Ding ding, Seconds out - Round 2!!

Last weekend saw the second Biking Blitz of 2013 visit the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails for the Limerick Blitz.

As has been mentioned previously, the series is aimed at the novice or first time competitor but there's something in the pot for everyone. This was certainly the case here, for where else could you have an event that caters for all ages (from under 8s to "super veterans" 50s and over.) and all experience levels (from complete novices to seasoned and elite racers - I spied at least one multi-discipline national champion on the course!)

This was my first visit to Ballyhoura and all the great things I'd heard about the place proved to be right on the money. The location is excellent, within easy reach of the M8 motorway for those looking to travel from anywhere in the country. The facilities are fantastic, with toilets, showers, bike hire and servicing and a bikewash all on site. And the sections of trails from the experience I was limited to on this visit are top notch!

My experience was limited on this occasion basically due to the nature of the course and the availability of a longer track for the Super Pro category. Normally, these guys have a second lap of the course that the Baggy Shorts competitors run, but because of the stacked loop layout at Ballyhoura, both categories split with the Pros completing the 35km white loop course and the baggies completing the 17km brown loop course.

This posed a bit of a logistical challenge for me to photograph the competition as my wife who shares the shooting duties normally wasn't available to travel and usually we like to get a couple of shots from different locations. Because all the riders would for the most part always be travelling away from me and human powered bike was the only mode of transport available, I opted to pick a couple of spots on the outward and return singletrack sections that were linked by fireroad that I could reasonably cycle between and hopefully catch the riders in action albeit having to miss the start and finish of the race.

After an initial recce, I had a couple of good spots in mind and after a visit to the race village to collect the cameras and a quick refuel at the last lap cafe, I set off up the hill with plenty of time to spare to lug me and 10 odd kilos of camera kit to my first location when ping! Disaster! My chain's snapped! Luckily I hadn't travelled far up the road and a swift visit back to the trailriders service facility and one insert of a powerlink later my trusty BSO, camera kit and I were powering up the hill again to set up shop overlooking the valley and start snapping.

I hadn't long to wait when the first of the superpros came over the top of the hill  looking like they were on motorbikes, followed by the juniors and the baggy shorts with a couple of non competing trail users out for a spin just for good measure. What must they have thought when approached from behind by 300 odd racers is anybody's guess!

After about 30 minutes nearly all of the field had passed me and I set off back down the hill and set up in my second location and again I didn't have long to wait until first the baggy shorts boys and girls were coming past me thick and fast, interspersed then with a super pro or two as the two categories rejoined for the last leg of singletrack back to the finish. I joined in the fun myself for that last section as I was mindful of being back at the race village for the podium presentations and took up with another rider for a bit of a blast for a kilometer or two of windy, swoopy trails back to the finish line.

I had a great day just taking pictures and having a couple of mini blasts on the bike but what fun the guys and girls must've had racing!

Results in brief:

Super Pro Male

1.  Steven Franzoni
2. Robert Scanlon
3. Mark McGauley

Super Pro Female

1. Claire Breslin
2. Michelle Muldoon
3. Orla O'Regan

Baggy Shorts Male

1. Seamus O'Neill
2. Ben Philip
3. Andrew McCabe

Baggy Shorts Female

1. Emily Birchall
2. Leah Maunsell
3. Eidin Cleary

Click for links to full results and our facebook gallery.

Once again, credit is due to biking.ie for putting on another great event and to all and everyone who took part. We're looking forward to another great show in Derroura on the 3rd of March for the Galway Blitz

Record breaking season opener at R1 - Ballinastoe

Mountain biking continues to grow from strength to strength in Ireland and this was nowhere more evident than on Sunday the 3rd of February last when a record breaking 412 competitors descended on the Coillte trails at Ballinastoe to contest the 2013 season opener, Round 1 of the Biking Blitz.

The Blitz is a cross country mountain bike race league, primarily aimed at beginners to the sport but with a "super pro" category for seasoned racers or those who think that an hour or so of mud, sweat and tears in the mountains and forests isn't good enough value and want another lap! There's also something for the kids with categories for Youth U8s, U10s, U12s, U14s & U16s and Juniors with shorter tracks based on the age categories.

The races are organised by Biking.ie and are run on the Coillte designated trails at Ballinastoe, Ballyhoura, Derroura and Ticknock which means that the trails should be rideable no matter what the weather throws at us.

The weather was a little gloomy as it happened on Sunday but the rain held off and everyone had a great race and day out as is now to be expected, in no little part to the exceptional organisational skills of Niall Davis and the biking.ie guys and gals.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post there were 412 souls entered which is a record number for a cycling event in Ireland, so hopefully a good indicator of the direction mountainbiking is headed in!

Link to RESULTS and some PHOTOGRAPHS

The series heads to Limerick and the Ballyhoura mountains for Round 2 and hopefully another strong entry.