The build up to the Emerald Enduro was an exciting but nerve wrecking one. Rumours were going around for weeks that it was going to be exceptionally tough, with seven stages to race in one day, with a cut off of 5 hours to complete 50km. A tough challenge for any rider! It turned out to be just that. Friday the 15th was course map release date. It was to be a seven stage race over 48km to be competed in a time limit of 6 hours for everyone. Unlike the other rounds of the EWS where most stages were assisted with ski lifts, it was all pedalling in Ireland with a tough climb to each stage under extremely tight transition times. Training had been going really well for me as I was following Chris Kilmurray’s POINT ONE Development personalised programme for the past eight weeks. Things were really looking up for me as I had become part of the Vitus Factory Team and was going great on my new Vitus Sommet Pro! This had given me a much needed boost of confidence and helped me to be more psychologically ready for the upcoming EWS. I had been away training every weekend for the past six weeks getting the ‘enduro’ practice I needed, that just is not accessible in Galway. However, I was hit with a bad head-cold three weeks before the EWS and was bedridden for the weekend of Round #2 of the Vitus Cup in Bigwood. If I had followed my programme correctly, I would have rested the previous bank holiday Monday, but instead after two hard days on the bike, I chose to go on an epic all-mountain spin with Richie Byrne’s crew and was sick two days later. Taking me two weeks to recover, I was now only a week away from the Emerald Enduro and frustrated with the timing of the headcold. I was feeling really fit and strong up to this, so now I felt like I had just taken a few steps back in my fitness. Knowing the Emerald Enduro was going to be physically tough and requiring a high level of muscular endurance, I also had the added pressure of competing on home turf, so I was anxious about how my fitness would hold up. Edwina from Revive Active was on the case and sorted me out with some Revive Active Coq10 and Krill oil which would help to give me that energy boost I needed come race weekend. Race Week The nerves turned to excitement when I received a photo of my race jersey from Simon at Vitus Bikes early that week. It was my first ever jersey to have MULDOON on the back, very cool! I headed up to Dublin early Thursday morning to get myself organised for practice on Friday. I had spent the previous two weeks feeling anxious about the race as I was so keen to do well and put in a good result. I had, like many others, made a lot of sacrifices all year and had literally put biking before many things in my life. When you have a passion for something, like I do for racing, it can really take over your life in many ways. I’m so lucky to have understanding friends, family and partner who support me in my racing and don’t take offence when I put biking first! Practice day - Stage 1 to 4 Arriving early to the race village, I parked up as close to the expo as I could. It was just 8.30am and the sun was shining. This was a good sign! The race nerves and anxiety had completely evaporated at this stage and the chilled out vibes that is the norm at these events put me completely at ease. It was great to catch up with all the riders I had met on the EWS race circuit last summer in Europe and just having them come to Ireland was a really proud feeling! I headed up to the Vitus camp to say hi and collect my race jerseys. The boys checked over my bike and Chain Reaction Cycles main man Ian MacIntyre put a WTB Trail Boss on my rear wheel to try out. The trails were dry so this was a good choice as it’s a super, fast rolling tyre. After registration, I set off at 10am up the hill that was to be the first of many that weekend! Practice went well and I was feeling happy enough with the stages. The tracks however were a lot looser than I had expected so I decided to change the rear tyre to a WTB Vigilante for the extra grip. This made all the difference on Saturday, for day 2 of practice, where we had the steep and techy stage 7 to tackle. Sunday came around quickly, and I was feeling pretty calm and eager to get racing. The women were the second last group to set off, just before the pro-men so I had a nice relaxed morning and time to get a good breakfast in. It was going to be a long day ahead so eating well was crucial. All the women gathered at the back stage area and were called up on stage one by one by Enrico Guala, the ‘Pope’ of Enduro! As always, Enrico kept the crowd of spectators entertained and chatted away to the riders as he sent them off down the ramp and off to stage 1. The climb to the start of stage 1 went quick as I was keen to keep a good pace to have plenty of time at the start line. I was feeling good and keen to get stage one over with as this is always the hardest one to do well in. I started well in stage 1 but messed up on a technical section and lost time. I found it hard to find my flow and ended up with it being my worst stage finishing in 28th position. Stage 2 was next and one that I was really looking forward to. It started up at the highest point on a technical rocky section and brought you down through a fast gully into the forest. It was the longest of the seven stages and had a great variety of terrain and technicality. 