 | We're in Ireland, it's going to rain... - Howie |
Those were the words of Howie, one of the event crew here in Ireland. Minutes later the heavens opened and the golden sunshine was washed away by bitter rain and a biting wind from the north - a pattern we're likely to see all week. For the second round of this years Enduro World series the racing travels back to the northern hemisphere to the shores of the Irish Sea. The coastal town of Wicklow plays host to this years second stop as we leave behind the sub-tropical rainforest for, well, rain and forest. Much like the opening round, this race will take place on a hill rather than a mountain, a small hill laced with a great network of trails.
The first view most people see of Ireland - out across Dublin Bay.
The weather here in Ireland is set to play a huge part in this weekend's race - over the last week it has changed in a click of the fingers, switching from sun to biting hail storms and rain.
Race organisers, Biking.ie, are based a few miles away from Wicklow at the Ballinastoe trail centre. as well as running the biggest national enduro series here in Ireland for a good few years now, Niall and his crew have raced all over Europe.
Niall Davis - the driving force behind this race and much of the Irish enduro scene.
Welcome to the top of the Wicklow Mountains on the Emerald Isle.
This is the home race for Greg Callaghan, as Ireland's only top-ten ranked enduro race there will be a huge amount of support for him trackside this weekend. Greg is certainly looking fit, fast and confident coming into his home race.
Another local rider to watch is Conor Lavelle - the under 21 rider was signed by Ibis this year and is making good progress through the junior ranks this year.
Mountains and lakes. If you head north-west from Wicklow you find yourself in this kind of stunning, wild moorland.
The Black Castle ruins on the edge of Wicklow are a reminder of the areas military history.
The Wicklow coastline is a quite a big tourist destination, with the tourists seeming to split equally between older British couples in caravans and North Americans who are often retracing the footsteps of their ancestors.
Some stereotypes are hard to shake. There are three lighthouses outside Wicklow. When the first was built they realised it was too far from the sea. So they built a second. That was too far from the sea too. So they had to build a third...
And as you do in Ireland, we found our way to the pub.
Jameson on tap. Don't mind if I do.
They take their Guinness very seriously here in Ireland.
It all starts with the proper pour and simultaneous swirl of the glass. Not too fast and not too slow.
Then it's all about patience as you watch the magic happen.
About 5 minutes later your perfect pint of Guinness is ready to go.
Friday was final prep time for the mechanics - while riders walked the course they checked all the little details to get the bikes ready for the start of practice.
GT's Mark Maurissen had a simple solution to the cowpats he found in his pit area...
Conor Lavelle may be racing this year, but that doesn't mean he's too busy to stop and help Niall and the crew set up the venue for the race.
Fitness coach, Chris Kilmurray, takes a tea break with a couple of his riders - Joe Smith and Matti Lehikoinen.
While mechanics and crew set-up, media headed out on a reconnaissance mission of the course.
The woods here in Ireland are going to be a loamy rollercoaster ride full of dips, jumps and corners.
Stage 1 is fairly straight forward with mostly high-speed open sections that will make a great warm up for stages that get more difficult as the day progresses.
Dropping in from the highest point of the venue - stage 2, above the forest and with a view of the Irish Sea.
The best part of stage 2 begins when riders hit the tree line and head into the loamy woods.
The Spring rain means the colors are popping everywhere you look in Ireland.
Stage 6 has some of the fastest open sections but beware, there are sniper rocks everywhere waiting to catch out anyone who gets a few inches off-line.
Lots of sharp rocks litter the high speed sections, just waiting to rip off a rear derailleur, bend a rotor or slash a tire.
Jerome Clementz has a fresh, new race bike for this weekend sporting the 2016 colours for the Cannondale Jekyll.
Trailforks.com
About the Photographers
Matt Wragg • Age: 32 • Years Shooting: 3 Maybe best-known as a long-standing member of Pinkbike's European editorial team, Matt is also a successful commercial photographer. As the first English-speaking photographer to follow and document the nascent European enduro scene, he was shooting enduro well before it became a marketing buzzword or a shade of blue. Today he is still one of the few photographers to make his living following the discipline and has built up an enviable client list that includes many of the top teams and brands in the world.
Author Info:
Member since Oct 29, 2006
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Compared to what we have in flyover country, that might as well be Mt. Everest.
Looking forward to ripping these trails all summer
This feature was funny because as i started scrolling down i thought.. Nice, riding/bike/trail pictures. then Whomp.... boats, beaches and the obligatory close up shot of beer.
Don't get me wrong, they're all nice photographs, I'd just prefer more shots of the trails/riding...I'll be clear.. by more i mean simply more.. not only. these b-roll type pictures are nice for showing the event, culture and what it takes to set up one. I just think the ratio of trail/riding pictures to lifestyle/beverage related photography is a bit lopsided. Showing the media recon mission on this feature really interested me most.
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