The tranquil Carrick Mountain in Ireland is in a state of emergency: thousands of enthusiastic enduro fans respond to calls on the radio and in newspapers and flock to the race tracks for the third Enduro World Series race of the season. The anticipation is not unfounded, as local hero Greg Callaghan from the Cube Action Team won last year. His fans will certainly not be disappointed, as the young Irishman races to victory again at his home race - once again with plenty of excitement.

Callaghan starts the race in third place, but loses a lot of ground on the second stage. Meanwhile, probably the best-known flat pedal rider is stalking his way to the front - Australian Sam Hill from Team Chain Reaction Cycles. Overall leader Richie Rude (Yeti Fox) is also fighting his way back into the race with stage wins after his poor stage two. Callaghan doesn't manage a stage win until the end, but rides the most consistently. After just under 26 minutes of added race time, he wins just three seconds ahead of Hill and four seconds ahead of Rude.

The two Swiss figureheads René Wildhaber and Ludo May did not really get going. Trek rider Wildhaber, not yet in racing form after his injury break, finished the race in 29th place - not exhilarating on paper, but a good result given the circumstances. Ludo May from the Canyon Factory Enduro Team finished three places behind him. 32nd place pretty much reflects the performance that the Frenchman had shown in the first two World Series races. Given the current power density in the enduro racing circus, these are not bad results, but May is clearly underperforming.

4 + 5 = best performance

An old acquaintance is involved in the women's race. British athlete Tracy Moseley, who actually retired from top-level sport last fall, can't quite keep her hands off racing and rides in a few selected competitions - like the one in Ireland. The actual retirement doesn't seem to have affected her form so far, and so she is stringing together stage win after stage win. In the end, the Trek rider wins by almost 40 seconds ahead of French rider Cecile Ravanel (Commençal Vallnord). Ravanel's compatriot Isabeau Courdurier, who set the fastest time on the final stage, finished third.

Anita and Carolin Gehrig from the Ibis Cycles Enduro Team were within striking distance of Sunn Team rider Courdurier for a long time. In the second half, however, the Frenchwoman turns up the heat even more and even heats up Moseley and Ravanel. The two Swiss riders remain in fourth and fifth place, but once again set new career bests - the second time this season for Anita and the third time in a row for Carolin Gehrig.

Also a step forward overall

With fourth and fifth place, the Gehrig twins also work their way up to fourth and fifth place in the overall standings - both with the same number of points (820). Cecile Ravanel is in the lead with 1,150 points, 190 points ahead of Isabeau Courdurier and Canyon team rider Ines Thoma (GER) with 880 points.

Yeti rider Richie Rude (USA) clearly leads the men's race with 1,420 points. The two Frenchmen Damien Oton (Devinci Enduro Racing) and Jérôme Clementz (Cannondale) are in second and third place with 1,110 points each.

The Swiss U21 rider Igor Muller (RideUp Lapierre Swiss Enduro Team) has to ride a defeat after the first good races in South America. As a result, the rider from Ticino also lost ground in the overall standings and is currently in sixth place. Muller is at least only 20 points off fourth place overall.

Big break before the Alpine classic

The enduro riders have around two months until the fourth race of the Enduro World Series to prepare for the second half of the season. The fourth race will take place on March 16/17 in the Italian ski resort of La Thuile, near Courmayeur and the French mountaineering mecca of Chamonix. Where the riders in Ireland had to cover the entire transfer distances under their own steam, in La Thuile, mountain railroads are sometimes used as a climbing aid. Over an hour of added downhill time awaits the participants on the alpine trails.

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