Two separate National Championship events were held in Ireland on Sunday 23rd July, with the National Titles being decided in the Cross Country (XC) and Downhill (DH) Mountain Biking disciplines. Ireland’s premier mountain bikers flocked to Djouce Woods and Kilbroney Forest to battle for the honours, with exciting racing in all categories.
In the National DH Championships Jacob Dickson didn’t disappoint, with a dominant performance in the Senior Men’s category demonstrating his World Class status.
Speaking after the race, Downhill Coordinator Derek Cowan described an exciting day of racing: “After a damp Saturday practice day, the sun finally shone on the best of Ireland’s DH riders, and their numerous supporters, to produce a very exciting Sunday afternoon of racing.”
With riders competing across eight categories, the 180 registered riders flocked to Rostrevor in a quest for the coveted jersey. Cowen said: “Riders from the Under 14s through to the Masters 50+ were competing today for the right to be named Cycling Ireland National DH Champion, racing across 8 categories. Jacob Dickson, who races in the Elite class at World Level, proved once again his incredible talent, winning the Senior Men’s category in a time of 2min 33 secs – over 5 seconds quicker than his nearest rival!
One of the beauties of mountain biking is the family friendly aspect, and festival atmosphere. Cowen added: “The day was finished off with a series of races for children from 2 years old up to 12, which provided a lot of enjoyment to the waiting crowd and more senior racers.”
The National XC Championships were equally impressive, with Senior riders Ciara Macmanus and Gareth McKee retaining their titles, titles that both have won on multiple occasions. Robin Seymour was a popular winner in the M40 category, racing as the double World Masters Champion – a title he retained in recent weeks. Local racer Peter Buggle also impressed, with a win in the M50 race, to add to the bronze medal he won at the World Masters this year.
Speaking after the race organiser Chris Campbell was delighted with how the day panned out, saying “It’s been a great day, and great to bring the Mountain Bike Champs to Djouce Woods. There’s a big turnout and everyone from the mountain biking community to help us out – it is a team event!”
Throughout the days riders described a fantastic, technical course. Campbell noted the importance of creating a challenging course, saying: “It’s the National Champs – you need to up it a notch. If you are going to wear a champions jersey, you need to earn it. The course is technical, but it’s honest for everyone. The thing about mountain biking is, the best man always wins. It’s honest like that.”
The next big events on the mountain bike calendar is the National Marathon Mountain Bike Championships which take place in Ballyhoura at the end of August. The National Enduro Championship will also be taking place, as a demo event, this year Enduro was officially recognised as a Cycling Ireland discipline.