22nd position Stage 3 This was called ‘Slasher’, due to the top section being like a downhill rock section that every rider sessioned a few times. I was completely relaxed going into this stage and this really showed as I was fluid throughout and really had fun on this stage. Was really happy with a 19th position on this stage. Stage 4 was my best stage, I rode it clean and stayed strong finishing in 18th position. It was a completely new track for all of us Irish riders as it was built just after the riding ban came in two weeks prior. It now lunch stop and I was feeling really good up until now with no hint of fatigue setting in. I was sitting in 22nd position overall which was so far my best result in any EWS I had ever done. After a very quick bite and just 20 minutes to chill at the race village, I was now feeling a bit heavier on the climb to stage 5. The sun was really beating down on us now and was up to 21 degrees, possibly the hottest day in Ireland so far this year. Stage 5 had been my favourite stage after practice day. It was fast and rocky with lots of really tight lines weaving through the trees. I was going well and carrying really good speed until disaster happened and I had a big crash! I had just crossed the fire road over a right hander compression into a long left turn, where there were lots of spectators. I had to really kill my speed as it was such a tight corner but must have pulled the brakes too much, causing the bike to drift on the berm. I lost grip and as the tyres gripped again it threw me over the bars and I got hit hard with the handlebars into the ribcage as the bike caught me. Stunned and winded, I knew I wasn’t far from the end so got back up as quick as I could but was really struggling to breath. I finished the stage but I was in a lot of pain and knew I had done some damage to my ribs. I headed up the fireroad to find a medic and really thought that was the end of the race for me. Breathing was really hard and I thought I had had it. Eventually I got chatting to the bus driver who called for the medic. I began pedalling up to stage 6 as I knew I hadn’t time to wait. Within minutes David Carrol the medic was with me and checked me over. The pain had subsided somewhat and my breathing was more controlled. I decided to continue on and was reassured by David that if was feeling worse he would come get me. At this stage, I was way behind time and the race leaders who were off after me were passing me by. I knew that a time penalty was inevitable. Halfway up the steep fire road climb and I had to stop as I was just in bits. I don’t know what inspired me to keep going but I the girls who were pedalling past me told me to keep going which definitely helped. The easy option was to quit but this was the biggest and most important race of the year for me and I told myself to keep going, do stage 6 and see how I felt. I came in 27th position on stage 5 losing time from the crash but was loving the stage up until then! Stage 6 Eight minutes late for my start time meant an eight minute time penalty. At this stage I didn’t care, I was happy that I was doing it. I headed off chasing Cecile Ravenelle down the hill, will I ever get to do that again….NO! haha, that was one of the best things to come out of it! 25th position Stage 7 The transition to stage 7 was the most difficult for me. Not only was I in pain and finding it hard to breath, I was also really knackered at this stage and was late for my start time so i had to push even harder up the hill. As a result of being late to stage 6, I ended up being two minutes late to stage 7. This was called the ‘Emerald Express’, the final and most awesome stage and where all of the spectators were. I knew I had to put my injury to the back of my mind and focus on going flat out but staying clean. The noise from the spectators on the top section was unbelievable and one that I will never forget. I rode well through the top section, even though there were people screaming ‘rider up’ as they had all thought all the women were finished. It was pretty embarrassing to have to go after the likes of Anne-Caroline, Tracy Moseley and Cecile as I must have looked like a complete goober coming down compared to their speeds and style! I can’t say I rode as well as I could have as I was a bit shaky in sections and made a mistake going for the huge kicker climb rather than going around it, and losing time by not making it up in one go. The crowds in this part of the woods were so loud and encouraging I actually started smiling as it was so amazing to hear them roar and shout my name. Chainsaw smoke, lads in fancy dress and banners, it was like something you see at the World Cup Downhill races on TV! Finished in 24th position, definitely spurred on by the crowd. Having to head straight to A&E after the race, I missed the podiums and carnage as our very own Greg Callaghan took the win in the Pro Men, young Leah Maunsell winning youth women and Killian Callaghan 3rd in Youth. This was an absolutely brilliant result for Greg and for Irish Mountain Biking. Result for me was disappointing as I got a 10 minute time penalty for being late to stage 6&7 after my crash, but otherwise I would have placed 23rd which is what I have to focus on : ) Unfortunately the xray results revealed a collapsed lung and suspected cracked ribs putting me out of racing EWS #3 the following weekend at Tweedlove, Scotland.
