UCI DH World Cup 2013: Fort William - Madison Saracen Report

Published: 13th June 2013 | By AngusMcIntosh

It has come to this. All the preparation, all the off-season training, hard grafting and logistical puzzles have all boiled down to this moment. The moment you are in the gate, looking down the start ramp, hands clenched to your grips, feet clipped in and you hear the beeps... your mind goes blank... beep... nothing else can be done... beep... but all that matters is that you are fastest down the maze that lies in front of you and there is no getting out of this... silence... a pause, the breath... beep! UCI World Cup Fort William here we go!

So you're packing your bags to head up to Fort William for the World Cup and immediately you think of the important essentials you will need; midge spray, warm clothes, and plenty of waterproofs but you never would have expected to be told to bring along sun screen and shorts because this one was booked for stunning weather. However, optimistic as ever the wellys and windproofs were donned for the unpredictable Scottish weather. Trucking right over from the British National in Innerleithen (which, bearing in mind was also amazing weather) we figured it just wouldn't last but much to our amazement it did. Rolling into Fort William on Monday afternoon with the rays blazing down on us we knew we were in for a storming week.

Two relaxing days to recover from Innerleithen went by far too fast and we found ourselves waking up Wednesday morning bright and early for the beginning of the first round on the World Cup circuit. Today was the day to get the pits set up, become reacquainted with the already familiar sights of Fort William and rustle a few rider’s feathers with some friendly banter. Wednesday is also a good chance to spend some serious spanner time on the bikes. Nationals come and go so fast that there is so little time to spend tinkering and changing the bikes, but World Cups let you really dial the bikes for a track and ensure they are running tip top, along with the opportunity to showcase them to the public. Alex and second World Cup team mechanic Martin Hoyle spent the afternoon stripping and rebuilding the steeds for the weekend.

Thursday and track walk day for the riders. A chance to get up close and personal with the track here at Fort William. The Nevis Range team have been flat out making the track perfect for this round. Apart from the Dudes of Hazzard Hoofer in the middle of the wooded section there haven't really been any huge additions to the track, just a bunch of maintenance and buffing on the top section and bottom table tops that have improved the flow. Along with the track walk, Thursday is also a key day for the crews to put the final touches on the finishing area, erect the expo stalls and set up the timing equipment ready for the weekend.

Another early start for the team on Friday morning with the gondola opening at 8.30AM for practice day. Happy to be back out on the bikes the team were feeling confident and motivated... all except one! After eating some dodgy fish the night before, Manon picked up a slight case of food poisoning. Not what you want on a race weekend. But even with Manon tucked up in bed ill for the day and missing out, the show went on. Phil was up first for Group 1 practice with Sam and Harry to follow in Group 2. Breaking up the two practice sessions and introducing the new Junior World Cup is the UCI’s bid to encourage new young hopefuls to have a go at racing on the international stage. This new format is perfect for the junior sprinter of the team, Phil Atwill, who now has the huge opportunity to win a World Cup right at his fingertips.

A successful practice morning and with Sam Dale snapping himself a 6th place in the timed practice session, the three were becoming familiar with the new lines and really starting to dial it in. A day which Manon was unlucky to miss out on and just had to hope that she could get up to speed on a whole World Cup track - top to bottom in the morning of Qualifying.

Saturday morning, the day of Qualifying and the crowds were starting to pour in to get a slice of the action. A key day for the riders as it determines whether they were actually going to race on Sunday. Fortunately for Phil Atwill the pressure was off along with the other Junior riders as they did not need to qualify and would all go through to racing on Sunday. However seeding was still a good chance to see if the other riders were up to speed and who was looking hopeful for the win.

