Long, exposed to the elements, lined with rock and huge jumps the downhill track in Fort William has been a fixture on the UCI World Cup calendar since the turn of the century. Its savagery seems to increase incrementally with each passing winter - and in 2024 it will be the first chance to see the stars of Gravity in action as it forms the opening round of the UCI Downhill World Cup.
It’s always one of the most hotly anticipated venues on the circuit for riders and fans alike. And any fans that want to be trackside next May should mark January 25 in their diary now – that’s when spectator tickets will go on sale right here on ww.ucimtbworldseries.com and they won’t be around for long!
Here’s everything that you need to know:
Where is it?
Based in Nevis Range, just outside of the second biggest town in the Scottish Highlands on the west coast of the Scotland is a racetrack like no other. The shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, is a long one and it attracts visitors from all over the world.
It lies at the southern end of the Great Glen and at the mouth of one of Scotland’s largest sea lochs, Loch Linnhe. Mountain biking aside, it also hosts the Scottish Six Day Trial every May.
Has there been racing here before?
Lots. Fort William has hosted an international downhill race each year since 2002, including two UCI World Championships in 2007 and 2023. It had a forced hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic, but aside from that has been omnipresent.
Its second hosting of the UCI World Championships came as part of the historic Glasgow 2023 event which saw over 200 rainbow jerseys claimed over 11 days of competition that brought all cycling formats together for the first time.
What’s the course like?
Legendarily tough. The start hut can be seen from the finish line as a spec on a green and brown marbled hillside high above, just to the viewers right of the top of Britain’s only gondola. The fact that a human being on a bicycle can make it from there to the finish line in well under five minutes feels laughable. But it’s no laughing matter.
The top section is exposed and fast. A sinew of hardpack through a bog that necessitates both full chat commitment but also the preservation of energy for what is yet to come. Then the rocks arrive, thick and fast. Accuracy is required at all times to maintain that forward momentum.
From the deer gate down, woods come into play and chances need to be taken in the mud before a huge set of jumps give way to a full speed descent into the noise of one of mountain biking’s most famous arenas. It is a course unique in its demands, length and requirements to conquer.
What else can we expect?
There is a pilgrimage element to Fort William; to get there from just about anywhere you have to be serious about your racing. The result every year is a crowd like no other on the circuit, each one packing layer upon layer to ward of any and all-weather scenarios which will, without doubt, transpire throughout the weekend.
Crucially, this is the first round of the season. It’s a track that the majority of the world's fastest will know well and respect. Who will emerge on top may well set the tone for what is to come for the rest of the summer.
Who are the favourites?
The most recent monarch of the Great Glen was Valentina Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team) who captured her second consecutive set of UCI World Championship rainbow stripes there last year. Her run was virtually flawless and one of a handful that she laced together on race days which highlighted just how far ahead of the elite women’s field she really can be.
The Elite Men’s race will go down in the UK mountain biking history books as Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton) took the win on home soil. His riding in the sloppy woods bordered on the sublime and as everyone else battled harder and harder against the track, Hatton seemed to just grow in stature and speed. The reception he’ll receive in Fort William in 2024 will be unlike any other that he will have experienced.
Fort William World Cup will take place 03 – 05 May 2024 and spectator tickets will be available on www.ucimtbworldseries.com from January 25th, 2024.
For more information, click here.