Huge thanks to all the supporters who were shouting my name on every stage, it really motivated us to give it full gas on the stages and made the whole experience one I will never forget. Also massive thanks to Vitus Bikes, Chain Reaction Cycles, and to Revive Active, Sweetprotection and Hedcamz. I couldn't believe that the time had come to race the first round of the Biking.ie Gravity Enduro Series. I had my planned my race calendar almost six months previous and this was one of my ‘A’ races. I had categorised my races into ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ which helps with my goal setting and training. I decided that the most important races would be the Irish Gravity Enduro Series and the Enduro World Series, thus were categorised into my ‘A’ Races. My ‘B’ races would be any other Enduro races at home or abroad, so the Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup and the French Enduro’s would be classed as B. Finally, my ‘C’ races would be any other races such as the Irish Downhill Series or XC races. This categorising was vital as, as much as I would like to have them all as ‘A’ races, this could potentially cause burn-out both physically and mentally. However, it is extremely difficult when you are competitive to not give every race 110% and treat them all equally. I was extremely lucky that the first round was set just at the end of my two weeks Easter holidays, one of the many perks of being a secondary school teacher, and so I moved back in with the folks in Dublin, a half our pedal to the foot of the Dublin mountains. I’d been training well on Chris Kilmurray’s Point 1 Development Programme up to this point and was having an absolute ball riding in Castlewellan, Bigwood, Bunclody and Ticknock in the weeks leading up to the race, so I was feeling well prepared and in good shape. Race Week – Bike Check & Rest After an absolute beast of a day riding in Bunclody on Monday with Gary Williams, lads from the ML Syndicate and Gravity BC, both myself and bike were in need of a full day’s rest on Tuesday and some tlc. I left my Kona Process in with Al Maxwell at The Bikerack.ie bike shop in Cabinteely to get a few bits sorted - new rear tyre (went for a WTB Vigilante which was a wise decision), a quick service to my dropper seat-post, new brake pads and realignment. Al was super quick getting the bike back to me in mint condition for the race but I decided to be sensible and stay off it and go for a few road spins instead. Friday was a day of complete rest and preparation of kit and food for practice day. Saturday Practice Day Two weeks of sunshine had made for super-fast, awesome tracks for practice day. I was up at the crack of dawn to get a good breakfast into me and my daily Revive Active supplement. This was something I had gotten into the habit of for the past two months and has really made a difference to my recovery and energy levels. I was certainly glad of it for the weekend. I arrived at the race village at 9am so as to get to registration nice and early. Little did I know that I was in fact seeded and had not needed to queue for the hour in the freezing cold! Finding out that I was seeded was great news as this meant that I would be guaranteed to be first off in the morning meaning no hanging around. A quick check of the bike, I realised that I had forgotten to collect a tiny screw for my shock adjuster from Al. Luckily, Dave the mechanic from BikeAddiction.ie was there, as always, to save the day and sorted me out with the miniature screw that can only be got from a Rockshox kit. I really can’t thank Dave enough for this! The bike was now good to go, and I was looking forward to the day ahead.I spent the day riding with fellow Connemara clubman Colin Keegan. It was cool to see all the old faces again and to chat with my the other riders who I had now gotten to know well over the past three years of this event. Practice day went well. After doing stage one, I felt that I really needed to do it again so after stage 2, I decided to head up to Stage 1 again and aim to nail the sections that I had struggled with. Stage 1 went alot better the second time round as I relaxed into it and pumped through the rooty technical sections which I had been sloppy on previously. We then proceeded to stage 3 which was my favourite of all five stages. Stage 4 was such a cool stage which started up at the mast and sent you down a rocky chute with lots of step-downs leading you into the forest. This is when things got tricky and you really needed to be looking ahead for lines as some would suck you into bomb-hole or a tree which would cause you to lose valuable seconds! We sessioned this stage, picking our lines and going at race pace through the stage. After a long climb back up the mountain, we were now on our final stage. Stage 5 was purpose built singletrack with some fun features to hop off and nice berms to slap the bike into. It had been a long day on the bike so instead of going back up to do stage 3 again, I decided to call it a day and get home to wash the bike, chill out and watch the footage from my helmet camera the HEDCAMZ Ten80. This cool, super light helmet cam has awesome quality and can be seen in the photo below. It was cool to be able to recap the five stages and see lines that I had missed or good lines I'd taken. Race Day – Now the REAL fun starts! We were expecting rain for the first time in two weeks but nobody was prepared for the ass-whooping we got from mother-nature. To say it was wet and muddy is an understatement! As we huddled and shivered inside the ‘Last Lap Café’ tent, spirits were high and we had a good laugh at the crazy Irish weather that never seems to amaze us. Most people would have stayed at home in bed but not us! We as mountain bikers almost relish the rain and freezing temperatures as it makes for more ‘gnarlyness’ and toughens us up! Right? Eh, yes I agree to an extent. This kind of weather makes me feel like Im a deadly rider as there's mud flying everywhere and you think you're flying it! I find throwing myself down a mountain in the wind and rain, takes me to another state of mind where I start gritting my teeth and go flat out. But I still battle with having to focus on getting through it as fast and as smoothly as I can, while staying on the bike and not letting any exposed off-camber roots get the better of me! It was tough going, not only for us racers, but for the Biking.ie crew, the Marshalls who had to endure standing in the wind and rain all day, the bike mechanics John and Dave from BikeAddiction.ie who were on hand all day to come to the aid of all riders experiencing mechanicals, the guys from Last Lap Café who were set up all day at the mast in the most exposed area and finally the photographers, Alan Duffy of Action Pictures Ireland, Adrian Van der Lee and Ciaran Hayes. These are the people who make this event one of the best in Ireland and attracts over 300 riders to each round. For all my 'toughness', I found the numbness in my feet almost unbearable. From start to finish, they just would not warm up and I was struggling to feel the pedals during my race runs. Full length leggings and sealskin waterproof socks are now high on my shopping list. I kept it clean and stayed on the bike for the majority of the race with one or two spills on stage 4. This was a really difficult stage as the rain had made is so slompy and a lot of riders struggled for grip. Even my Magic Mary and Vigilante tyres weren't able to keep me upright on two occasions and I had an off on the grassy turns near the finish line. Results I finished in 4th position just 41 seconds off the podium! I was up against super strong girls who really can pin it! Congratulations to Endura Bergamont Factory Team rider Katy Winton on her win. Super performances for Orla McClean of Giant Dublin who came in second and Silvia Gallagher of Gravity BC in 3rd. Overall: 19:35.52 Stage 1 6:48.09 (4th) Stage 2- 5:08.67 (4th) Stage 3 3:45.61 (3rd) Stage 4 3:53.15 (4th) Thanks to my sponsors for their support!