Manon Carpenter was back on the hill after her fate-tempting sickness and looked like she wanted it. With no time at all to the learn the track and only getting three practice runs in, her qualifying run came up very fast! Determination secured her a very respectable 3rd place qualifying run, making her confident that with another days rest she could have a shot at the win. Sam Dale and Harry Molloy were next to come down for their qualifying runs and with new motivation and excitement to be here at the first World Cup, they were both looking strong. With Fort William claiming several unlucky riders and their steeds this weekend it was only a matter of time until one swung by our way with Harry getting the full of it. Unfortunately getting a wheel mechanical towards the bottom of the track, he was able to nurse it through to the last straight which where his wheel finally gave up and Harry had to run across the finish line with his bike. Falling short of qualifying, a disappointed Harry retired for the weekend leaving the mechanics to repair any damage that had been done. If there is any consolation to be had for Harry, he did manage to put in an 11th place at the splits, which if he had been able to finish would have put him in a very tidy position. Sam Dale managed to bring it back for the team by putting down a very impressive 15th place qualifying run. With room to improve he had set himself in a great position for Sunday.

Topping off the day for the team, they were able to give something back to the fans! Gamut hosted a Madison Saracen signing session where the team were able to meet fans, talk to them, sign posters, hats and alike. Within no time of starting there was a flock around the tent with a large line up forming to get involved with signing. Great to see how many people turned up... thanks to you all for the support!

The day we have all been waiting for - race day, and boy what stunning weather we were blessed with! As per the rest of the week, glorious sunshine basked the hillside of the Nevis Range and things were heating up for the Fort William World Cup. The crowds were piling in from far and wide dressed in all manner of crazy costumes and fans were ready to scream their favourites across the line. With plenty to do at Fort William including; the Shimano Saint test track, a pump track to race your buddies on, air bag sessions and water bottle bobbing with great Shimano prizes, there was definitely a vibe of excitement in the air.

Excitement also surrounded the pit area with the three riders all ready for the big Bill! Harry, feeling sorry for himself spent his morning catching up with team fitness coach Alan Milway and also getting over his wheel mishaps, already looking forward to Val di Sole.

A short session of morning practice (more of a “get your legs spinning” and to check the track out one last time) and it was time to get racing started! Phil up first with all the Juniors coming down the hill before the Women and Elites. With the win at the national series the week before, Phil knew he was up to speed. Coming down the hill and putting in a storming run with no real issues, he went straight into the hot seat almost 3 seconds up on Innes Graham. But with several riders still to come he struggled to hold onto it and finished 5th overall. Gutted to have not got the win but still stoked on 5th place, Phil can go away knowing he has the speed to win it, just needs to fine tweak a few bits for the next round.

Manon was up next and although feeling improvement from Saturday, she was still not 100%. The crowd was starting to get rather large and the pressure was building, she knew she had to put down a winning run - one of which was up by at least 5 seconds to stand any chance of beating Rachel Atherton. Manon had a quick top section, but coming into the motorway section lost a little bit of time out of sheer exhaustion. Crossing the line she had it, 5.3 seconds up on Myriam Nicole and into the hot seat with only Ragot and Rachel to come down! Emmeline Ragot failed to beat Manon but Rachel Atherton putting down a smashing run and snapped the 1st place position off Manon slipping her back to 2nd. Still, an amazing result for young Manon and to be sitting behind Rachel is a huge achievement.

Dale to drop next and with qualifying so high the pressure was doubled. With all eyes on the top twenty riders, the crowds were ready to welcome them down the hill and into the packed finishing area. Dropping in and with a little wobble out the gate he made it onward. Feeling as if he was having a slower top section he tried to press on for the middle section and made few silly mistakes by pushing too hard. Going into the motorway section and looking stylish and quick over the table tops he entered the arena crossing the line with a 4:45. A similar time to his qualifying run and not quick enough for the win but a well-deserved 18th place overall.

There we have it, another hugely successful weekend for the team! A few downers and again plenty to improve on for the next round. The team then packed up, waited for Manon’s extended visit to anti-doping (she couldn't wee!) and hit the road - Italy bound for the next round in sunny Val di Sol!

Junior - Phil Atwilll, 5th with a time of 4:54.883

Elite Women - Manon Carpenter, 2nd with a time of 5:18.985

Elite Men - Sam Dale, 18th with a time of 4:45.370

Words and Photos by Laurence Crossman-Emms

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