Upperchurch Drombane will be a hive of activity this weekend as the local cycling club plays host to rounds of two prestigious championships.
Saturday will see the second round of the national cyclocross series while on Sunday it’s Round 7 of the Munster cyclocross league.
The main races will be around 40 or 50 minutes each with a number of underage events as well.
Racing starts at around 9am on both Saturday and Sunday with a very spectator friendly event with all of the 2 kilometre course visible.
Upperchurch Drombane CC chairman Michael Cahill says a lot of hard work gone into preparing the course for what is effectively a combination of cycling and cross country running.
“We’ve had a great team of helpers from the club there over the last few weekends getting the course ready. Barriering off sections of the course, marking it out, cutting back hedges and that so it’s been a busy few weeks in the lead up to it. Final preparations taking place now just before the action starts at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning.”
Michael Cahill says the recent rain will make for very challenging conditions for the riders.
“It will be tricky but its all part of cyclocross and you have to deal with all sorts of conditions so its all part of the challenge.
“Riders will spend the majority of time on the bike but there will be obstacles, hurdles, off camber sections of the course that they won’t be able to cycle so they’ll be off the bike and you’ll see them carrying the bikes on their shoulders.
Parking is available at the Upperchurch Drombane GAA grounds with the course in an adjacent field.
