Bluegrass Enduro Tour Dublin.

This is a bit late but here goes. Saturday brought the Bluegrass Enduro Tour to Ireland and with it the first ever multi venue race in Ireland while racing Blind. Saturday saw the women take on the 3 venues (Ticknock, Ballinastoe and Djouce) and 6 stages. There was some great racing in the women's category with Michelle Muldoon taking the win for the Irish. The men's race was the following day.

Sunday 

Sunday saw an early start from Powerscourt waterfall to get a bus to Ticknock. There were 2 stages, one very technical and the other a fast trail centre stage. First up was the technical one.

Ticknock Stage 1

Stage 1 started out on the fast flowy new trail centre section on Ticknock before turning of onto a much more technical, natural trail. This section was in the Gravity Enduro back in May so I knew this section quite well so I got through it at a decent speed. After 2 massive compressions onto the fireroad crossing it was into the steepest part of the stage but everything went wrong pretty much straight away. As I turned in to take a tight line beside the tree to have a straighter exit line I caught my front wheel on a stump and that was that. Straight out over the front and onto the deck. I got back up as quick as I could and got back on the bike. The rest of the stage was completely singletrack with a long pedaly bit at the end. I put in a time good enough for 3rd in my category and 13th overall. I was happy to have the first stage out of the way and to only be 10s of the top Junior even with the big crash.

 

Stage 2

Stage 2 consisted of one of the trail centre trails (Metro 1) and was a flat out sprint down the mountain. I knew this trail like the back of my hand from riding it on most spins I go on. It's all about carrying your speed and sprinting on the straights. I won the stage in my category and was 4th quickest overall. After this it was back onto the bus to go to Ballinastoe the second venue of the day.

 

 

 

 

Ballinastoe Stage 3

Stage 3 started with a slick rooty forest shoot before traversing across some of the hill. It then dropped onto one of the trail centre trails which was again fast flowing. After crossing the fireroad it was into some more natural singletrack and some wood work before hitting a long fireroad sprint to the last section of trail. This was another trail centre trail which was extremely fast and flowed down the mountain well. I finished this stage 3rd in my category and 12th overall.

 

  

 

Stage 4

Stage 4 was one of the longest stages of the day. Using a mixture of 2 of the Gravity Enduro stages meant there was a serious amount of pedalling and downhill. Everybody knew this was going to be the hardest stage so far. I started off well and made my way through the first section of tight slippy woods quick enough. There was loads of pedalling as we made our way backwards along one of the trail centre climbs before dropping into stage 3 of the Gravity Enduro. It had a great mix of berms and jumps but was followed by a god awful pedal to the finish. Once again I finished 3rd in my category and 10th overall. After this stage we had a cycle down the road to Djouce for the final 2 stages of the day.

Djouce Stage 5

Stage 5 was brilliant. Started straight away into a steep loose wide open corner followed by a quick pedal and then dropping across a path into a kicker climb. It then threaded its way through the trees and out a rooty shoot onto a walkers path. From here it was straight into a long section of off camber and a combination of bermed and flat switchbacks. After crossing 2 fireroad crossings and a chicane taped around some trees we were done. 3rd for the 4th time on a stage in my category and 11th overall

Stage 6

After a long climb up the red road it was time for the final stage of the day as the sun started to set over Dublin in front of us. It started with the same top section as always. Flat, pedaly and rooty. I had a small crash one one of the corners but nothing major. From here we were in for a big surprise. A whole brand new section of trail. It started out fast and flowed across the side of the mountain before turning into a steep straight loamy section. From here it was back onto the old stage and that was that for the day. Posted 3rd fastest time in my category on the stage and 11th overall.

It was then back to Powerscourt for ice creams and photos by the water fall. In the end I finished 3rd in my category a minute back on the fastest time in my category and 11th overall. Happy enough to be where I was considering the size of the first crash I had and the small crash on the last stage.

Big thanks to Alan & Matra from Action Pictures Ireland for the photos. You can see all the photos from the race here: http://www.actionpicturesireland.com/

As always I'd also like to thank Alfie and Robin in Expert Cycles for keeping my bike going 100% all the time.

