Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup: Round One, Castlewellan - Video
The Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup was back for its second season. After a very successful first season, the race organizers Glyn & Catherine O'Brien promised bigger and better things for this year. Castlewellan was the picturesque setting for round one. Set in the grounds of a 19th-century castle which is surrounded by a dense forest of natural and evergreen trees. This normally idyllic setting would burst into life by the sound of chain chatter, cow bells and cheering spectators. The race weekend is fantastic for the local area. Riders making use of B&B's, Hotels, campsites and shops is a real boost for the local economy.
Saturday 2nd April was practice day. The race village was a hive of activity from early morning. The firsttracksmtb trailer was used for registration. Beside this was the Sientries timing tent where riders got their timing chips. The Chain Reaction Cycles and Vitus tents held the mechanics and some of the new stunning Vitus bikes. With music pumping from the PA the stage was set for another thrilling weekend. On Saturday, the course was set out so riders could practice stages at their will. This is a relaxed free roam day to spot your lines and ride the course casually with your riding buddies. The weather was overcast and dull. The rain started around lunch time and didn't ease much throughout the day. Despite the weather, the car park was filled with smiling faces. The once bright racing attire now caked in mud. This was a sight that would remain through the weekend. The bike wash was a busy spot in the evening. Riders cleaned a days worth of mud from both bike and body. Chat was mainly about trail conditions and how sketchy it had been.
Race day was once again a wet one. A packed car park showed the popularity of the sport. The riders at sign on and registration creating the electric atmosphere we know only too well at these events. The wet weather didn't dampen the spirits and everyone eagerly awaited their start times. New for 2016 was the sport category. This was designed as an introduction to the Enduro racing on a shorter course. These riders would set off first to tackle the four stages. Conditions went from bad to worse on race day. Quagmire like terrain, slippery roots and sticky mud made the course very demanding. Even the top riders struggled to find grip on the course. The stages were once again designed to perfection making the most of this compact site. Transition between stages was just right for riders to catch a breath and chat about how the previous stage went.
The sport category was wrapped up with Mark Henry powering home taking the win on all four stages. Wesley Henderson took second place and Nathan Dickey took third. This format looks to be a great way into the sport. Speaking to some of the sport riders after the event they said that it was an ideal way to get into Enduro racing. With a smaller category, one rider joked “I have a great chance to get on the podium. Anyone thinking about racing should sign up for round two and you never know your luck might be in”.
On the main course the racing was intense and action packed. Riders would take on six exciting stages through the forest finishing on the pump track adjacent to the race village. Most riders talked about mistakes, crashes and near misses. Finding the fine line between grip and slip was the key on this slippery forest floor. When racing gets underway riders forget about the weather and the buzz of excitement takes over. Some riders focus was to battle the course and make it back in one piece. Others raced for bragging rights with riding buddies and to improve on last year's results. At the top Nukeproof Factory rider, Kelan Grant started very fast taking the fastest time on stage one. He would only drop one stage when Killian Callaghan Vitus Factory rider took a faster time on stage two. Kelan showed his domination on the final four stages taking the fastest times and the overall win in the Pro Category. Luckily for Kelan this included a bonus dash for the cash stage netting the Omagh man a £100 bonus. This new cash bonus stage looks set to be an exciting feature for this series. Colin Ross of Rosco Lines came out of retirement to take a great second place. Killian Callaghan, Vitus Factory rider took 3rd place. Nathan the Lizard McComb hop, skipped and blasted his Vitus bike into 4th Place. Another Vitus Rider, Jack Devlin took 7th Overall. This impressive result for a junior rider is a great sign of things to come in the racing scene around these parts.
Masters A was won by Luke Ireland of Belfast Bike Repair Co. Second place went to Chris Tyndall and 3rd place went to Mad Elk Cycles Colm Bradley, Alastair Beckett Nukeproof Factory rider took 4th. Masters B was won by Glyn O'Brien Vitus/FirstTracksMtb. Second place went to Sean Herlihy of Gravity Bike Club and 3rd place went to Jamie Whelan from Mad Elk Cycles. Andy Yoong Honcho Media - Vitus rider Took 4th.
Senior Men was won by Jordan Scott, second place went to Garreth Davis of team Biking.ie, 3rd place went to Alan McKinstry of Gamutusa and 4th went to Gareth Kerr of Fluid Plumbing - Kerr Enterprises Factory Team. Junior Men was won by Jack Devlin from Vitus bikes, 2nd place went to Peter Davison, 3rd place to Aidan Hawkins of Shimna Wheelers with Emmet Callaghan in 4th Place.
Hardtail was won by Ian Bailey riding for Ragley Bikes/Rock and Ride Outdoors, 2nd place Scott Maitland, 3rd place, David Broome Dromara Cycle Club and 4th Peter Taylor. Veteran Men was won by Michael Cowan of Chain Reaction Cycles/Nukeproof, 2nd place went to Joe Ward of Marin Bikes, 3rd place, Craig Gallaway from Northwest Cycle Club and Jim Buchanan from Enduro-MTB.com taking the 4th spot.
Super Veteran men's was won by John Glover PlushMTB, 2nd place went to Michael O'Reilly, 3rd Niall Brown and 4th to Brendan McEneaney of PlushMTB. Women's was won by Rose Griffin, 2nd place went to Vitus Factor rider, Michelle Muldoon, 3rd went to Meave Baxter Zero Gravity Racing and 4th went to Shannon-Claire McAuley of Muddy Butts.
Round one was a roaring success yet again. This Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup series is growing from strength to strength. The atmosphere is friendly and accommodating to new riders wanting to try out racing in a controlled environment. The racing scene here has never been better and it is a credit to Glyn & Catherine O'Brien and their team of merry men and women getting stuck into anything thrown at them. The race village and hype can look intimidating to someone that hasn't raced before. Don't be intimidated as enduro racing is like a day out on the bike with your mates with the added benefit of timed stages. Want to see what all the hype is then get signed up for round two as soon as you can you won't regret it.
Report: Michael Regan
Photos: Dermott Sweeney aka big D Swee
Video: Michael Connery
Full results: http://firsttracksmtb.com/race/results/
MENTIONS: @VitusBikes / @glynobrien
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cant wait for round 2!