REVIVE ACTIVE health supplement http://www.reviveactive.com/ HEDCAMZ http://www.hedcamz.com/ Friday 27th March It's Friday, school's out for two weeks and I'm about to set off on the 4 hour drive to Castlewellan Forest Park, Co.Down for the first round of the Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup. With a long, busy week at school and my hectic training schedule, Friday has come too fast and my plan to head off in the van early afternoon is not happening. I yet again, underestimated the length of time it takes to pack up the van for a weekend of camping and don't set off until 7pm. The decision then was to stay in Dublin with the folks that night and set off at the crack of dawn on the Saturday morning to Castlewellan. Arriving in Castlewellan at about 11am, we were welcomed by the melodic tune of the Northern Irish accent and the super friendly campsite staff. We were blown away by the top class campsite which was part of the grounds of Castlewellan Forest Park.The stunning grounds surrounding a large lake that was bustling with activities such as kayaking, biking and walkers. We got settled at our pitch and rustled up our first meal in the van, enough to keep us going on our bikes for the rest of the day!
After a long day on the bike, we were treated to hot showers and free (non-alcoholic I might add) Erdinger. Presentations were at 4.30pm so we had lots of time to relax and replenish ourselves. Although I didn't achieve my goal of making the podium, I was really happy with my 'progression' and with 4th place. All four of us finished within 24 minutes so it was tight racing! My result has shown that my winter training programme with Colin Ross, aka ROSCOLINES, is paying off and I'm feeling stronger and fitter than this time last year. It was a great weekend and a really well run event by Glyn O'Brien and his First Tracks crew. What better way to prepare for the first round of the Irish Gravity Enduro in two weeks time! Bring on the schlomp! The next day we decided to hit Bigwood as it was on our way home. This place is a bikers playground. Although it was pissing rain, we still managed to have an absolute blast on the bikes and sink our teeth into the new downhill runs there. Recovery day skids!
This weekend, the Bluegrass Enduro Tour came to Dublin for the fourth round of the 2014 European Series. After a successful event in the Ballyhoura mountains, Co.Limerick last year, the Bluegrass brigade returned once again to the emerald isle. This time round it was to the East coast of Ireland where mountain biking was born and where an abundance of Ireland's best mountain bike trails can be found. Riders were treated to six awesome stages, in three of the best biking areas the Dublin and Wicklow mountains have to offer - Ticknock, Ballinastoe and Djouce woods. Here's how it all went.... There’s never a dull moment in my life and the last few weeks have been as busy as ever. With the race season in full swing, it’s been pretty full on since returning home from my six week trip racing in Europe. Since being back, I've managed to squeeze in a house move, the Irish Gravity Enduro National Champs, the Bluegrass Enduro, all while been back to work! With a weekend off in between the Champs and the Bluegrass, I was glad to have the time to rest up and sort out my bike, which, after all the racing, both bike and body were in need of some TLC! With a complete strip down to the bare frame, an evening spent cleaning every single part of my bike, and a full re-build by Garry Davoren at MBW bike shop, my Kona Process 153 DL was in top condition for the weekend. I couldn’t believe the difference the rebuild made as the bike felt instantly more plush, with everything moving freely and smoothly and the suspension working to its full potential once again! With the bike now in perfect nick and me well rested, I was feeling fresh, ready and confident come race day. It's amazing how all these elements of race preparation can make all the difference to your performance. The format of the race was very different to what I had been used to all summer and it was a refreshing change! Instead of the usual practice day before racing, all six stages were raced blind and all in the one day....tough going! The other big difference was both men and women raced on separate days, with the women on Saturday and the men on Sunday. Stage One – Ticknock The first of the six stages kicked off in Ticknock, Dublin. After a 40 minute drive from Powerscourt Waterfall we were straight into a climb up past the mast and on to stage one. This was a technical stage that started on the fast, flowing 'Metro' with a drop into the woods that tested your bike skills from the word go. I went well on this stage, but was a bit sluggish as it was the first stage so hard to get that explosive power from the legs without a good warm up. Still, had a lot of fun on this stage and came first so really happy with that. Stage Two - Ticknock This was a more popular stage with the girls after the technical stage one. A fast, fun singletrack, with a few nice features to catch some air! My second stage win here, I was feeling good! Stage Three - Ballinastoe Back on the bus to