Oisin O'Callaghan Takes Top Ten As Five Irish Riders Feature In UCI Downhill World Cup 


Oisin O'Callaghan in action (Image: Rick Schubert)


Oisin O'Callaghan continued his fine form last weekend with a top ten finish in the UCI Downhill World Cup while Ronan Dunne and Jacob Dickson also made their World Cup returns.


A host of Irish riders were in action in Round Four of the UCI Downhill World Cup, part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, which took place over the weekend in Pal Arinsal in Andorra with qualifying on Friday, August 25th, followed by the finals on Saturday, August 26th.


O’Callaghan (YT Mob) finished 9th in the final, just 2.828 seconds behind the winner and just half a second off the podium- his best result to date. The former Junior Downhill World Champion made his mark at the World Championships earlier this month as he finished in 12th place.


O'Callaghan's strong performances offer encouraging signals for the coming races and seasons. The Limerick rider has also been training at altitude during this season, a focus that can be attributed to the improvement in performances in 2023. 


Oisin O'Callaghan said:

“Getting my first top 10 was a good day, slowly working my way up to the top of the elite pack race by race although it isn’t easy with there being no room for error. Being only 0.2 off the podium sucks, but I also know it’s so close just need to keep pushing.”
“My race run was pretty smooth, I didn’t risk too much,  rode smart and hit all my lines, conditions were pretty good for me. A little wind up top but managed to keep it together.”

"Going into the next two races back to back is going to be good coming fresh off two good results. I'm looking forward to keeping this momentum rolling and seeing what we can do!”


Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) produced the 9th quickest time in qualifying and finished 28th in the final as he underlined his recovery from injury with an encouraging performance. Dunne has been on top form this season, taking a top ten finish in round two of the World Cup before a fractured wrist halted his momentum and forced him out of the World Championships.


Jacob Dickson (Ms Mondraker Team) also had a good performance in his return to racing at World Cup level after he was off the bike for nine months due to injury, he was 16th in qualifying and finished 29th in the final. Chris Cumming (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) was in action in the elite category while Callum Morris (Independent) competed in the junior category, however both riders missed out on qualifying against tough fields.


Back-to-back races in France lie ahead with starting with Loudenvielle – Peyragudes in the heart of the French Pyrenees, which will also host the Enduro World Cup from 1-3 September.


Attention will then turn to Haute-Savoie where rounds of the Downhill, Enduro and Cross-country World Cups will take place as part of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival from 1-17th of September.


More details can be found here. 


Results – UCI Downhill MTB World Cup Round 4


Elite Men

Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) – 9th (final)

Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) – 28th (final)

Jacob Dickson (Ms Mondraker Team) – 29th (final)

Chris Cumming (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) – 105th (qualifying round)


Junior Men

Callum Morris (Independent) – 55th (qualifying round)