The UCI Cyclocross World Cup course in Dublin will be much more challenging after a number of changes - detailed below - have been made and some new additions also included.
Aside from those changes to make the course harder, the sand section and the pits have also been relocated, and a new difficulty added just before the finish. It all means the course from last year and 2022 has undergone significant reworking.
However, though the course has been made more compact with a view to making it more spectator-friendly, the second half of the circuit, which is hillier, has been left almost unchanged on the Sport Ireland Campus in west Dublin.
That will come as good news to fans, as that section was very popular with spectators, who will also enjoy an enhanced offering this year with food and drink and a new zone where commercial partners will sell goods.
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This year the planks have been placed uphill, which Cycling Ireland and Sport Ireland said would "significantly increase the challenge for the riders".
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There will also be various obstacles cluttered on the section of the course close to the fan zone. The riders will also negotiate a new feature - "the waddy" - just before the finish each lap. That is a big dip, near the FAI centre, that the course skirted around over the last couple of years.
There will also be a longer straight after the start area, towards the first corner in the field. The course now goes out more into the cross-country field, which did not feature much last year or in 2022.
Cycling Ireland confirmed there will be new "food and drinks offerings under the public marquee, a big screen and a new partner zone".
The action kicks off with the domestic amateur races on Saturday, November 30th, and they cater for youth riders all the way up to masters. You can find details of Saturday's timetable of events by following this link.
The World Cup programme - the UCI-ranked races - on Sunday begin with the men’s Under 19, followed by the women’s Under 19 and the men’s under 23. The feature races of the day will be the women’s elite, starting at 1:10pm, and the men’s elite, starting at 2:40pm.
The racing on Saturday is free to attend - no cover charge - and you can get your tickets for Sunday by following this link.