Ballinastoe, home of Biking.ie, where we were about to be treated to two class stages. With the weather so mild and sunny, we had clear views of the Wicklow mountains during our transition across the mountain to stage three. I loved this stage! So fast, with lots of cool features to pop off and tight turns to really sink into. I was feeling really good here and the Process was in its element. A comfortable 32 second gap on the next rider gave me my third consecutive stage win. Stage Four - Ballinastoe Back over to the other side of the mountain and a short push up through the woods, we were ready for S4. This was the longest of all four stages so far and was another great stage. A real mix of woods, fireroad, open mountain tracks with a few cool jumps thrown in. I was 8 seconds off the winner on this stage, coming in second to Orla McClean. We raced all the way down to the race village where it was time to chill and refuel with a great spread put on for us by LastLapCafe. Back on the bikes for a 5km road spin to Djouce woods. Stage Five - Djouce Djouce woods, renowned for its roots, had dried up nicely since the Champs a fortnight ago. S5 had us blast through the woods with some very cool steep sections, a kicker climb and nice flowy singletrack where you could really pick up speed. Back on form, I came away with my fourth stage win and had a great time taking photo's of the girls flying down. Everyone loved this stage! Stage Six - Djouce The final round, we were feeling the fatigue setting in at this point but it didn't stop us pinning it down! With a big climb to the top of Djouce, we were rewarded with an epic stage that had been stage 5 for the champs. We got to sample first hand the very cool brand new section of trail that cut out that awful, muddy section in the champs. I was flying through this stage, staying relaxed and powering over the rooty top section. The whole stage felt awesome, but a silly mistake down by a river crossing that had some slippy roots, sent me flying superman-style over the bars landing on my head! Sounding worse than it was, I was back on my bike in no time and flew to the finishline. Second in this stage to Orla McClean who had me by 8 seconds! Tight racing, love it! Thanks to Bluegrass Enduro Tour and Biking.ie for such a great event. And to all the marshals, photographers and sponsors, thanks to you all!
To my sponsors MBW-Kona, Hedcamz, Grrana Energy Europe and Allmountainstyle Photos by Keith Wallace and www.ActionPicturesIreland.com Well that was a really muddy weekend of racing in Djouce Woods for the Irish National Champs! After a Summer of beautiful dry and dusty trails, the heaven's decided to open up on Friday night and turned the trails into hardcore, rooty, mudfest! I thought racing in the Alps was tough.....well some parts of the six stages were up there with the most challenging conditions I've raced in to date. Here's how it went..... I had a fairly hectic week leading up to the Champs and I didn't have exactly the best race preparation. Arriving home from France the Wednesday evening, after travelling for three days, I was straight back to work the next day and to top it off, began moving house! This gave me two days in Galway before having to drive back to Dublin Friday evening. I'd had such an amazing time racing and travelling in Europe over the past six weeks but both my body and bike needed a good week to rest so I really didn't feel like I was 'match fit' for this important race. My bike, a Kona Process 153 DL, had served me so well over the summer enabling me to race four weekends in a row and a further two weeks biking in Finale Ligure and Sauze D'Oulx. I had a few really minor issues with my gears and rear hub but that was it and considering the amount of riding I did this was impressive. However, in the final week, the front hub bearings had had enough and packed it in. Stuck for a front wheel as I couldn't source the cone and bearings in time, fellow Connemara Mtb club-mate Andrew Taylor lent me his rotor which was kindly put onto a wheel that Jamie from Bespoke Cycles in Bray Co.Wicklow kindly let me borrow, enabling me to race at the weekend. Working out of hours on Friday evening, I can't thank Jamie and the guys at Bespoke Cycles enough for their help. They also gave me a great deal on a set of Renthal carbon fibre handlebars which they swore would help me to go faster at the weekend : ) Saturday was practice day, my bike was ready to go and was looking pretty damn smart with the Renthals on : ) The rain on was relentless all day and heavy. Djouce, a forest full of off-camber exposed roots, was made ten times more technical from the rain, but this didn't turn off the 300 odd riders who got up early on Sunday morning to race. I was riding really well all day, recording all stages on my HEDCamz which I would watch that evening to help me remember them. I was having some trouble shifting gears but as we finished late in the day it was too late to bring it to race mechanics, BikeAddiction.ie. So after a long day on the bike with my teammates Joseph Clancy and Cillian Thomas, it was an evening of washing and drying my seriously soggy muddy clothes and then some footage geeking!
