The Cross-country National Series (Cross-country Mountain Bike National Point Series) continues this weekend as the second round takes place in Fermoy, Co. Cork, on Sunday, May 21st.

After a thrilling opening round at the Leadmines in Co. Dublin, the series heads down south to Munster in what will be another challenging course for riders.

Hosted by Fermoy Cycling Club, the Glensheskin Wood course is suitable for riders of all levels and includes wide open sections and the more challenging singular tracks.

At 4.4km per race lap, the course takes in roughly 120 meters in elevation for every lap.

For those new to the discipline, senior categories S3 for women and S4 for men are raced at a level suitable for beginners.

A range of youth races are also held as part of the National Series while an under-6s fun race ensures there's something for all the family.


Here’s everything you need to know ahead of round two:

Round One Recap

Robin Seymour and Caoimhe May took victories in the Senior 1 races in the opening round of the Cross-Country National Series on Sunday, May 7th.

Round One of the series proved a great occasion for spectators and riders with settled weather conditions at the Leadmines for racing.

Hosted by Epic MTB in a favoured Dublin mountain biking spot, the first of five rounds of action saw national champion May and M50 national champion Seymour finish clear of the field in the Senior 1 races.

John Doris won the Senior Men’s 2 race with over a minute to spare while Ryan Dunne was the strongest in the Senior Men’s 3 race. Tara Brennan took home the Senior Women’s 2 category while Donagh O’Connor was the sole Junior Men’s rider.

Course Location & Sign On

Course – Glensheskin Wood, Kilworth, Co Cork.

Sign on - Sign on will take place at the race village. Signage will be in place to direct riders to the race village and sign on area. Sign on opens at 9 am and riders must collect their numbers at least 15 minutes before their race.

Race Timetable

09:00 – Sign on opens
10:00 – Under 6s fun race
10:15 – Under 8s
10:30 – Under 10s
10:50 – Under 12s
11:15 – Prize giving for U8s, U10s and U12s
12:00 – Under 16s, Senior 4 men, Senior 2 women, Senior 3 women, Under 14s
13:30 – Prize giving for U14s, U16s, S2 women, S3 women and S4 men
14:00 – Senior 1 men, Juniors, Senior 1 women, Senior 2 men, Senior 3 men
15:45 – Prize giving for S1, S2 and S3 men, Juniors and S1 women

Practice Times

Saturday, May 20th – 2-4pm
Sunday, May 21st – 9am to 11.45am & 1.15pm to 1.45pm.

Quotes Corner

Fermoy Cycling Club said:

"Fermoy CC are delighted to get this opportunity to hold round two of the Irish Cross-country Mountainbike National Points Series in Kilworth woods. One of the first XC races in the country was held in these woods in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, and it’s great to see this form of cycling back in this area after a long absence. We would like to thank Coillte and the Cycling Ireland Off Road commission for this opportunity also. We have laid on a 4.5kms circuit with some tough punchy climbs and enough technical features to test the best MTB riders in the country."

"As a club, we initially embraced the idea of holding a Cross-country race to complement the Cyclo-cross races we already host as we believe this is a great path for youth riders to develop the necessary skills at a young age that are required as they progress through the age groups in the various cycling disciplines. We have arranged camping locally in Kilworth and we also have great location for our car park close to the event village, so we look forward to welcoming competitors from all over the country to Kilworth for the weekend and hopefully everyone enjoys our event and there stay here."

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