Race Report: Gravity Enduro Ireland Round 2

Clouds were brewing on Sunday morning but thankfully we were treated to another dry race this weekend! For Gravity Enduro Round 2 we all headed to Mount Leinster on the Carlow/Wexford county border. Located in the Southern end of the country, Mount Leinster is the tallest Mountain in the region. The stages were spread out over two Mountains, Mount Leinster itself, and nearby Kilbranish. With plenty of elevation to play with, the trails can be quite steep at times. Physically demanding with embedded rocks, roots a plenty. Dust and loam. Great trails to ride, but tough to race. As this round was an EWS qualifier, it had attracted a large field of competitors from across the country and indeed from mainland Europe.


Conditions over the weekend were absolutely perfect. Sunny and warm for practice, just what you need when hanging around scoping lines. Race day was forecast to have a drop of rain in the afternoon, which never really materialised. Chillier than practice, ideal for racing.


Here's how the trails went down. Stage 1, all set to go after the warm-up climb, Gary Williams from ML Syndicate was the Stage start Marshal. ML Syndicate are one of the local clubs who dug the fantastic tracks. The stage started with a flat sprint through the trees, which dropped away into loamy turns. Some good line options if you'd done your homework. The bottom section was a fast snake down well-used trails, with mini jumps to keep the spectators entertained.

Stage 2 had a flat out start, super fast. Lash on the anchors and into a new section of forest. As the trail was fresh, sniper roots appeared during practice and as race day went on. Drop out onto a fire-road for a sprint (or a rest). The final section of forest was a real tester, for both rider and suspension. Definitely the most taxing stage of the day.


Stage 3 was a relatively short stage by distance, but this one was pedally. The terrain followed the theme of the day, with the mountain offering up its rocks and roots for us to play on. The most worrying aspect of Stage 3 was the looming transition to Stage 4. A belly full of tasty treats laid on at the lunch stop here eased the pain.


Stage 4 The transition to stage 4 was a long one but the end was in sight at the top. High above the race village, the views were incredible. Stage start was a straight line of singletrack, bounded by blooming heather. Turning into a bright forest, the descent ahead was to be relished. Soft turns, lush greenery, smiles all round. The sprint to the finish through really tight trees caught a few wide bars out.



Biking.ie Team rider Ronan Dunne on Stage 5. That long transition from 3 to 4 served two stages. Rolling out of 4, a road descent brought you over to Mount Leinster for the final stage of the day. Carry your speed here and you'll make short work of the roots, which were actually grippy for once. A quick gap jump in the middle of the stage for kicks, and some tight forest to finish.


Post race burger anyone! All in all a cracking weekend in Mt Leinster and roll on Round 2 in Ticknock in a few weeks time.



Big shout out to the series sponsors Vitus Bikes, Mitsubishi Motors Ireland, ION Bike, Bike7, Husqvarna Ireland and Mudhugger.


Kelan Grant took the win in the Pro mens category by just 3 seconds over Killian Calllaghan with Scott Wallace rounding off the podium. In the Women's category Meave Baxter claimed her first ever Gravity Enduro Ireland Series win, followed closely by Michelle Muldoon and Ruth Doorley.

More of those big blue skies next time please!

Author: Hoppo
Images: Adrian Van der Lee.