Ballinastoe/ Sorrento

[Ben]

Sounds pretty much like the lower parts of the old race course mixed with the top sections of the new trail.  Is the fireroad climb near the house the really steep one which passes there gate?  I thought they weren't allowed to use the new trail for racing?

  When I was up there last week Coillte had blocked the two top singletrack sections with logs.  They had nearly finished with one section, then stopped and gone to the other leaving mayhem behind them.  To be fair, they had used a log bridge over the trail to protect it from the machinery.  Can't see them being finished for Sunday on previous form.  The first week of felling they closed the top section of trail because they stopped work with one tree left over the trail on friday night.  Sounds like a barrel of laughs for Sorrento to deal with.

Oh and 40 mins a lap is madness even for elites

[tadhg]

thanks 4 the directions gar

[michaelc]

Is anyone going up on Saturday morning to pre it?

[Gar]

Yeah - i doubt i will be marked out but well do our best from daves description


meet at the shop at 10am

[KornDuffy]

See you there, are you planing to cycle from the Shop?

[Gar]

steady on there Chris Eatough

We can load up on jelly beans and drive out

[tadhg]

will i be able to get a lift

[Gar]

you will....

Looks like poxy weather...

[tadhg]

ok cool
c u all at the shop on saturday mornin

[tadhg]

dose anyone know what time the junior race starts at on the sunday

[Dave]

Same time as always...They are standard times, unless a club decides to go left filed on it. 1:30pm give or take a few mins as the elites will go first.

[tadhg]

ok cool
thanks c u all on saturday and sunady
 

[Paul]

One of the lads on MAD posted this info about the course.. Apparently it was being marked out from 3pm today... Guess we were just too early... Looks like a 20min elite lap.

the summary is:
6km lap, not sure how many for each category though
all the climbs are fireroads, 90% of the climbs are on the first half of the course.
the latter half is across and down via 3 of the man made sections (literally impossible to pass, or let someone pass) They do have small fireroad sections between these 3 man made trails though

lots of small puddles sections, so glasses are a must, there not the sort of trails you can close one eye on, I'll be picking shtuff outa me eyes all night.

there's no real mud on the course, a tiny bit on one of the decents, just spots though.

the man made trails are tricky when you're trying to get speed, and it doesn't seem much faster, the difference between pushing it on them and takeing it handier and pumping into the dips and rises.
All the pedalling is wasted braking into the corners (which can be too tight not to).

its all markedout now, tape and yellow spray

there's no real new stuff, just 2 small sections near the carpark. No bomb hole, you actually join that trail a bit higher and climb it instead of decending.

its enjoyable overall, if you like fireraod climbs you're laughin

[Ben]

Nice one Paul, thanks.  Sounds interesting, no bomb hole!?!  See ya all in the morning.

[Ben]

Apparantly this is what we will be riding lap wise.

6 Elites
4 Masters/Expert
3 Vets
2 Sports