Jamie Popham calls it a day

Irish MTB racing suffered a blow this week when one of its most promising young riders, downhiller Jamie Popham, announced his retirement.

In a press release, Popham listed a number of reasons for the shock decision. Monetary conditions are a big factor, these including the controversial decision by the Irish Sports Council to exclude non-Olympic athletes from the International Carding scheme in 2006, plus the reduced funding for international teams. The lack of a private sponsorship deal has also made things very difficult. Popham stated that the lingering effects of a broken ankle suffered in 2004 has also played a part.