Irish mountain bike stars aim to ride high in Pyrenees

A total of 12 junior and senior male and female riders from Ireland compete at the mountain bike world championships this week

Oisín O'Callaghan training on one of Ballyhoura Forest’s bike trails in Ardpatrick, Co Limerick Bike before he left Ireland to prepare for the forthcoming UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra. Picture: Neil Michael.

Team Ireland will be hoping to bring more gold home if all goes to plan at this year’s mountain biking world championships in Andorra.

A total of 12 junior and senior male and female riders from Ireland are at the UCI championships being staged in the Pal Arinsal Bike Park in the Pyrenees mountain principality.

Ireland will have three riders in cross-country disciplines and nine in downhill challenges.

Those taking part include the current Irish National Cross-Country champion Chris Dawson, who will be competing in both the Cross Country Short-Track event on August 29, as well as in the longer Cross Country Olympic event on September 1 in the Elite Men’s category.

Caoimhe May will represent Ireland in the Women’s U23 category in both the Olympic length and short-track events.

The nine taking part in the downhill - described as “the fastest and most exciting cycling format ever devised” - include current National Champion Oisin O’Callaghan.

Oisín O'Callaghan. Picture: Neil Michael.

They also include this year’s two-time Red Bull Hardline events winner Ronan Dunne and Henry Kerr, who finished second in the Snow Bike Downhill and Super G events in February.

Multiple Irish National Champion Jacob Dickson, World Cup regular Chris Cumming, Ross Ennis and Niall Clerkin also compete.

In the Junior Women’s category is Greta Lawless, who won her first Elite National Title in July at just 17 years old.

The 2024 Junior National Downhill Championship and Under 21 National Enduro Championship winner Callum Morris and Ben Fitzsimon are competing in the Junior Men’s Downhill event.

Limerick-based O’Callaghan’s father and trainer Chris said: “He was always going to be a contender for the podium.

“Obviously, he would like to win but Oisin is in great form, and raring to go.

“He has the qualifiers on Thursday and then the final on Saturday, at 2pm.”

The championships can be watched live on Discovery Plus with a subscription, or later, in replays on Eurosport.