B
Bomba
Guest
So, as you may know I was at the first round of the World Cup in Fort William for the last week. I
went there as a guest / wrench for Edge Bikes (www.edgebikes.com) and what a cracking time we had.
We arrived on the Wednesday so my brother could get some practice on the course.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0001.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0002.JPG
The bottom of the DH course combined with the 4X course, which made the middle double stupid.
Imagine going from a 20+ foot double in to an 8 foot double at the same speed. Bad design. Most guys
chose to clear the downslope and the flat and on to the next downslope - a jump of about 30 foot.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0003.JPG
The approach to the jump under the Tissot inflatable.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0004.JPG
The very top of the course. The finish is where all those trees in the valley are - a drop of 525m
over 2.6km. The top guys were doing the course in just over four minutes.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0006.JPG
Edge Bikes owner Adrian - Eddie from Bottom? http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0007.JPG
This caught me somewhat unawares, hence the lack of head. Gracia decided to hit the Tissot jump and
suicide it. Pretty impressive when you consider he's travelling about 30 odd mph and clearing a jump
of over 30 foot. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD00010.JPG
Pit area: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0011.JPG
The start - finish area during qualifying. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0014.JPG
The 4X final was on Saturday evening. All three of the Edge 4X riders (Rich Batey, Jordan Gould
and Nick Green) qualified, although unfortunately Nick Green crashed through the four pack in
practice and had to be carried down the mountain on a stretcher. Luckily, a trip to A&E showed no
serious damage.
We managed to get a fantastic vantage point for the 4X on the side of the first berm. And here are
the pics: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0016.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0017.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0018.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0019.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0020.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0021.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0022.JPG
This is the middle section of the track. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0023.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0024.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0025.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0026.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0027.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0028.JPG
Bas de Bever and Mike King just about to go out of the side of the berm. We'd moved from that spot 5
minutes earlier http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0029.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0030.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0031.JPG
Women's final (Llanes won): http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0032.JPG
Men's final: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0033.JPG Carter, Peat and Probic all
crashed on the first double allowing Minaar to cruise down the course for the win.
Mickael Pascal over the Tissot jump in Sunday practice.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0034.JPG
Rob Warner in practice (damned tree). http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0035.JPG
Neil Harris (bruv) in practice http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0036.JPG
A crappy video of Aidan Bishop (also Edge Bikes) hitting the Tissot jump in practice:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0008.AVI
The upper section of the course taken from the gondola during the race.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0040.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0041.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0042.JPG
Middle section http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0043.JPG
End http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0044.JPG
We got a fantastic vantage point for seeing the final riders coming in (on top of Martyn Hawes and
Martin Ashton's truck). This is Bas de Bever coming in in 7th place.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0045.JPG
To wrap up, all the photos can be found here: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/
Gracia took the win in the men's and Celine Gros the women's. My brother took a tree in his
qualifying run and couldn't get it out - I think he got 115th. The other Edge rider, Aidan Bishop
missed out on qualifying by four seconds.
Went out on the Sunday night to the riders' party at one of the hotels and it all went off. Gracia
was absolutely blitzed and everyone followed his lead. The place was getting rowdy and they closed
the bar at 11 for all non-residents. The party continued though and all got a little out of hand. A
fight broke out between two of the British riders (for upsetting someone's parents - hardcore!) and
that's when the police arrived. On their way out, someone, who shall remain nameless, decided to
take a WPC's hat as a souvenir!
Quality weekend. With any luck, I'll be back there next year.
went there as a guest / wrench for Edge Bikes (www.edgebikes.com) and what a cracking time we had.
We arrived on the Wednesday so my brother could get some practice on the course.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0001.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0002.JPG
The bottom of the DH course combined with the 4X course, which made the middle double stupid.
Imagine going from a 20+ foot double in to an 8 foot double at the same speed. Bad design. Most guys
chose to clear the downslope and the flat and on to the next downslope - a jump of about 30 foot.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0003.JPG
The approach to the jump under the Tissot inflatable.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0004.JPG
The very top of the course. The finish is where all those trees in the valley are - a drop of 525m
over 2.6km. The top guys were doing the course in just over four minutes.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0006.JPG
Edge Bikes owner Adrian - Eddie from Bottom? http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0007.JPG
This caught me somewhat unawares, hence the lack of head. Gracia decided to hit the Tissot jump and
suicide it. Pretty impressive when you consider he's travelling about 30 odd mph and clearing a jump
of over 30 foot. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD00010.JPG
Pit area: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0011.JPG
The start - finish area during qualifying. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0014.JPG
The 4X final was on Saturday evening. All three of the Edge 4X riders (Rich Batey, Jordan Gould
and Nick Green) qualified, although unfortunately Nick Green crashed through the four pack in
practice and had to be carried down the mountain on a stretcher. Luckily, a trip to A&E showed no
serious damage.
We managed to get a fantastic vantage point for the 4X on the side of the first berm. And here are
the pics: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0016.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0017.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0018.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0019.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0020.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0021.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0022.JPG
This is the middle section of the track. http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0023.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0024.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0025.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0026.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0027.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0028.JPG
Bas de Bever and Mike King just about to go out of the side of the berm. We'd moved from that spot 5
minutes earlier http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0029.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0030.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0031.JPG
Women's final (Llanes won): http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0032.JPG
Men's final: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0033.JPG Carter, Peat and Probic all
crashed on the first double allowing Minaar to cruise down the course for the win.
Mickael Pascal over the Tissot jump in Sunday practice.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0034.JPG
Rob Warner in practice (damned tree). http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0035.JPG
Neil Harris (bruv) in practice http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0036.JPG
A crappy video of Aidan Bishop (also Edge Bikes) hitting the Tissot jump in practice:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0008.AVI
The upper section of the course taken from the gondola during the race.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0040.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0041.JPG
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0042.JPG
Middle section http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0043.JPG
End http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0044.JPG
We got a fantastic vantage point for seeing the final riders coming in (on top of Martyn Hawes and
Martin Ashton's truck). This is Bas de Bever coming in in 7th place.
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/FXCD0045.JPG
To wrap up, all the photos can be found here: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/fort_william/
Gracia took the win in the men's and Celine Gros the women's. My brother took a tree in his
qualifying run and couldn't get it out - I think he got 115th. The other Edge rider, Aidan Bishop
missed out on qualifying by four seconds.
Went out on the Sunday night to the riders' party at one of the hotels and it all went off. Gracia
was absolutely blitzed and everyone followed his lead. The place was getting rowdy and they closed
the bar at 11 for all non-residents. The party continued though and all got a little out of hand. A
fight broke out between two of the British riders (for upsetting someone's parents - hardcore!) and
that's when the police arrived. On their way out, someone, who shall remain nameless, decided to
take a WPC's hat as a souvenir!
Quality weekend. With any luck, I'll be back there next year.