The world is full of talented riders and people working their guts out to make it in the world of riding and racing bikes. Welcome to the fifteenth of many, quick, slap in the face style, 60 second interviews - and next up newly promoted to Elite DH - Irish teenager, Greg Callaghan.
Read more inside!
Name: Greg Callaghan,
Nickname: Margaret
Age: 18
From: Dublin
Discipline: Downhill but also do some XC and trials when I can.
Bikes: Solid M9 for Downhill, Solid Acer for uphill and a Planet X Jackflash for jumping, pumping and messing around on.
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| Pinned in the berm |
I started riding trials when I was 8 and have been around motorbikes my whole life with my Dad who was an extremely successful man on an Enduro bike, he's gotten old now though. My whole Dad's side of the family are all born and bread trials riders so for me to not end up on some sort of a bike in life wouldn't be right so I chose downhill. There were some Dirt Jumps up the road from me a few years ago so I went up and had a look and hit them on my old Raleigh and got talking to the lads there who introduced me to downhill and the racing side of it. I rode a Raleigh for a while until I snapped the swing arm, then rode downhill on a 20" trials bike for a few months and then eventually got my first hardtail, a planet x Jackflash, which I still have now, 4 or so years later and here I am...
Best Results in 2008/2009? 2008 wasn't much of a season for me, I won an NPS down in Dunmanway which was a mud fest, bikes clogging up everywhere. There were 6 Juniors who stayed to race, I passed all of them on my first run down and ended up winning by 21 seconds and that was my first win but wasn't really much of a race, the rest of the season was just average. Then last year I went to the European Championships and got 16th, came home and a week later got my first proper NPS win and won every round from then on, including a fastest time of the day in Killarney and winning the National Champs. One race that stands out for me would have to be the second Rostrevor NPS last year where I was 3 seconds off Ben Reid, I was very happy with that result and it was a really fun track, everything just went well for me that day. It was a very good year for me last year and I couldn't be happier.
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| Getting rad in Ireland |
To wake up in France on the top of Le Pleney and ride that for a few hours, then go ride Fort William in the wet for a while and then go for a nice xc spin around Ballyhoura in Cork followed by a spin on a nice 4x track somewhere. Then I'd go home, have some Chinese for dinner and go out Clubbing in Dublin and pull a lovely lady! Something along the lines of that, and of course repeat it the next day.
Hopes for 2010? So far my season hasn't gone exactly to plan, I've had two 3rd places in my first year of Elite at the Winter Leagues which was good but I am now out with a broken collarbone, I guess last year went too well for me, something bad had to happen eventually! Hopefully I'll get healed up quickly and win as many Irish races as possible and do as many big races as I can, hopefully some world cups and Maxxis cups, I know I can be faster so to just gain speed through the year along with experience would be a big thing for me. Ohh and make the Irish squad for Euro's and World's of course.
Sponsors: My main sponsor this year is OC Tuning, Ireland's only authorized Fox Shox Dealer, they have me on Solid Bikes for the year with Reverse components and Fox Suspension and clothing, I couldn't be happier with the set up. I'm also riding for 021Racing this year, RapidRacerProducts, Venom Helmet Camera's and Green Oil. Thanks guys.
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| Points mean prizes |
1 - I'm almost blind in my right eye due to a crash at one of my Dad's motorbike races when I was 6 or 7 and the handlebar poked me in the eye. Sometimes you don't see the trees coming but you get used to it...
2 - I have a goat farm in my back garden, my Mom is mad for the goats and keeps them there.
3 - I'm one of the only outsiders to ever be properly accepted into the community of Killarney Cycling Club...
What's the Irish race scene like? The Irish race scene is amazing, the atmosphere at races these days is amazing, everyone knows everyone and there's always a big crowd out at the races to shout at everyone racing. The quality of racing is getting better every year and the races are starting to catch up with the quality of the British NPS. This year there are at least 10 elites that could win at any round, so it should be a good year for racing in Ireland. Also there are a lot of pinner kids coming out this year, so watching them young fellas put us all to shame should be interesting.
People You Want to thank? I'd have to of course thank my parents for all their support they've given me since I've started racing, they've been great. Also James in OC Tuning has really helped me out the last year, he's like a big version of my Dad, he will help you out in any way he can to get you going and does a lot for everyone involved in downhill in Ireland.. Sean Herlihy is another man who has helped me out massively behind the scenes this year, he does so much work behind the scenes that people don't see and I for one am hugely grateful for it. Also all the lads in EpicMTB for the spins and the craic and of course the lads in 021racing for the craic and the support this season. All my sponsors of course and all the people who have helped me out for lifts and stuff like that. I have to mention the big Mark "Ken Block" Dolan, he gets you where you wanna go, but very fast and very sideways in that Fiesta of his, another lad who has helped me out a good bit this year... I appreciate it lads! See ya at the races and on the hills!
Greg's Promo video from the fall (Pre Solid):
