Coillte announced as headline sponsor for the Emerald Enduro in Wicklow

Coillte announced as headline sponsor for the Emerald Enduro in Wicklow - Coillte have just been announced as title sponsor for the Emerald Enduro, the fourth round of the international Enduro World Series, taking place on May 28th on Carrick mountain in County Wicklow.

Mountain biking is a growth sport in Ireland and Coillte is part of that growth. The leading provider of outdoor recreation in Ireland, Coillte have more than 3000 kilometres of trails, 260 recreation sites and 12 forest parks across the country. They currently have 13 cycling centres and 300km of cycling trails from family friendly beginner routes to advanced mountain bike loops with dedicated bike hire trail centres at Ballyhoura, Ticknock and Ballinastoe Woods.

One of several disciplines in mountain biking, Enduro racing is similar to rally car racing where competitors ride a number of timed descents, the winner being the one with the lowest cumulative time. Race lengths vary but typically the rider will be on course for 4-7 hours with a time limit for completion. The race format is styled around producing the best all round bike handler - fit, technically competent and consistent.

2017 is the fifth year of the Enduro World Series with eight rounds taking the riders to all corners of the globe including New Zealand, Tasmania, Madeira, Ireland, France, USA, Canada and the final round in Italy.

This is the third year that the global series has visited Ireland and is testament to the large crowds of enthusiastic supporters who line the stages roaring on the riders. 2016 marked a turning point for Irish Enduro racing with 4 of the 5 categories won by Irish riders, an unheralded achievement, crowned by hometown hero Greg Callaghan who repeated his 2015 win in front of an ecstatic seven thousand strong crowd.

Carrick Mountain is almost unique among EWS venues in having ready access to the trails from the event village and a short walk will bring you to the bottom of all of the six stages. The whole course is easily accessible with clear onsite maps and access routes and the stages ring the mountain in sequence allowing spectators to catch the racers on each stage.

The event village will have something for everyone with food venders, live music and interviews on the big stage, exhibitors and the team pit area which guarantees unprecedented access to the riders and their teams. Autograph Signing sessions will be taking place throughout the weekend so be sure and check out the team pits to see when to meet your favourite racer. The event village itself will be a focal point to the weekend as the riders depart and return individually and the commentary team will be providing live updates throughout the day. Admission is free for under 12s with adult admission available for only €5 with ample car parking on site.

Daithi de Forge, Head of recreation in Coillte, said “Coillte are delighted to be title sponsor of the Emerald Enduro this year and this marks the importance for Coillte in attracting the world’s best mountain biking events to our forests. It’s a really exciting time for the continued growth of the sport of mountain biking but also its rapid expansion as a mainstream recreational activity enjoyed by many thousands of visitors to our forests and hills each year.’

Event organiser Niall Davis of Biking.ie had the following to say - “We are delighted to welcome Coillte on board as a title sponsor. They have been at the forefront of the development of proper sustainable trails and facilities for mountain biking in Ireland. The Emerald Enduro welcomes dozens of professional bike media who are blown away by the quality of the riding in Ireland, on a par with riding anywhere in the world. I’m excited to see the growth of this sport and have Coillte as part of it.”

For further queries contact info@biking.ie or 083-4173899. The official website can be found at emeraldenduro.com and you can follow us on social media @emeraldenduro on Twitter and on the facebook page at www.facebook.com/emeraldenduro.

Visit www.enduroworldseries.com for more and to view videos of previous events. The 2016 Ireland video is available here - https://youtu.be/uSx-oyYTPg8?list=PL5W-TcQwJltKmsm32R6n4--sLrW5dKlZs