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The brakes are off: how Ronan Dunne rewired his mind to reach insane speeds
Nearing the end of a terrific season, the Irishman reveals how loud breathing, motocross training and risk taking has turned him into one of the most explosive riders in downhill mountain biking.
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There was a time early into his pro racing career when Ronan Dunne almost swapped it for the Air Force instead, confiding to those closest that the UCI DH World Cup may not be for him.
As it turns out, the Irishman really is flying for a living – just on the bike, where he's managed to overcome those initial struggles and emerge as one of the sport's most explosive competitors, seemingly getting closer to breaking the sound barrier with every run. He first tasted major success with a podium finish at Snowshoe, USA, in 2023, where his confidence soon snowballed.
Within no time at all he broke a course record on his way to winning a World Cup event in Poland, chalked up two successive Red Bull Hardline victories in Australia and Wales respectively, and found the podium on a regular basis leading well into 2024. Key to this, says the man who rides for Mondraker, has been a mixture of strength training, a new position on the bike, heavy breathing to drown out distraction, more risk taking, and overriding his natural urge to hit the brakes.
Now, going into the final race of the season in Canada, he's trailing only to leader Loïc Brun and second place Amaury Pierron. It could be a historic finish for the 22-year-old who's seeking to become the first Irishman to enjoy a top three finish in a UCI Downhill season.
Speaking from his family's farm in Wicklow, where he's recuperating before jetting off for the season-ender in North America, he takes stock of his incredible rise so far...
How are you feeling at home now you've got a little time to process what’s been a crazy year so far?
When you get home you kind of forget everything and it just goes back to normal. Your parents still treat you exactly the same. I live on a farm in Ireland, so I’m still expected to do what I did before I began biking full time. It’s nice to shut it off and forget about it until you hop on a plane and then you're straight back into the racing scene where it’s quite chaotic. Going home is always nice. It's always humbling as well, when I’m back with the dogs, back on the farm.
Ronan Dunne at UCI DH World Cup in Loudenvielle, France in September, 2024
© Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
And do your family have you chipping in around the farm? Are you milking cows?
Always! I’m regularly chipping in on the farm, though not as much as I used to because I'm training a lot more – every day I'll be on the bike and doing something in the gym. Still, I'm feeding animals and doing a bit of tractor work, only small things. I use the tractor to work on my motocross tracks, they’re my life when I’m back home. I always love doing that as well, it's a great way to switch off, to be with the dog or drive the tractor, and just chip away at that track, it's always great craic. I'm here for a week and a half and then I’ll be heading off to North America.
Let’s go into your final race in Canada. You're third in the table, and that would be the highest an Irish rider has ever finished…
I think even the 12th place I got last year was [an Irish record]. You can win a race and say you’re the fastest man on that day, but if you have an overall top three or top five season-ending finish, that’s where you are in the world – no ifs, buts or maybes. There are also double points for the final and no points for qualifying or semi-finals. It all goes into finals. First and second place are kind of done – Loïc’s won and Amaury’s so far ahead there’s no real catching up to them, it’s really a third-place battle. The fourth placed guy is seven points behind me – Finn Iles, he's another young lad doing well. Instead of worrying about i, like: “Oh no, it’s going to be close," I’m thinking it's going to be a sick little battle. I’m in an amazing position, and if I don’t get it, I’ll go and work harder next season. It’s going to be a sick final and I'm really looking forward to it. And who knows what the weather is going to do at that time of year, it could be pretty interesting.
It's almost as simple as forcing yourself not to brake, which sometimes gets pretty terrifying.
What have been your highlights in the past year?
My best moment has to be my first [UCI World Cup] podium [Snowshoe, USA] because it wasn't expected at all. The best result I had up to that point was maybe 17th place, and that was only because I raced on a dry track and then it rained for other riders, so it was a bit unfair. I always felt I had the speeds to be maybe top 20, so then to get a podium I soaked it in so much because I didn't think it could ever happen again. My next big moment was Red Bull Hardline in Tasmania.
And Tasmania was a debut for Hardline, too. Did that make it extra special?
