Just so everyone is up to speed on how things run concerning National Titles, here is the way it works.
There is a national Championship for the following categories only:

• Under 12
• Under 14
• Under 16
• Junior
• Under 23
• Elite
• Master
• Vet
• Ladies (We can have junior ladies, if sufficient numbers allow).

There will be races for all the other categories, but no national titles.

To be eligible in any of these national titles you have to have a UCI Licence with an IRL code.
Non Irish licence holders and day licence holders can enter but won’t be in the running for an Irish National Title.

Furthermore you have to have a minimum of five eligible riders in any category for a full set of medals to be awarded.
If there are four, there is just Gold and Silver and if there are only three then just gold.
Less than three and its not an official National Champs category.

Under 12, Under 14 & Under 16 get their medals on the day.

The rest get presented with a medal for the podium, but have to give it back and get their proper medal at a National Championships Awards Dinner later on in the year.
I understand there will also be National Championship Jerseys for the winners of each category.
If you win a National Championship you are supposed to wear the jersey for the year in the discipline you won it.

Top 10 Elites get UCI points.
If any of you are wishing to go to the Masters Worlds it is very important that you don’t get UCI points as an Elite.
So you can’t ride Elite for the Nationals and then hope to go to the Masters Worlds.

If anyone has any questions on any of this please feel free to mail: seanherlihy38@googlemail.com, or call (0879854445).
Any questions regarding the event itself should be directed to Martin Grimley at martin@dromaracc.co.uk.

Online sign-on is now open for the 2009 XC National Championships.

Click HERE to be brought to the registration page.

Pre-entry will close on Friday 17 July 2009 at 8 pm after which you can enter on the day.

Red Tag Timing will be providing a ’chip’ timing service for the event.
Riders will be issued with a timing chip along with their race number. Race results will include lap times for every rider and will be posted on the club website. Riders who provide a mobile phone number will also receive a text message following the event to confirm their finish position and time.
Please note that a your Cycling Ireland licence card or a £5 deposit is required to get your tag.  This will be returned/refunded when you hand your timing chip back at the end of the race.

The Irish Mountain bike Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Dromara Cycling Club at Dunmore Mountain near Spa, Ballynahinch on Saturday 18 July 2009.

This is the first year that Dromara CC have proudly held these prestigious championships but it is the third time that the club have used the Dunmore course. Special thanks to the landowner, Mr Wightman, for continuing to support this sport by allowing this race to take place.
The course will be very similar to the one used in the Ulster Championships in September 2008 .

Red Tag Timing will be used in conjunction with the laptop timing system provided by the Offroad Commission in order to ensure results are recorded accurately and lap times included.

The senior course is approximately 3 miles and winds its way up and over both peaks of Dunmore mountain. From the top of the mountain there are magnificent views of much of County Down and as far as the Isle of Man.
The club are proud to have Belfast cycle shop, Bikedock, as their main sponsor for the event.

More details about the race are on the Dromara website HERE.

Dromara CC are now testing and finalising their own online sign-on system which will be up and running by Saturday 12th July. The online sign-on will be available on the Dromara website.

Please note that this site is private land and as such will not be available for use before or after the event day.