Overall Result: 5th With a 2nd place on stage four and a 3rd on stage two this was some consolation for my disastrous stage 5! . It really showed me how much I need to be riding the Dublin and Wicklow mountains more often to get a feel for the trails and those nasty roots! Onwards and upwards : ) Well done to my teamates Shona D'Arcy, Joseph Clancy, Cillian Thomas on their results especially to Leah Maunsell who took the win! And to Connemara mtb clubmates Colin Keegan, Eoghan O'Donahoe and young newcomer Danny Birchard who did so well in his first race. A big thanks to Niall Davis and the Biking.ie crew for another fantastic event, these guys really know how to run a professional race and have the respect of every biker in Ireland. Everyone is looking forward to the final round in Carrick on the 6th and 7th of September. Let's not forget the photographers who work so hard to take our photo's in these conditions, Bart & Magda from CycleActionPhotography, Keith Wallace, Adrian Van Der Lee and many others. A huge thank you to Jamie Popham at Bespokecycles.ie. Unbelievable customer service and such friendly guys, a great bike shop in Bray, Co. Wicklow. I also can't thank Dave O'Toole from BikeAddiction.ie enough for spending his valuable time on Sunday morning getting my bike sorted for me. I really couldn't have raced without him. Top professional and friendly service as always : ) And of course, thank you to all my sponsors for their support: Konabikes, MBW, HEDcamz, GRranna, Allmountainstyle And of course, thank you to all my sponsors for their support: Konabikes, MBW, HEDcamz, GRranna, Allmountainstyle Next race.......Bluegrass International Tour, Dublin 16th August After the hype of La Thuile, it was time to travel solo and head to the coast for some downtime between the sea and the mountains. What better place to do this than Finale Ligure. A town made for mountain bikers and beachlovers, it has an abundance of awesome singletrack to be explored with trails that lead you right down to the beautiful blue Meditteranean sea and it's sandy beaches, it has something for everyone. Mountain biking really took off here in the late 90's when three Canadian freeriders came to visit to film for the Kranked film series in 1999 inspiring locals to start building trails and riding all mountain style. This is where the SuperEnduro was born and where the final round of the Enduro World Series will be held once again in Finale Ligure, on the 5th and 6th of October. After its huge success last year, over 600 riders will be descending upon the town in October. I'm hoping that I'll be celebrating not only my birthday that weekend but also a good result! About an hour and a half drive from Nice airport, Finale is fairly inexpensive to get to with Ryanair flights usually fairly reasonable. From La Thuile, it took me almost four hours to get to Finale on the toll roads. I stayed at a really nice campsite, tucked away in a quiet area of town, with spacious pits with trees for shade, wifi, clean facilities and a cafe. Just five minutes walk to the beach and not far from the trails, it was hard to leave this place. As it was high season, it cost me 18.50 per night with the van but being the first time to actually stay in a campsite this trip, I was happy to pay for the luxury! After arriving Monday evening, I settled into my campsite and headed straight to the beach for a long awaited swim. I headed into town on my road bike afterwards to get something to eat and of course wifi! Sitting at a small table at a restaurant on one of the cobble streets, I got chatting to a couple sitting beside me. They were touring Europe on their bikes and were already halfway through their three month trip. It was awesome to swap stories and share our love of the two wheeler. Enjoying Finale so much, they decided to stay an extra day and take some timeout from their bikes to enjoy Finale with it's beautiful beaches, friendly people and amazing gelato! Tuesday was really hot so I decided to leave it until late evening to go for a ride. I got myself a map and off I went up to San Bernardino to do the Dolmen Trail. With about 300m of ascending, it wasn't long before I was onto the rocky singletrack and having some fun! Being alone, and not knowing the trails, I took it fairly handy and got back to the campsite before it got dark. I decided that because none of the trails were marked, getting a guide was going to be the best option for me. Wednesday was pretty much a non-riding day as I spent the day sussing out the town, organising a guide and then a trip to Nice that evening to pick up a friend from the Airport. A night in Monaco in the van and some sightseeing was what filled up the day on Thursday. By Friday morning it was time to get back on the mountain bike. Highly recommended by Enrico Guala, I got in contact with mountain bike guide Lorenzo Rebagliati, a native from Finale Ligure who set up his own mountain bike guiding business in Finale and who is also part of the SuperEnduro logistics team. I really couldn't have chosen a better guide as Lorenzo was such a cool guy who knew the place like the back of his hands. Wednesday was my last day in Finale and was by far the best day on the bike! I met up with Lorenzo again that morning, and I brought along another Aussie rider, Stuart, who was a friend of Micheal's. Before hitting the trails, I had some work needed to be done on my bike so I brought it to the bike shop, Riviera Outdoor Bike Store' in FinalBorgo where mechanic cool guy Luca did some work on it. Then we headed for the hills ascending over 900m for about 12km in the morning heat which took us almost an hour and a half but boy it was worth it! Lorenzo showed us THE most epic trails in Finale Ligure, the 'Madonna Della Guardia' and 'Dins'. Dins was a really fun, flowy track with some technical rocky sections and narrow gullies that might catch you out if you didn't have your wits about you. The natural table tops and fast berms were so awesome, I just wanted to do it all again. The Madonna trail was much more technical with some rocky sections that the Process just flew over. I really felt that I've learned to just trust the bike and my skills and attack everything, whereas in the past I would have hesitated at some of the stuff I did today. I love that feeling of progression as with it comes confidence, flow and speeeeed! A short clip of me doing a rocky section of the trail kind of shows the level of steepness and technicality....apparently this section is where a large majority of riders crashed in last years EWS! Enrico Guala, legend in the world of mountain biking and founder of the SuperEnduro happened to be in town for meetings one of the evenings so we all ended up going for pizza and having a great chat about all things mountain biking and I learned a lot about the history of biking in Finale L. I will be putting up a link to for those of you interested in how it, and the SuperEnduro was all formed back in the late 90's, its really interesting stuff!