Yeah, that was pretty amazing. Hardline is the biggest, most viewed downhill race in the world. I knew we'd be on for a good year that year because I was happy with the way I was riding, but I didn't think about winning that race that quickly because that wasn't my proper race bike and even that bike came late. I'm not paid by my team to race Hardline. It's more of my own decision, but it’s still my favourite race. And then my next standout moment would have to be [May's] World Cup race in Poland, because to win a World Cup is special. Especially on a dry track because everyone had equal races, and it was pretty crazy. And then for sure I loved Hardline Wales, because that track is so insane. Also, that week was probably the best week I could have ever imagined, getting my Red Bull helmet and winning the race as well.
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Why does that snowball effect seem to happen for riders who have a big win?
You always see it in downhill when a rider gets a podium or a win and then they're just constantly on the podium. I think it's confidence, the way you're so happy. My riding felt so perfect, where nothing can go wrong. Coming into the final section of Hardline Wales, I kind of knew I won before taking on that last row of jumps, which was a weird feeling. I didn't win by a massive margin, I didn't crush it, but the run felt good, it felt right. And it's so easy to lose that as well, to not be on top, to just do a bad race and you just start crashing. It’s so easily done. Yeah. It’s pretty sick though, riding that wave.
Your speed is incredible. Is it due to the risks you take? The position on the bike? Or both?
You can be super aggressive to the point you’re throwing everything you have at it. But it's almost as simple as not braking, forcing yourself not to brake, which sometimes gets pretty terrifying. There's something natural where you really should be braking through, and you just force yourself with every ounce [of your body] not to do it, and then once you link up that section that's at the top of a track well, it's quite easy to get that momentum and just keep it going. I try to take a lot of aggression towards my runs and for World Cups, I breathe a lot higher than other riders, just because that hypes me up. And I do drink a Red Bull as well, I'm pretty buzzing off it, so that also keeps me focussed.
Ronan Dunne celebrates at Red Bull Hardline, Tasmania in February 2024
© Bret Hemmings; Red Bull Content Pool
You say you "breathe a lot higher"... your breathing is quite audible on the audio from POV footage. Do you do any breathing exercises before you race?
No, not really. Maybe three minutes before I'll be taking in really long, slow deep breaths to get as much oxygen as possible. But no, I've never practiced it. That’s just something I do, to breathe super heavily and get as much oxygen in as possible. I’m really out of breath during a run – I fail to get the whole way through [without struggling]. A lot of riders are dead silent, I’d probably be the loudest with my breathing. But it also distracts me as well.
A lot of riders are dead silent. I’d probably be the loudest with my breathing. But it also distracts me – it's like white noise.
So, breathing loudly can help you focus?
Not a lot of people do it. I haven’t heard anyone do it as loudly as myself, but it’s a kind of white noise – and not in a calming way, it’s more that it builds up the seriousness of something. Also, it's pretty important to breathe well, as the more oxygen the better, and less chance of your legs getting stiffer or sore. It just helps me bring intensity to it. It does explain why in a lot of my race runs I either do well or I crash – I’m known as a consistent rider, but I do crash a lot. In one of my last races I crashed and got a fifth place. It's hit and miss, but it's good to crash because it shows that I'm going for it.
You do seem to enjoy pushing the envelope. What was the mindset when you recently said you were either going home "in a helicopter" or you were "going to win” before a recent event?
That was in Poland at the World Cup, and I had my best ever qualifying and semi-finals and I knew I could go faster. That was a super good week, and the aggression I brought towards it felt really good. That’s the mentality I had for the run: "Everything feels perfect, I’m in this amazing situation to do well at this race. Either I'm going to go for it or I'll happily crash." Well, I didn’t really want to go home in a helicopter, that was more of the mental state, I don't think I was literally willing to die, because the run was quite smooth. I've watched it back a few times and I didn't really do anything silly or take stupid risks because it was actually quite a smooth, consistent run. The riding was definitely more mature and consistent but mentality-wise it was do or die. I always try to go for that more aggressive approach where “everything relies on this run,” and “this is the most important thing for me in the world at the minute - nothing comes close.” When you're in that moment, everything comes down to that one run, which is good and bad because you hype yourself so much that if you don’t do well, or crash, or you’re not first or you make a mistake, it's pretty devastating.
