This weekend sees round 2 of the 2018 British Cycling HSBC National Downhill Series head to Scotland and Fort William for the prelude to the World Cup.
Fort William will host the second round of the 2018 British Cycling HSBC National Downhill Series. This will also be the first event run by the team behind the Scottish Downhill Association.
Saturday also sees the inclusion of the 4X Protour which should provide some spectacular racing as the downhill racing winds down in the evening.
Below is everything you need to know about the race this weekend on May 12th and 13th.
Fort William is no stranger to racing, having been on the scene since the late 90s and sporting at least an Scottish Downhill Association race and a World Cup since the early 2000s. 2007 even saw the World Championships roll into town.
Greg Minnaar is king at Fort William, taking the top step here seven times at the World Cup. Danny Hart is the king of the national races here though, having taken the top spot four times.
Gee Atherton has taken wins at both nationals and World Cups here in the past and will look to better his luck here compared to last year. Rachel Atherton will be the woman to beat as she’s taken the lion’s share of national and World Cup wins here.
Entries are now full and closed for the race and are not available in advance or on the day.
The Venue.
The race is being held at:
Nevis Range,
Fort William,
Inverness-Shire,
Scotland,
PH33 6SW
By Car:
The postcode for Nevis Range ski area is PH33 6SQ.
By Air:
Inverness is the nearest airport though Glasgow and Edinburgh both offer frequent UK and international connections.
By Rail:
Fort William train station offers daily connections to and from Glasgow.
The Track.
The track builders have been busy and a new section in the woods looks to do away with the more natural, if unpredictable, woods in favour of yet more Highland granite.
Other than that, expect some of the holes that appeared at the end of last season and during the snow to be filled, but the usual long, fast, rough experience Fort William is known for.
The race track descends 555m and is over 2.5km in length. It throws riders across a high speed mix of rocks, roots and big jumps with stunning views across Loch Linnhe. It’s one of the UK’s most challenging tracks with a race winning time coming in between four and a half and five minutes.
The race track will be taped out from 11th May and available for riders to walk the course, with official practice all day on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Race Schedule.
FRIDAY 11 MAY
08:00-23:00 Venue open
10:15-14:45 Gondola open with bike access
15:00-17:30 Commissaire course walk / inspection
16:00 Course open for on-foot inspection
15:00-20:00 Registration office open
23:00 Venue closed – no access
SATURDAY 12 MAY
07:00 Venue open. Course open for on-foot inspection
07:30-09:30 Registration office open
07:30 Marshal, media, commissaire, organiser, first aid, chief marshal briefing
08:15 1st gondola – Marshals and Medics
09:00 1st gondola – Riders
09:30 Training – all categories EXCLUDING Elite / Expert
10:30 Training – all categories
12:00 4X registration opens
13:00 4X practice (80% of the track)
15:00 Full runs only DHI and 4X gate practice
17:00 Training – Expert / Elite and top 5 ranked Juniors
17:30 Last gondola
18:00 DH Course closed and 4X motos
18:15 Riders / Managers’ meeting
18:30 Course open for on-foot inspection
23:00 Venue closed
SUNDAY 13 MAY
07:00 Venue open
07:30 Marshal, media, commissaire, organiser, first aid, chief marshal briefing
08:15 1st gondola
08:45 Training – All categories, full runs only
10:45-11:00 Training – ELITE-only
11:15 Seeding runs
14:30 Race runs
17:45 Presentation – top 5 each class
19:00 Venue closed and cleared.
Prize Giving.
There will be prizes from Horizon Watches, Start Fitness and more.
British Cycling will provide cash prizes to the Elite and Junior Men and Women’s categories.
Tech Area.
The Shimano Tech Team, Sprung Suspension and Schwalbe tyres will be on hand to support the riders.
Team Wideopenmag will also be in the pit area, so come and say hello, check out our new race Nukeproof Pulse race bikes and see what the team are up to this year.