So, its Thursday and my time in Finale Ligure has come to an end. I will be really sad to leave this place and the super friendly people here. But, I have some consolation in the fact that in less than eight weeks time I will be back here to race! Big thanks to: Lorenzo Rebagliati www.facebook.com/MTBguidefinale.com Luca www.rivieraoutdoorbikestore.com Www.campingmulino.it And to all the gelato parlours and pizzaria's that fed me in Finale! I will be back! Next stop: Sauze Dóulx Arriving Sunday night, we had three days to relax and sort out any bike issues before the stages were open for official practice on Thursday. The town was teeming with Italian teenagers for an AC Milan Soccer tournament so you can only imagine how busy (and noisy!) the town was. A sense of tranquility descended on the town on Wednesday when they left, however this was shortlived as by Wednesday evening, mountain bikers had replaced the loud vibrant teenagers but added a touch of 'coolness' to the place. By Friday, the professional team pit was full of the usuals....Trek, Specialized, BMC, Giant etc and bikers were gearing up for a tough weekend of racing. Two full days of practice Thursday and Friday meant that I was pretty wrecked by Friday evening but a good nights sleep in the van and a feed of Italian pizza left me waking up feeling refreshed Saturday morning, race day! Unfortunately I had no memory storage left on my laptop so I was unable to watch my HEDcamz footage which was a real disadvantage as this is one of the really helpful ways to remember the stages and help me to memorise them. The women were off first at 8.50am with Tracy Moseley leading the pack from the stage. Enrico on the mic was there to send us off with a cheer and words of encouragement along with a nice crowd that had turned up to give us a wave of support, which was cool. Day One Stage 1 - Two chair lifts and an hours climbing up to the snowcapped peak we had ten minutes before start time. I was in 20th position, just behind Hannah Barnes. We had a 30 second gap with the fastest riders first. This was the longest stage of the race and in fact the longest of the whole World Series to date. I started well, staying in control but maybe holding back a little too much as I knew it was a really long stage, I was saving myself. After a crash and being slow on the hills and not giving it my all, I finished this stage with a disappointing time and in 28th position. Stage 2 - The transition to 2 was really tough and took a lot out of me. However, as soon as I started to race, I was on fire! Pushing hard but staying relaxed and in control, I was having fun on my bike and getting really nice flow and speed. I loved this stage! Finishing well with 25th position. Stage 3 - Another really cool stage. It had started to rain so the track was a wet and muddy, just how I like it. I was in my element. Finishing in 25th position, this was progression! Day Two Stage 4 - Waking up to a nice looking sky and fairly mild conditions, I knew today was going to be a good day for racing with such conditions and knowing that I had just one long transition to climb today to stage 4, which was actually stage 1 from day one, I was going to give it everything on the stages, no holding back or saving the legs. I pushed hard on Stage 4 from the start, staying relaxed and in control. After a night of rain, the track was very different to the previous day and had become wetter and a lot slippier. It was knarly! I had pretty much a clean run and rode really well finishing in 22nd position, my best performance so far. Stage 5 - I felt good on stage 4, now I was feeling great on stage 5. The KONA Process 153 was really fast on this stage, taking whatever the mountain threw at it and helping me to ride with ease and flow. Finishing in 22nd position just 2mins 13 secs off Tracy Moseley! Its fun to just compare :) Stage 6 - Final stage and boy was I glad to be on stage 6. After a nice break, time to clean the bike and have some food we were ready to tackle the mountain again. I had a good stage but not as clean as the previous two stages which lost me a few places. Finishing in 24th, I couldn't complain. Final Result - 25th Overall with 22nd on two stages, this was my best performance in the series to date...Stoked! After the podium presentations, which were good craic, it was off to watch the World Cup Final in a nearby hotel where the after-party was being held. Lets just say it was a great night! The whole weekend was just so good and I felt so lucky to be part of it all. Such a great atmostphere and yet again another flawless and superb race organised by Enrico Guala, Chris Ball and the SuperEnduro team. They really are so good at what they do. Look out for my interview in Dirt Magazine where I discuss 'Vanlife' with Victor Lucas for an upcoming feature he's doing! Next stop, Finale Ligure for some beachtime and biking in the fabulous Finale mountains. A huge thanks to Joe and Tim at SRAM who got my bike ready for racing, I had absolutely no mechanicals or problems all weekend. These guys are such legends and are always willing to help out racers. Thanks as always to MBW-Bike Shop in Moycullen, Galway. To KONA Bikes, HEDCamz, GRrana Energy Europe and Allmountainstyle. Nestled in the stunning Aosta Valley, in the shadow of Mont Blanc, lies the lovely little town of La Thuile. A historic mining town with classic Italian charm, La Thuile is every outdoor enthusiasts paradise. With mountain bike trails originally built as pathways between the mines many years ago, this place is definitely a mountain bikers dream as the miles of singletrack give you a real mix of technical natural features to tackle, with fast, steep trails filled with fun swooping berms. A very popular ski resort in the Winter, and said to be one of the best places in Europe for white water rafting, it is only a matter of time before La Thuile will be up there as one of the best places in Europe for mountain biking also. 5/7/14 Racing Flims had not been part of my initial itinary. A week riding in Morzine was the initial plan but after chatting to local Flims rider, Caro Gehrig at Madesimo, the seed was planted and I mulled over it for a few days. It was going to be my third consecutive