Doyle Wins Closely Fought Patland Cup Trial

Sean Doyle celebrates after winning the Patland Cup Trial. Picture: Barry Cregg.

The Patland Cup Motorcyle Trial took place on sunday on the Sugarloaf mountain in Kilmacanogue. The most prestigious and oldest event in Irish motorcycling, dates back to 1921 and is promoted by the Leinster Motor Club. After a forced absence due to insurance issues for Motorcycling Ireland for the past 15 months. This years event was not a counting round of the Irish championship as a result of those insurance problems but still attracted a strong entry with current Irish champion Josh Hanlon from Banbridge in county Down, along with top riders from the south in Sean Doyle from Templecarrig and Michael Burton from Curtlestown who both have won the event seven times previously and were out to equal Michael's late father Derek who holds the record for most wins with eight. 

Sean Doyle, Scorpa, in action during the Patland Cup Trial. Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow. Picture: Barry Cregg.

A motorcycle trial is a made up course of marked areas called sections, where the rider has to navigate though without putting their foot down and if they do they are given a mark against them. Each trial is made up of different grade levels from sportsman/novice to expert-elite with an overall time of 5 hours to complete the event. Riders follow a marked coloured route though each section depending on the level they are competing in. The rider with the least amount of marks against them is the winner. The expert and expert-elite classes are not for the faint hearted with climbs and drops leaving spectators with their jaws on the floor as they watch the riders negotiate them. They also have to ride between sections which adds to the event and is as much an endurance test aswell.

Sean Doyle, Scorpa, in action during the Patland Cup Trial. Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow. Picture: Barry Cregg.

The weather was kind to the riders, although cool at times the rain held off which made conditions much easier for the riders. That said, three laps with thirteen tough, grueling sections along the Sugarloaf Mountain was far from easy. Doyle and Hanlon both competed in the final championship round the previous day in the north of Ireland which would have them match fit over Burton. Lack of bike time cost Burton, he got off to a bad start with 2 failures on his first lap leaving him out of contention but fought back well on the last lap to finish third overall with a total of 27 marks lost. The battle for the win would be an all-day affair between Doyle and Hanlon with the lead changing hands twice on the last lap. 

Sean Doyle, Scorpa, in action during the Patland Cup Trial, Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow. Picture: Barry Cregg

Doyle took an early lead after Hanlon suffered a failure in the first group of sections on lap 1. A Trial can change in just one section so concentration cannot slip. With the Patland running on the Sugarloaf time is tight over the distance covered and also when you have to include the fuel stops. As they started the last lap, Doyle riding his new Scorpa 300cc machine which he only got two weeks prior to the event, held a 3 mark lead after the first two laps which included a faultless lap two. Doyle made his only failure of the day on the same section Hanlon had earlier in the first group of sections on the final lap. This gave Hanlon a slender lead of two marks before fighting back to finish level with him on 11 marks each by the end of the final section. The dreaded tie break was avoided when Josh misjudged the time limit picking up two extra marks for finishing 2 minutes outside the 5-hour time limit.

Michael Burton, Vertigo, in action during the Patland Cup Trial. Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow. Picture: Barry Cregg.

As he took the win Doyle, a Jeweller form O’Kelly’s Jewellers on the Main Street Bray, equaled Derek’s Burton’s overall tally of 8 wins in the Patland. An impressive return to form for a rider who has struggled with injuries over the last 4 years.

Speaking afterwards the Templecarrig man said: 

" I am absolutely delighted to take the win here today. The Patland is the one event every year that means so much to me, growing up with it as a kid and it's home territory for me, I can see the Sugarloaf from my house!It was a tough battle, Josh is in flying form and is the man to beat at the moment. I started off pretty steady but had a cracking second lap going clean (no marks dropped). I started to run out of steam near the end and had to dig deep and gave it everything to get to the end. Thankfully it was just enough to come out on top. It great to have the sport back and be back out riding again. Thanks to all the observers and the officals for running the event and all my family for their support and I dedicate the win to them.

Josh Hanlon, Gas Gas, in action during the Patland Cup Trial. Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow. Picture: Barry Cregg.

Josh Hanlon, Gas Gas, in action during the Patland Cup Trial. Sugarloaf Mountain, Co. Wicklow, Picture: Barry Cregg.

Other local riders to finish on the podium in their grade included Andrew Molloy from the red lane who finished 3rd in Expert Grade.   Alex McCann from Delgany was 3rd in sportsman and Cian Redden from Kilpedder was 2nd in Youth A