Mountain Bike Challenge Lough Derg set for April 2012
Image 1 of 2
Nic Smith races to victory in Ireland(Image credit: Chris Deakin / Dolmen Sports)
A racer in the Mountain Bike Challenge Lough Derg in Ireland(Image credit: Chris Deakin / Dolmen Sports)
The picturesque village of Killaloe/Ballina, based on the shores of the river Shannon in the West of Ireland will again play host to the Mountain Bike Challenge Lough Derg, Ireland's mountain bike stage race on April 21-22, 2012. The event will take place over two days and will incorporate four stages, giving a total of over 80km of racing.
The 2012 Mountain Bike Challenge will be the second year of the event and after a successful first race in 2011, the organisers expect the entries to sell out.
"We had a great weekend in Killaloe last year with a variety of riders from novices right through to very competitive international entries," said Andrew Deakin from the organizing company Dolmen Sports. "The feedback we got was superb, everyone seemed to really enjoy the format and the atmosphere was just great all weekend. We are really looking forward to this one again in 2012."
With riders from as far afield as the United States and Denmark, the 2011 race had a very competitive edge at the front end with Nic Smith from the United Kingdom taking the overall win in the male category and Lone Sand from Denmark taking the female category.
The stage distances ensure fast times for the leading pack, but are also manageable for novices. The event served as a first-ever race for many last year.
The setting for the race is Lough Derg with scenery taking in the mountains on the East and West sides of the lake.
