Limerick mountain biker Oisin O'Callaghan targets World Championship glory

TALENTED Limerick bike racer Oisín O'Callaghan is set to compete in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra at the end of this month.

Twenty one-year-old O'Callaghan, from Ardpatrick, won the Junior Downhill World Championship in 2020, making history as the first Irish rider to achieve this feat. O'Callaghan's victory marked a significant milestone in Irish cycling, and his success has made him one of the rising stars in downhill mountain biking.

The young Limerick man's style is characterised by his speed, technical skills, and fearlessness on challenging courses. His rapid ascent in the sport has led to sponsorship deals and support from major brands, positioning him as a key figure in the future of downhill racing.

Despite his youth, O'Callaghan's talent and determination have already made a significant impact on the international mountain biking scene.

Since then O’Callaghan has been very consistent in 2024 with podiums in Austria, winning qualifying places plus top tens in various World Cups this season.

His success has been a breath of fresh air with youngsters biking in purpose built and privately built trail renters around Ireland with races now selling out due to the interest form the young guns coming up. Even Limerick’s own LMBC has always been a strong mountain biking club and they have always supported the young Ardpatrick rider since he was a teenager who dared to dream.

Big investment is being approved by Fáilte Ireland and Coillte in which they are currently investing heavily in various locations around Ireland with big plans in the next few years and no more so than Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trail centre.

O’Callaghan is currently ranked 8th in the world and he has just turned 21 and competes against experienced 25 to 33 year olds in the top and who are from dominant countries mainly where access to ski chairlifts allow for bigger mountains and training spaces.

Currently O’Callaghan is away in France training at altitude plus other aspects of his sport and will head to another altitude camp in Andorra the week before the World Championships.

Downhill racing is very similar to what some might see in skiing downhill and riders are negotiating through gates or some may have seen watching kayaking in the Olympics in which athletes were negotiating slalom gates, except with downhill mountain biking it is negotiating trees, rocks and roots, which is a wrestle of the bike involving lots of core work combined with sprinting where ever possible.

Generally the training consists of anaerobic fitness with power, but also with a large element of aerobic fitness, then there’s the neurological speed with the bodies reactions and visual training having to be trained to react to a combination of variables such as light changing in between trees as the day goes on.

Internationally, the sport has a following in which anything up to 80,000 spectators will spectate at an event.
Viewing this year has been at a record high of 125.8 million audience globally via five continents, 220 countries, 26 International broadcasters.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Andorra features intense competition in both cross country (XCO) and downhill disciplines.

Oisin O'Callaghan's race will be shown on Discovery+ and Eurosport on August 31