We're heading to Killaloe in April 2012 for another weekend of outdoors, forest, mountains and bikes. The Mountain Bike Challenge - Lough Derg 2012 will take place over Saturday and Sunday 21st and 22nd of April 2011 and is your chance to explore and enjoy some of the finest off-road trails around Lough Derg in Co. Clare. With kind permission from Coillte and several land owners, The East Clare Way and Lough Derg Ways, you will have access to some of the country's most stunning views and ride through areas and tracks that are not generally available to Mountain Biking.

Event Info This four stage event will take place on Saturday and Sunday the 21st and 22nd of April 2012, with two stages taking place on each day. The event is open to everyone regardless of ability. You can compete to win or just join the event for a fun day out on the trails. The courses have been laid out to make the event challenging but also thoroughly enjoyable. The event will be won on the shortest cumulative time over the four stages. For casual riders the pace will be easier, the only mission being to finish the event. The course provides plenty of climbing, fast descents and spectacular views of Lough Derg and the surrounding area - for those who have the time to look! So dust off your mountain bike or sharpen up on your racing skills and come and join us on this fantastic route in a spectacular part of the country.

DAY ONE - SATURDAY 21ST APRIL Event HQ will be in a central location in Killaloe village for Day 1. Following registration, the action will begin. Stage 1: The East Clare Way stage will start from race HQ in Killaloe village with a rolling start behind a lead car. There will be a neutralised zone of approximately 2km. Riders will head up the East Clare Way to the environs of Slieve Bearnagh on forest roads, old green roads and forest tracks. This is a testing climb before a forest road descent that heads north. Another climb leads you back south before a technical descent back towards the finish. There's a short cruise home of roughly 2km.

Stage 2: After some food and a bit of rest time, riders will be lead out of Killaloe again by a lead car and will ride together at an easy pace in a neutralised zone of approximately 1km to the start of the course. As the climb gets difficult, the start flag will drop and the timing will begin. The race will follow the Lough Derg Way to the peak at Tountinna (460m) in the Arra Mountains which is surrounded by breathtaking views. The surface varies from gravel tracks to forest roads and some sticky bog tracks. Look forward to the 400m descent on the North side of the peak on gravel tracks, gravel road, some tricky single track and some fast bitumen to the beach and our stage finish point. Riders will then cruise in company back to Event HQ in Killaloe giving the opportunity to chat and take in the spectacular lake scenery.

DAY TWO - SUNDAY 22ND APRIL Event HQ for Day 2 and the race village will be set up in Ballycuggarran Forest located just North of Killaloe. Stage 3: The start/finish will be located close to Race HQ. The testing climb starts on forest roads, with some shorter track sections in places. Again this is a spectacular location with stunning views over Lough Derg. You will start a loop once you have ascended to about 300m bringing you East initially on sweeping fast forest sections descending over 150m. You regain all that height again but will then be rewarded with 7km of descending back to the race village over some really fast sections of forest road and tracks. Stage 3 will conclude back at the start/finish area.

Stage 4: On concluding Stage 3, riders will be given their starting time for Stage 4, the time trial. This is a paired time trial, meaning that each rider will be paired with another. Riders are working against the clock but also against the other rider. Riders will be paired with the person with the nearest time to them. Based on the times of the morning stage, the fastest riders will set out first followed by the rest at intervals of 30 seconds. This 6km stage is much shorter than previous stages but will be more technical using sections of the National Points Series course. The track includes rock gardens, mesh, board walk and substantial sections of benchcut singletrack. The stage starts and finishes at race HQ.Stage 4: On concluding Stage 3, riders will be given their starting time for Stage 4, the time trial. This is a paired time trial, meaning that each rider will be paired with another. Riders are working against the clock but also against the other rider. Riders will be paired with the person with the nearest time to them. Based on the times of the morning stage, the fastest riders will set out first followed by the rest at intervals of 30 seconds. This 6km stage is much shorter than previous stages but will be more technical using sections of the National Points Series course. The track includes rock gardens, mesh, board walk and substantial sections of benchcut singletrack. The stage starts and finishes at race HQ.

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