Last weekend saw the Irish Downhill National Points Series roll into Dunmanway, West Cork for Round 3 of the Series, organised by 021racing.

After the scorching dusty weather in Kerry for Round 2, it was no surprise that we were treated to some wet and wild West Cork weather!

Clashnacrona woods is notorios among Irish DH courses especially if it’s the steep track, which is regarded as the toughest course of the series.

The course starts off at the top of the mountain, where riders are treated to a motorway section similar to Fort William, except a bit quicker, littered with ski jumps, double jumps and step ups.  This is a nice warm up, before you drop into the woods, this is where the fun started!  Riders were treated to some very steep shoots, off camber rooty corners, the steep rock section that claimed many a victim!  All served up with lashings of mud!  Downhill is meant to be hard.

This event was made all the more special by the presence of the Chain Reaction Cycles World Cup Team.  Chris Kovarik, Matti Leikonein, Matt Simmonds and Claire Buchar all turned up to get some early season mud traing on board there Intense M9 proto type bikes!  This was huge news for Irish Downhill!

The racing got under way with the U14’s and 021racings Luke Cornforth not only dominated this category but set one of the fastest times of the day on board his Solid Mission 7.  Jacob Dickson from PotatoBred took 2nd spot in the tricky conditions.  021racings Robert Crowley took 3rd.

The U16’s were missing the series leader Dan Sheridan, so 021racings Cam Cornforth wasted no time in stamping his authority on the race, his biggest competition was making sure he baet his younger brother Luke, which he did by .5 of a second!  2nd place went to Angus Fyffe with Joseph Farrelly sliding into 3rd spot.

CRC/Intense rider Clare Buchar showed that she had the skills to cope with the tricky conditions to take the win ahead of Michelle McMullan from Chain Reaction Cycles.

Super Vets were missing Flow Racings Tom Sheridan, Banbridge CC’s Victor Mc Minn took the win ahead of Flow Racings Peter Popham with CRC’s Derek Cowan in 3rd place.

The Vets category was dominated by Chain Reaction Cycles Ian McIntyre fresh out of the Masters!  PotatoBreds Mark Dickson slid through the mud to take 2nd placce ahead of Carl Young in 3rd!

Sports, Moycullen Bike Works/ Transitions Derek Davoren took the win ahead of local man, West Cork MTBs Adrian Nowotysnki with 021racings Wesley O Connor back in 3rd spot.

The Senior Men was won by Kevin Factory Coughlan, taking his maiden win ahead of Killarney CC’s Jason Sandbagger Murphy in 2nd with 021racings Damien Princess Daly returning to form in 3rd.

The Masters is always very tight and this time it was Epic’s Sean Herlihy taking the win ahead of CRC’s Micheal Cowan and podium regular Dale Mc Mullan from CRC took 3rd.

Juniors was won by Flow Racings Gavin Carroll, who seems to have found some good form, CRC’s Christopher Mcglinchey took 2nd ahead of Flows Gavin Kelly.

The Elites, had an international field and with two former World Cup winners on the startlist, the Irish lads were ready for a crack at the Pros!  CRC/ Intenses Chris Kovariks was the fastest man of the day on a 2.07, just .1 of a second of 2nd place CRC/Intense Matt Simmonds, Fastest Irishman was Colin Ross on a 2.11 in third, New man on the scene Micheal Boyd had an amazing run to finish in 4th place ahead of CRC/Intense Matti Leikonen in 5th!

It was a great weekends racing and you wont have to wait  to long to do it all again, Round 4 is on in Cahir, Co. Tipperary on the 15/16 May.

See you there!