Irish 2010 Downhill National champs 14th/15th August

[don]

Yea the very best of luck Gary & Rudolf, we've no doubt in you both.

[DavidC]

Video of practice/seeding runs from Saturday. Check out the R795 jersey at 2:16 - didn't watch it all so there may be more. Good luck to the lads in the race today!

http://vimeo.com/14152215

[Gazpw]

Thanks everyone, back a few hours now and i'm wrecked, race report in the morning after a good nights sleep sleep

[Gazpw]

Well that was some weekend, i feel like i've been run over, full of aches and pains today, well where do i start, the trip up on friday was good with the weather gods playing ball, we arrived at the field and wondered around for 20mins trying to find a flat spot to put up the tent and pits area, a good few people had already arrived and the smell of BBQ's and loud music being pumped out started the butterflies in the stomach, we just new it was going to be a deadly weekend.
Once everything was up and sorted it was time for a track walk, Rudolf hadn't seen the track before so it was going to be a bit of an eye opener, the bottom section is fairly smooth, nothing nasty at all but the futher you head up the harder and steeper it gets. After long looks at certain spots and good chats about the best way around we headed back down to get in a practice run. With sign on sorted and our free T-Shirt and goodie bag we where ready to do battle.
Saturday morning arrived and the buzz in the camp was unreal, with seeding runs only a few hours away we needed to get sorted fast and get some practice in, Rudolf was looking good, for a man who has never done DH before and to tackle that track on a 100mm XC bike takes some balls, he was flying.
Practice went without incident, with the bikes checked we headed up for our seeding run, even though this wasn't a race run the heart was still pounding, all these top riders in front of me that i'd heard of, my chances were looking slim, a top 10 start time would be good i thought, the timing beeps went and off i set, heart racing i made my way down the track just hoping to stay on the bike, at the bottom section i came up behind one of the slower guy, i screamed at him to get out of the way but he failed to hear me so i decided to try and pass him on jump but that failed, he chickened out of the jump and turned directly into my path knocking me off the track as you can guess i was wild, i screamed loads of abuse at him and got going again, i finally got through the finish line to place 6th, i was pleased enough concidering i'd lost 6 or 7 seconds with the crash. Rudolf placed 14th i think with some riders behind him who had been doing this for years, a great result.
Race day arrived and the tension was unreal, practice was a blur, a small crash had broken one of my break pippes to add to the pressure, that was fixed asap but put me even more on edge. We headed to the start gate, everyone seemed somehow distant, with there minds set on one thing, becoming Irish Champion.
Waiting for your run is one of the most intense things ever, Rudolf was nearly shaking with nerves, the beeps went and away i went, i had the worst run of all the runs i did that weekend, i was all over the place, my feet were falling off the pedals, i was landing jumps hard and all i could think was "i've blown it", i could hardly breath, i flew over the last jump in the field and raced across the finish line to hear the MC guy call out my time as the fastest so far, i was in the hot seat, i couldn't belive it, but with 5 top riders still to come i knew i wouldn't be there for long and sure enough i wasn't, i place 5th in the end but with one guy being a guest rider from the UK i actually place 4th in Ireland, beaten to the podium 3rd spot by 300ths of a second, ah well thats racing for you.
Rudolf also probably had the worst run of the weekend as his race run, with a crash he managed 27th, still a very good time on that little bike, i think we have a DH convert
I can't wait for next season to start now, maybe a 1st? who knows.

[Rudolf]

Great weekend, savage track some scary sections but it was all rideble on the saterday when the track was dry. Saterday was probably my best day with some good practice runs and I managed to improve my jumping skills. 8.30 am AC/DC on the PA was kicking of the sunday session. the sun came out and after two coffees it was time to head for the up lifts. the track had got greasy at this stage and new lines had to be found. I crashed twice on the off camber rock so lost all my confidence. With the race run coming closer the nerves were unreal. tirednes started to kick in and i messed up my race run. All good got over the finnish jump and put down a time. That was a experience the whole weekend of DH riding. Thanks to Gary for showing me the tricks and tips. Also the steak on the barbie was very tasty. I was not able to see Gary,s race run but he was flying and next year he can pedal a bit harder and get 300th seconds no problem (savage xc spins are on the way). Now i need a bigger bike.

Rudolf

[DavidT]

Fair play to the two of you!
Roll on the Europeans in Killarney next year then Gary?!

[don]

Well done to you both, serious stuff watching that vidoe of the practice. I get nervous on a flat road on a tt bike, I don't know how I'd feel at the top of that hill looking down. We'll all head to Kerry next year to cheer you on in the Europeans

[Dena]

Well done lads. Does that make you officially the 4th craziest man in the country then Gaz ??

Tom

[Gazpw]

Well done lads. Does that make you officially the 4th craziest man in the country then Gaz ??

Tom

I suppose it does, i hadn't thought of it that way Tom hahaha

[Gazpw]

A brilliant video from the weekend, pure class, gives you a good idea of the track
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/154910/