There will be talk about the risks you take, but could it not be that sport is evolving and new, more aggressive riders are finding another way?
Ronan Dunne sends the step down
© Samantha Saskia Dugon/Red Bull Content Pool
Yeah, definitely. Sport is getting more serious as well, everyone just wants to win. You look at Amaury Pierron, he's still young (28) and even the aggression he brings into it is impressive. He's one of the riders I always looked up to because of how much he wants to win. I'm good friends with him. He's won so many races and even when he wins again he's still so happy, he loves winning so much. There are a lot of new riders like Jackson Goldstone coming up. I’m good friends with Jackson, he's younger than me and definitely one of the best. There's insane talent out there right now.
Do you think riders are finding new ways to push the limits, both of themselves and the bike?
Yeah, for sure. Because when one person goes faster, you’re going to have to push harder and be more aggressive to beat them, and then there’s also another guy behind them, and a guy behind them, so it’s a chain reaction. It’s quite hard to be dominant in this sport now. You don’t hear of it much. Loïc and Amaury would be the most dominant today, but there are still people beating them. Another thing is that in the past we didn’t have to ride downhill bikes as much, whereas now it’s going into this almost motocross-like level where riders are always on their bikes training constantly to be the best. Our sport is moving towards that. When I’m home it’s quite tough to keep up because I don’t have the facilities, but I'll be riding three or four times a week, plus work in the gym and trail riding and cardio. Everyone’s getting faster and faster. Every week, every year everyone gets faster. It’s super cool but also crazy how much everybody’s pushing. I think at the Andorra World Champs, I came in sixth place and I was one second off the win. They were crazy tight times because everyone’s just pushing so hard to get that win.
I do crash a lot... but it's good to crash because it shows that I'm going for it.
Is it true that your parents almost sent you to the military because you were having issues in your early downhill career?
Yes, and it was pretty funny. I’d always wanted to join the army because I wasn't amazing at school and didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and it seemed a cool enough experience. I was only talking about it, I didn't do anything about it. Then in my second-year of racing elite I was not having my best of seasons and crashed at a quali' at a race in Leogang in Austria. Just as I was sitting down afterwards, I got an email saying ‘Congratulations, you've been selected to go the Air Force.’ Report to your nearest barracks at this date.’ And my mam then sent me a message to say she’d signed me up for it. So, when it came through it was pretty perfect timing! But that season got a lot better. I got on my first podium at the end of it, had two 16th place finishes, and then I did Red Bull Hardline and that boosted my confidence and my ability to attract brands and get a small salary for the following season which meant I could focus on the sport.
Did finally riding for a factory take the pressure off?
Yes and no. The first year of racing elite, when my parents were funding it, came with no pressure. The more that you're out there you enjoy it and try to do the best you can, but it wasn't like crazy pressure. This year I definitely felt more pressure joining a new team [Mondraker]. With my previous team, it was a lot smaller and there were not the same expectations, but then with Mondraker, they're super friendly about it, but you can tell you're in a massive truck, it's big factory brand, and they're pouring money in it and you’re like: “Okay, I need to deliver results here."
Do you do much visualisation?
We obviously have a track walk to inspect things, but the night before I'm not even thinking about the track. Instead, I think: ‘If I ride my bike fast, how much better will my life be?' So, you're always thinking about ‘what if’ or ‘this time tomorrow, don’t be a bitch and everything could be good'. That's what everyone always says in the sport: "What if I was one second or 0.4 or 0.2 seconds quicker? I could have got this result." Because we’re dealing with such tight times that it's easy to look back and think about what could have been if you didn't make that one mistake. That's the mental stuff I'll go over before a race.
The lad from Wicklow has transformed into a regular podium fixture
© Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Having your own motocross track at home, is that part of training?
Motocross is super good for full body training. Those bikes are so heavy when you’re holding on that if you ride it for 20 minutes on a track then your body is destroyed. And since the body position is the exact same as mountain biking you can just train for longer, because the longest track you're going get on a mountain bike is maybe three or four minutes at a bike park. And then in Ireland, I think the longest track I could train on is one minute long. So, you're not tired at all by the end. You're not really getting your body that destroyed, while with motocross you just do a few motos and you work the whole body, it’s so good at getting your heart at a high heart rate for a decent amount of time. You'll be at 190, 200 beats per minute, but you could be holding out for nearly 30 minutes. That's such good training. And plus, it's obviously so much fun.