See you in Carrick for the Final round Of the Gravity Enduro Series in 2 weeks time

Gravity Enduro Champs, Djouce

Gravity Enduro National champs took place yesterday in Djouce Woods. After the dustiest conditions we'd seen in Djouce all week Saturdays practice decided to throw 2 months of rain at us in one day. But practice had to be done so I headed out with Robb, Marcus and Jordan in the pouring rain. Practice went well looking at lines from earlier in the week and working out new ones for places where the track had change or couldn't ride. That evening I went home and put on the mud tyre up front.

 

Race Day 

Once again I woke up to the sound of rain battering the window at 7am in the morning. We made our way to Djouce and got under way at 10 o'clock. After the short first transition and a quick stop to watch a couple of pros go past I was ready to go for stage 1

 

 

 

Stage 1

Stage 1 was very similar to last years stage apart from changing the middle section from the longer, slightly slower Benchcut trail to the newer, faster, flowier Phantom trail. I wanted to start to keep the first stage clean to get the day under way. A slight bobble at the top in the first root section had me pick up the pace for the rest of the stage to make up the time I had lost. Phantom rode really nice in the race and reminded me a lot of the steep stages of Scotland. Quick sprint up the fireroad and then a clean run down the final section of singletrack to the finish put me 19th overall and 3rd in my category on the stage.

 

 

Stage 2

Stage 2 had a new section this year as well switchbacking between the trees. I got the first section of singletrack out of the way pretty quickly. After the short sharp climb I came in to the new section. I took it a bit to slow trying to get onto the high line which cost me time but once I got that the speed picked back up but I was a bit sloppy coming out onto the short piece of fireroad. Rode the rest of the stage cleanly and finished 25th overall and 5th in my category. A bit back on where I wanted to be.

 

 

Stage 3

Stage 3 had the most pedalling of all the stage on the weekend. The new section above the old starting point didn't help either. The new section was run over very mossy ground which made pedalling feel like you were going nowhere. After that ordeal there was even more pedalling along with some really technical root sections. Before the fireroad climb there was a steep section of single track with a couple of lines on it. On the Saturday I had decided I needed to be on the bottom line to get the inside line on the corner out onto the fireroad. So as I came into the section I set up on the low line only to get half way along it to find it had been taped off!! Pulled myself up onto the middle line but had lost some good time... After that I pedalled every where I could to make time back up. I finished 27th overall and 3rd in my category but again a bit back time wise

 

Stage 4

Stage 4 was on of the longest stages of the day. Got my line through the top section of the stage perfectly and came down past the lunch stop pretty quick into the next section which I cleaned pretty well. Hit the water crossing and into the final singletrack section. Lots of off camber in this section and didn't get on of my high lines right which spat me down to the bottom and caught my pedal on a stump which stopped me dead. Got going again and got to the finish in 17th overall and 3rd in my category.

Stage 5

Even before starting the stage I knew it was going to be a mess after seeing the conditions in Practice. Lots of pedalling at the top in the open. As I came into the forest I was regreting the blue tin lens in my goggles as I couldn't see a thing as I dropped into the steep part of the new section they had added. There was a lot of foot out action in this section as it was incredibly slick. Managed to get down it though and got onto the short firebreak where i got the goggles off. As I dropped into the next steep section things got quite out of control. I carried a bit to much speed into it and got side way and bounce of a tree still clipped in but somehow managed to ride it out. Got some cheer from the crowd that had gathered to watch things get rowdy! Sprinted the flat section to the end with a large amount of mud in my throat which wasn't nice. I finished 25th on the stage overall and 5th in the category.

Stage 6 was just a short sprint of a stage and went without any problems.

In the end I finished 4th in my category .5 of a second of 3rd and only 1 second ahead of 5th. Talk about close racing!! Well done to David Conroy on the win and to Conor and Killian on 2nd and 3rd. I finished inside the top 20 overall in 17th. Happy enough with my performance but thought I could have been a bit further up time wise.

Have to say a big thanks to Expert Cycles and their sponsors Yeti Cycles and SilverFish Uk for the support and having the bike running absolutely perfectly.

I'd also like to thank Adrian Van Der Lee and Action Pictures Ireland for the great Photo's in such crap weather. Links to both their websites and galleries below.
             http://adrianvanderlee.zenfolio.com/        http://www.actionpicturesireland.com/