The Enduro season is up and running and 75 hardy men and machines tackled the Ballinderry forest in Glendalough Co. Wicklow for the opening round of the Championship.
With the Parc Ferme situated in the Clara Lara Fun Parc (the use of which the TORC are most grateful) it was unfortunate that the sunny weather of Saturday was replaced by high winds and rain for Sunday’s event. Clerk of course Alan Lechie cut the laps by one and opened the times to cater for the worsening conditions …. A good call as the route proved to be very passable if technical as is always the case in this location where the forest is planted in the valleys.
In the Experts class the group were joined by a returning Gordon Clarke (Hus) and Moto X men Stuart Edmonds (TM) and Mervyn Griffin (KTM). Current champion Dave MC Nulty (BETA) who like Gordon is smooth in such conditions would have started as possible winners. In the end, it was Moto X, S. Edmonds who proved the fastest winning 2 of the 3 tests running out a 12 second lead from MC Nulty who pipped Clarke by 3 seconds. Seamey Hayes (beta) rounded out the top 4. Perhaps a bit of a surprise that Edmonds topped the list, riding as a practice run before the BEC round in Scotland. “I enjoyed that … A good workout … now I need a weeks rest to recover “.
Richie Burke (KTM) topped the Seniors showing a clean pair of wheels to the rest with a36 second advantage over Tom Regan (KTM) again with a wide margin from (now almost veteran) Dave Crean (GG) and Paul Walsh (HVA).
The Clubman field was the largest class and given the conditions they had a good workout. Michael Tobin (KTM) ran out the winner again by some margin, with Josh Cadwell ( HVA) and John Lynch ( Hus) filling the podium places. Connor Doherty (KTM) finished an excellent 4th.
The sportsmen were cut to 2 laps and a single test as it was not possible to easily link a second test into the route and COC felt 2 laps of a technical route was sufficient for this class which was also well supported and good to see it so . Gavin Ryan (hon) sneaked it by 4 seconds from Alan fennel ( KTM ) and Rogin Caldwell ( HVA ) some way adrift and 1 second from 4 th placed Eoin MC Hugh ( hus) . keith morgan ( Hon) and david Doherty ( KTM ).
All in all a good event despite the conditions … a real test of proper Enduro to start 2015 off.
Thanks to the TORC Club, its workers and timekeepers, Clara Lara and Coillte for the forest use.
Please note test ( result) times are provisional.
Ballinderry 2015 Provisional Results
Enduro.ie