weekend racing with La Thuile the following week so I wasnt sure if I should. Decision made the day after Madesimo and it was definitely the right decision! It was a brilliant weekend from start to finish. The Flims Dakine Trailfox Festival was in its tenth year and it was evident that this was the case as it ran like clockwork and the vibe with racers and organisers was cool. Not only were they running the European Enduro but also downhill races Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday. As well as this, they had a kiddies race and a pumptrack for the little ones set up. The weather helped too as it was up to the high twenties at one point even though storms were forecast. Finally a bit of luck with the weather! We arrived late the Wednesday evening from Livigno, set up camp and had an early night. We were one of only two campers there but by Thursday the place was half full. Plenty of downhill bikes everywhere and lots of nice VW Transporters for me to drool over! It was cool to be camping next to two British guys, Chris and Kev, who would be our biking buddies for the weekend. These guys were racing the Mega and the Mountain of Hell which was an annual trip for Kev. Thursday was a nice chilled out day. As it had been a while since I had done some climbing, we went for a good two hour ride up to the top of stage four. The views around us were just wild and the roaring turquoise coloured mountain river was cool to stop and watch. A swim in the nearby lake by our campsite was the perfect end to the day. Friday was practice day and the Prologue. This was a one and a half minute sprint stage to seed riders. We were told this had to be riden blind but after I found out that most people had practiced it which immediately put us at a slight disadvantage. I was really bummed with my run as I completely overshot the first corner and going a little too fast into the last gravel turn just before the finish line, I skidded and came off losing valuable seconds. It put me into 13th position so I knew I had to do better on race day to make up for it and aim for a top 10. Practice day went really well and I was feeling confident. My KONA Process 153 was pretty much made for stage 1 which was a steep technical stage full of natural features to catch you out and super tight switchbacks that put me pretty much to a halt. It was just the type of track that I love to ride so I was excited about racing it. Stage 2 and 3 were really cool stages through the forest, short but very very sweet! Stage 4 was a really fun bikepark stage with lots of fast gravel berms, which on race day were a lot grippier from the rain Friday night, tabletops and boardwalk....lots of boardwalk! Racing this stage was such an adrenaline pump and I felt really good on it. Overshooting the very last corner at the end lost me a few seconds but the next three girls after me did the same so it was all relative! I used my HEDcamz helmet camera for every stage so I spent some time that night doing some footage geeking to keep the stages fresh in my mind. It was really helpful to have the HEDcamz which a cool little camera that produces seriously good quality footage and so was a great help to me to remember the tricky parts in the stages. So, out of 16 Pro Women and 19 Amateur Women I came in at 8th position which I am delighted with. One thing I really liked about the format of this race was that there were no time restrictions between the stages so it eliminated the stress of having to power through the transitions and having to ride strictly in order every stage. It was cool to finally get to relax and chat to the other girls who Id raced with before but never really had the opportunity to chat to throughout the day. Race over and the sun came out in force and the vibe around the race village was chilled out and full of friendly, happy people : ) I hung around for the Podiums and got some great photos of some of the best riders in Europe. A nice swim in the lake that evening was the perfect post-race treat, then to the hopping after-party that night. Everyone was in great form, sure it was 90s theme so the music was kickin! We decided to pack up on Sunday and head straight to La Thuile as it was going to be a five hour drive. So, another great race, another great experience. Big thanks to MBW Bikeshop, KONA Bikes, HEDcamz, GRranna Energy Europe and AllMountainExperience for their support. Loving this racing life : ) After Madesimo, I decided to check out what Livigno had to offer for a couple of days before heading to Flims. I'd heard that Livigno had really fun tracks and was only a two hour drive away so off we went. We were treated to some stunning views as we drove through the Switz Alps, passing through some cute mountain villages and past stunning mountain lakes Arriving in Livigno at lunchtime gave us plenty of time to have some lunch and spend the afternoon getting uplifts to blast out some runs. With evidence still showing of the previous weeks snow shower, the tracks were slightly slippy but still so fast and flowy. The black runs through the forest were wet, steep and knarly and really tested my skills There was a really cool vibe to Livigno. A busy little ski town with lots of cool shops, trendy pubs and friendly locals, which is always nice. This is where the 'Nine Knights' snowboarding and freeride comps are held every year. The guys from the Redbull Rampage were over from the States busy building the track for the Redbull Wide Open Downhill race in two weeks time. The track looked mental! The following day was a much better day on bike. The tracks had dried out a lot overnight which meant the tracks were faster and in general a lot easier. With each run I was feeling faster and was starting to really relax into the big wide berms which I wouldn't be so used to. The video of my run will give you a good idea of what it was like! (Headcamz footage to follow) So a great day on the bike was topped off with a great evening in town having pizza in the coolest little pizzeria and a few beers with two of the Redbull guys who gave me the lowdown on the ins and outs of the Rampage! Next stop....Flim, for round 2 of the European Enduro!
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