was obviously mad enough to hang out with us, knowing our wild ways and terminal slagging..
But he did and hes now The EPICmtb Club league Champion 2008
it was very close at the top between himself Oscar, Roo, BON and Alfie...old boys Paul Keogh and John O'Reilly could have been contenders too..but there was obviously something better happening in the bray home for the bewildered ( and old)
Damian Mulchrone once again hid his savageness away and Dark Horse McInerney abused others rather than put his bike under stress..
The Ladies Champion is CaroL, with her main rival Sylvia out of the picture ( who still came in in the top ten overall) Claimed the 2008 Champs for the ladies with Leeza kane in 3rd place.
I don't know how many people entered more than 100
But we have to thank our friends from other Clubs, some of the best XC mountainbikers in the Country raced our league every week.
James mcCluskey, Ryan Sherlock and Mel Spath..and don't forget the night the Legend of Irish Mountainbiking Robin Seymour came and won .
And Squeak..don't forget Squeak he came to us late but he could have broken the lap record..we missed Alan Clogher and the Nomad boys..what happened to porridge..
but with out Fergal, Cait,Oisin and Cornelius, Paul and Gar from MAD and IMBRC, the races wouldn't have been the same.
And Don't forget Joey Mccall, if anybody really loves mountainbiking more than Joe, I'd be surprised..
I was more than impressed with Al and Mark and Adam and Cummins the Media Ho' ,well up on till the megaavalanche, and then they gave up..I can only imagine the thoughts of them..still, they added hugely to the series in a big way..
Pity the self styled king of The Goobers Don, couldn't keep going, he was a beacon of greatness to the less Spartan among us..

Pity about the weather..we were up against that every bleedin week. I thought I was going to explode with stress every week.
When you see the club league standings.
Its the same people nearly as last year and the year before.
and the year before.
I have never had a bad thursday night since we started these races. the party in the Pub afterwards..jeesus some craic..i swear to God, with roo the ringmaster on a Thursday Night in Palmers, I really think a better way to spend an evening hasn't been invented.
Before i go, a big thank you to everybody who came and cheered us on, and to the members who came from miles away like Mick O'Reilly, and the all the timekeepers ..and to everybody who had a go and had the craic, because that what the Club league is all about, just having the craic, slagging and messing and getting better.
if you couldn't make it, you missed something special,
and until next year, when we can't wait to get going again and hopefully we'll get more people giving it socks.
But people, two ladies came in the top ten..which is easily what i'm proudest of..
next year before the main race, i'm going to run a Junior race, for the kiddies..
well done everybody and thanks
Richie Byrne
Club President

Well done Tim, a splendid achievement, you put all those slagging paddies in their place. Carol, what can I say, you should be very proud. To all the timekeepers and to the big man himself for putting it all together and giving us all a kick up the arse, the only time he wasn't there was when he was harassing Micky and Pluto.

You are all legends.

it always made my Thursday - the weather never really mattered once you get going,
the track was always a challenge- when it was sliddery it was the most fun
seeing steam and smoke coming off people and their bikes after the many killer sprint finishes was a sure sign everyone was getting rightly stuck in, but always enjoying themselves.
Seeing Sylvia trounce Karl Thomas at the sprint finish one eveninig was a good memory, everyone roaring for her, seeing Roo perform outrageous swerving techniques to block any and all opponents was another, I saw some great flips over the bars too...on the flat and the climbs...oddballs...

Big thanks to EPIC for making the MADsers & other clubs always welcome, I tried my best to encourage other MAD heads to come along, but they just don't know what they missed, great training but a great social aspect too, I don't think I ever met a goober for the whole series, but instead got to know a great bunch of people who are as skilled at winding down as they bating through forests at full tilt

thanks especially to the timekeepers and cheerers-on
nice one lads and ladies,

roll-on Sunday - KERRRR---BOOOMMM!!!!!

Well done Tim & Carol. The Byrne household eventually won a championship....
Looks like the series was a good un. have to make next year..
Again, EPIC provides for the masses. well done Richie and his apostles...

Well done to Carol and Tim, big thanks for all the organisation and timekeeping, compiling of results etc. Sorry I didn't make more of them this year. Great evening to finish up with, great weather and great racing, thanks again to all involved

thanks to everyone involved in the races, they were a great thing to look forward to every week - the best training possible and all you're doing is going out having great fun! the course is one of the best race courses i've ridden all year - fun in any weather (good job!). thursday nights wont be the same at all now!
well done to all the winners too

Well done Carol and Tim! I had a deadly laugh racing and timing, and even when it was crap weather it was always worth doing. Thanks to all the other racers and timers who would shout at me to keep going, and to the powers that be for organising this.

Yip that was a great league, fair play to ya Tim ya big bleedin savage. A great success and a big credit to all who took part, especially to the folk who turned up in the rain.

great course I just regret not not coming earlier in the season now that's good news about a kids race I have a 10 and 11 year old that will love that fair play lads

Thursdays evenings just won't be the same now. Thanks to all the time keepers and everyone who made the races what they were. They were great fun.

Yeah really enjoyed the club league this year, especially towards the end when I really got into race each week. I never minded not being close to the fast lads, just wanted to improve each week and get faster laps times. It is one of the best ways to get fitter and better on the bike, even after a few weeks of racing you can see the difference. So anyone who feels unfit for the weekend spin, make every effort to get out for the league next year.

Anyway thanks for all the timers and vocal support during the laps and well done Tim and Carol for the overall wins. Deadly :)

Really enjoyed the races I got to. Always guaranteed a wheel to wheel hour with a savage sprint at the end. The after parties in Palmers were always a great laugh. Thanks a million Epic. You always make Thursdays savage...