July 09: Welsh Championships 2009 - Course Info

On July the 4th the Dragon XC series and Welsh XC championship’s come to Pontypool park for the first time since the 90’s for an epic battle on this tough and demanding circuit designed by welsh racer and local boy Anthony O Boyle.

The venue is a classic up and down course with a killer climb pretty much straight out of the arena, this course is one where you will need your granny ring and big block on the back as you gain about 200m in the first 3kms of the course.

Eligibility for the title of Welsh Champion - Welsh born, parentage, residency or racing for a Welsh club/team for 3 years or more.

Course will be open for practice from 10am on Saturday. Registration will be open from 9am and will close at 1:30pm.

Presentations

Race 1 Presentation at 12:00pm
Race 2 Presentation at 2:15pm
Race 3 Presentation at 4:30pm

Directions...

Trosnant Street, Pontypool

Post Code for Sat Nav - NP4 8AT

Facilities...

There will be hot showers on site at the Rugby Club and warm food in the leisure centre, Timelaps will be doing the timing and Cyclapaedia Cardiff will be supplying spares for the race day.

Also make it a full weekend of riding by doing the Merida at Llantrwyd Wells on the Sunday.

Course Info...

The course is approximately 3.5 miles long with 200m of climbing per lap. The climbing will be on steep narrow track, some is grassed over so if there is any rain around it will be a slick climb and favour the smooth pedaller and a grippy rear tyre. At the moment the course is bone dry.

We are anticipating a 14-16 min fatest lap and the Juniors will be doing 5 or 6 laps depending on the Juvenile lap times and Seniors up to 8 laps again depending on the lap times from the Juvenile race.

The course starts at the rugby club before an arena loop and a narrow short steep climb, fire road for about 200m before a steep left hand turn and on to the first real climb, a very steep one for about 70-80m before turning onto an easier climb upto the grotto. However the last 30m is very very steep on grass before a fast descent turning towards a gully where you will climb up and get to see the riders (coming down the other direction) for the last 500-700m of the climb, again this is steep and open!

You then turn onto the first of the technical descents, steep and fast with jumps and burms (mini DH track) before coming across the ridgeway where you can see the riders climbing up as you race towards the ski run!!

you turn into a little copse with an off camber root section before dropping down towards a man made berm taking you away from a tree at high speed running to a fast drop across a road and then tight turn up a climb to the last descent and technical section.

This is very natural and rooty before turning into a loose and fast section along the stream and flying out into the feed zone where you will have the final little challenge, a stream crossing steep in and out and rocky in the middle before the sprint to the line.

The course in pictures...