Chris Murphy, a seasoned member of The GAP, returned to mountain biking with ambition, he’s now clinching national titles and podium finishes.
Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Chris.
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I’ve been a member of the Gap Race Team since the 2023 season, and what a season it was!
While I boast the most race experience on the team, it hasn’t been consecutive. I took a long hiatus from mountain biking between 2012 and 2022. This extended absence gave me a new appreciation for the sport and motivated me to race competitively in all upcoming Irish leagues.Â
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Chris.
Â
I’ve been a member of the Gap Race Team since the 2023 season, and what a season it was!
While I boast the most race experience on the team, it hasn’t been consecutive. I took a long hiatus from mountain biking between 2012 and 2022. This extended absence gave me a new appreciation for the sport and motivated me to race competitively in all upcoming Irish leagues.Â
I started my bike racing journey way back when I was 16. We would walk our 26-inch downhill bikes up 3Rock Boneshaker and time ourselves to the bottom, no holds barred (sorry, walkers).
This led me to racing the NPS downhill, which later became the IDMS. At 16, my age group at the time was highly competitive, which drove me to develop my skills and speed exponentially.Â
Â
These skills would greatly help me when I returned to racing in 2022, where in my first year, I had several respectable results, most notably 3rd place overall in the gravity enduro.
Â
It took some time to eliminate weaknesses, but I was ready for 2023 when the Gap asked me to join their race program.
Â
Starting the year in a new age category (M30), I set high expectations for myself.
I trained hard at the Gap and in the gym, so I knew I was prepared for the year.
My achievements in 2023 include:
– Overall winner of the gravity enduro series with 4 wins and 2 podiums out of the 6 races.
– IDMS series, finishing 2nd overall with 1 win and 2 podiums.
The highlight of the year was winning both national titles in enduro and downhill.
Â
With the tremendous support the Gap gave me throughout the year, I don’t think I would have been able to achieve what I did.Â
Â
I’ve set future aspirations of racing locally and abroad in 2024, while I also want to help my younger teammates by sharing the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years.
I started my bike racing journey way back when I was 16. We would walk our 26-inch downhill bikes up 3Rock Boneshaker and time ourselves to the bottom, no holds barred (sorry, walkers).
This led me to racing the NPS downhill, which later became the IDMS. At 16, my age group at the time was highly competitive, which drove me to develop my skills and speed exponentially.Â
Â
These skills would greatly help me when I returned to racing in 2022, where in my first year, I had several respectable results, most notably 3rd place overall in the gravity enduro.
Â
It took some time to eliminate weaknesses, but I was ready for 2023 when the Gap asked me to join their race program.
Â
Starting the year in a new age category (M30), I set high expectations for myself.
I trained hard at the Gap and in the gym, so I knew I was prepared for the year.
My achievements in 2023 include:
– Overall winner of the gravity enduro series with 4 wins and 2 podiums out of the 6 races.
– IDMS series, finishing 2nd overall with 1 win and 2 podiums.
The highlight of the year was winning both national titles in enduro and downhill.
Â
With the tremendous support the Gap gave me throughout the year, I don’t think I would have been able to achieve what I did.Â
Â
I’ve set future aspirations of racing locally and abroad in 2024, while I also want to help my younger teammates by sharing the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years.