Next year I want to be number one
It's probably very good for building arm strength, too...
That’s the biggest thing. In downhill we get super bad arm pump, which is when your forearms get pumped up and it's quite hard to hold on. And again, since it’s hard to train for that on a mountain bike, because you’d have to go to a really long track, with motocross, five minutes in and feeling your arm pump. It’s the same body position as on the mountain bike, you can do it for longer and you can just do it so much. That’s definitely one of the big things, riding motocross is actually helping my upper body. And also with stamina, being able to hold that position for being that fatigued for so much longer.
Do you have any hobbies outside of racing bikes?
I really don’t – I just love riding bikes. I’ll go see my mates in Dublin, but that may be once a week or so. I just love being on the farm, riding motocross or doing my bikes. I remember after the Italian World Cup I went to Milan with my girlfriend for a few days. She’s pretty outdoorsy, she’ll ride a motocross bike or a mountain bike. Being in a city, I felt like: “I can’t do this.” If I’m in a city all day I can’t cope, I should probably get better at the switching off stuff. But also when the season ends I’ve got a friend who lives in South Africa, so I’ll probably go down there and still ride bikes a lot. But that would be the closest thing I would get to downtime.
I did see you have a chalet bar at home with working beer taps?
Yeah, that’s my mum’s bar, she mastered that. It’s a little shed with Guinness taps, an Irish bar but in a shed, it’s pretty savage. I’m like her, I always like to do little projects, and mine is currently doing a motocross track. I’m up there every day I’m home. I’ve got a motocross track and a bar. There’s no reason to leave!
Dunne has won acclaim from fans in a short space of time
© Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Do you think growing up in the countryside is the reason you can read the terrain so well?
Yeah, I think so. And especially when it rains as well, a lot of the riders seem to complain about it, like if a section’s too tricky, or that it should be maintained better. I suppose in Ireland you’re taught to get stuck in or stop complaining. We're taught not to make a fuss, so when it rains or it's a wet race, your attitude is a lot better than most of the other riders. Even if they're a better rider than you in the wet, if their attitude is more negative or grumpy, you're already at a better advantage.
And if you’re not at it 100% mentally, it has a huge effect…
If you’re complaining before the week’s started, you’re already on the backburner for sure. You hear that a lot with racers. But I think it’s time to stop listening to negativity and get the job done.
Can you give up and coming riders any advice on cornering and keeping balance without losing speed?
It comes down to finding your best position on the bike. My riding position has changed drastically in the past year. It just looks better and smoother, but I think the bike set up [plays a role] for sure... I ride a high front end, which makes my body position look better, and then there's the suspension setup. That all takes into account your position and strength, because if you're a weaker rider then your position is going to fold at the bottom, which happened a lot to me last year. I wasn't strong, so my body would fold by the end of the run and you wouldn't look like you were in the best of riding positions, you'd be a lot more hunched over. It’s all about strength training and bike setup, but it's also natural, everyone has different riding positions.
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What's the best way for riders in Ireland starting out to enjoy the sport?
It's super easy as there are so many trail centres in Ireland now – not just in Dublin or Wicklow, but many great ones up North. The best way is to go to those places and rent a bike for a day, like going to Glencullen Adventure Park close to Dublin, where they've brought in some savage tracks. That's the best way to see how much you love it, and if you really get hooked you won't look back. There are so many trails everywhere and they're all getting up to standard now.
Finally, where do you see yourself in the next five or even 10 years?
It's tricky. Last year I thought: ‘I'd love to be a top 10 rider,’ and then now after winning a race and a few podiums, I want to be top three; and next year I want to be number one. So, definitely in the next five years I want to be fighting for wins more consistently. That would be the main goal, and also to take part in more Hardline races for sure. That's the plan for the future, to have a proper Hardline series and then World Cup series. They'd definitely keep me happy for the next couple of years.
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