About
The first West Cork Bike Festival will feature something for everyone from families to Down Hill Mountain Bike Racers.
The main organisers are Richard Thornhill of 02Racing & Southern Xtreme & Matt Mills of The Sheep’s Head Way Cycle Route & Sustain West Cork.
Richard from Skibbereen, has been organising successful National Down Hill Championship Events at Clashnacrona Woods for years and races himself. Matt whose home is on Sheep’s Head is a former pro-elite level XC Mountainbike racer and organised one of the first Mountain Bike Race Series in the UK.
They are united in a common cause to promote West Cork as a destination for Mountain Bikers and are very keen to see the creation of a West Cork Mountain Bike Centre. They feel this event will go a long way to show case what the area has to offer to all types of Cyclists but particularly Mountain Bikers.
The Saturday event The Red Bull Dirt X Challenge is a new concept for Ireland, the aim is to create a Mountain Bike event where Cross Country & Down Hill riders can race against each other on a mixture of trails including specialist Up Hill Single Track & Down Hill Race courses. The riders will be timed over sections with the winner being the rider with the fastest time. So if you’re a Cross Country Rider who thinks you‘re pretty fast on the Down Hills or a Down Hill Racer who thinks you‘re fit & skilled enough for the technical climbs come and find out how good you really are.
The event will take place at Clashnacrona Woods near Dunmanway town in scenic West Cork. After the competition come and have a drink with us and party with the Festival Dj‘s . There will also be good food, camping & showers available on site or close by.
On the Sunday we have the Sheep‘s Head Raid. This event will start and finish in the Historic Harbour Town of Bantry where we are planning a BMX Demo along with a number of stalls to bring you a taste of West Cork‘s wonderful food.
For the competitive amongst you The Sheep‘s Head Raid will be a Marathon event on a mixture of off road & road surfaces the route will head West along the beautiful & rugged Sheep‘s Head Peninsula with Bantry & Dunmanus Bay‘s on either side. The full route will cross the Peninsula‘s hilly ridge 3 times before heading back East into Forestry and then back into the finish in Bantry Town.
For the non competitive the second half of the route passes through Sheep‘s Heads 3 villages of Killcrohane, Ahakista & Durrus giving you a choice of finishing options / route lengths. After the event you can eat a well deserved meal in Bantry and perhaps enjoy a drink in the many fine pubs & hotels in the town.
We will be offering early booking discounts and accommodation packages. Massage & Photography will be available on the weekend.
Call Matt on 087 7990607 or Richard on 087 9785178
Email info@westcorkbikefest.ie or matt@westcorkbikefest.ie
Further info on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula www.thesheepsheadway.ie