Latest update from the World Cup team (27/5/08)

27/05/08

The bike tracks, including the Downhill, will be closed from the 2 June and re-open on the 9 June

16/05/08

The downhill and 4X season has now kicked off, with Sam Hill and Sabrina Jonnier carrying on where they left off in Fort William at the World Championships. It’s a similar story in cross country with Julian Absolon absolutely dominant – and the big news in XC is the return of Gunn-Rita Dahle.  But the British charge is pushing hard in Downhill and who knows, with the mighty Nevis Range roar pushing them on, maybe the Brits will deliver more World Cup titles in 3 weeks time.  All of the World Cup elements are coming together. Have you made your plans yet?   Your country needs you so, see you there.
The World Cup Team

Party in the Fort parties

With racing finished by 5pm on Saturday, it’s opened up lots of possibilities for a full-scale party programme in Fort William that evening.

Party in the Fort 7pm – 10.30pm
It kicks off with 3 live band free concert in town (Jyrojets, Mucus and one other to be confirmed) and some very special entertainment – watch this space – to add a real spectacle to the evening.

World Cup Ceilidh - Saturday 10pm - 2am
Then it’s over to the Nevis Centre for some late night partying with a wild mix of DJs and high energy ceilidh bands, just to loosen up tired limbs.  Tickets for the World Cup Ceilidh are £5, available online at www.thebooth.co.uk or on site at the event.

Steve and Rachel lead Brit charge in Maribor

The 2008 Downhill World Cup season kicked off in Maribor last weekend with wins for reigning Fort William World Champions Sam Hill and Sabrina Jonnier. The Brits were at the forefront of all the action with Steve Peat 3rd and Rachel Atherton 2nd.  Gee Atherton was 6th and Brendan Fairclough 9th with another 3 Brits in the top 20 men whilst Fionn Griffiths in 4th and Tracy Moseley in 7th put a total of 3 girls into the top 10.  Josh Bryceland took a bone-crunching fall, but should be back in action for Fort William.  The next Downhill/4X is at Vallenord, the weekend before Fort William. Follow the action live on MTBCut.tv.

Maribor Men
Sam Hill 2:47.54, 2) Julien Camellini 2:50.62, 3) Steve Peat 2:51.85, 4) Fabien Barel 2:52.11, 5) Greg Minnaar 2:52.19, 6) Gee Atherton 2:52.34, 7) Chris Kovarik 2:52.52, 8) Justin Leov 2:52.56, 9) Brendan Fairclough 2:54.23, 10) Andrew Neethling 2:55.49, 11) Dan Atherton 2:56.03, 17) Ben Cathro 2:57.52

Maribor Women
1)Sabrina Jonnie 3:14.31, 2)Rachel Atherton 3:14.49, 3) Emmeline Ragot 3:21.80, 4) Fionn GRIFFITHS 3:23.61, 5) Floriane PUGIN 3:23.95, 7) Tracy MOSELEY 3:26.89

Nevis Range gets ready

Fort William has been experiencing some spectacular weather for the past three weeks, allowing extensive maintenance including more than 30 tonnes of material being dropped on the Downhill course.  Unbelievably it actually needs a bit of rain to compact the material!  The World Cup course gets it’s first test of the season with a round of the SDA Championships this weekend.

Sam’s the Man in Val di Sole

This year’s World Championships is in Val di Sole, Italy. At the recent Downhill test event Sam Hill put down yet another marker of his awesome form, with a dominant win ahead of Steve Peat. So who can defeat Sam in Fort William? Come along and find out – it’s gonna be a big battle on the slopes of Aonach Mor.

Cross Country Trials bikers get in practice

A feature of the Cross Country races is the motorcycle trials riders who lead and follow the field, so that the course is clear when the superhuman riders power through. They also keep marshals and spectators aware of the state of the race and this year they will have lap marker boards on the front of the bikes.  Two of the regular motorcycle trials riders, Fort William based Kevin Dignan and former World Cup Downhill racer, Crawford Carrick Anderson took part in the recent Scottish Six days Trial. This long established event travels through some of the most remote parts of the country with a number of scored sections each day.  Good practise for the World Cup weekend when they’ll be chased by the likes of Julian Absolon.

Absolon reigns in Madrid

Julien Absolon lived up to expectations in Madrid, winning for the third week in a row! The women’s race was marked by the come back of Gunn Rita Dahle. A week after retiring in Offenburg, Gunn Rita Dahle signed a splendid come back and won for the fourth time (after 2004, 2005 and 2006) on the fast course of the Casa de Campo.
Britain’s Oli Beckingsale scored another strong 19th while Liam has started to move his way up the rankings with a 35th. A good start position is vitally important, so Liam can now expect to keep in better touch with the lead group as he rises up the rankings.

Accommodation Update

If you’ve not yet booked your accommodation, there is now an update of available hotels and B&Bs. Click here to download.