Madison Saracen Factory Race Team: UCI World Cup Round Three - Fort William, Scotland

Normally when we head to Fort William we’re greeted by sleet, fog, wind and even snow! The weather gods were smiling though and nearly the whole weekend was to be covered in glorious sunshine and barely a cloud in the sky. Check out our gallery below for a pick of the best shots from the Nevis Range.


With the track remaining much the same, it was only the new wooded section toward the bottom which demanded attention and of course the unusual dusty conditions that caused some carnage.











As Saturday rolled around, the team were in high-spirits for Quali’s. Junior rider Matt Walker (currently nursing a fractured finger!) put in a clean run to get down the range in third place and with plenty of room to go faster in his race run.




Manon also looked smooth and fast to get down with a great winning time of 5:25.410. She would be last on the hill for race day.



For Marc Beaumont and Matt Simmonds, Saturday was a different story. Both were holding fast in the splits for a top-20 time but the infamous rock gardens put an end to Marc’s weekend as he rolled across the line with a puncture and Simmonds took a small tumble costing him time and leaving him with an early race run for Sunday.





Race day at Fort William is an amazing experience with the atmosphere clouded with excitement. With everyone pushing hard, it was going to be tight at the top all day.



Matt Walker was looking to improve his series lead and keep the #1 plate on his bike. Gunning for his second World Cup victory, he washed out on a loose corner and lost time. He cruised over the line, thoughts already on the next round. Matt drops to second place in the overall but only 20 points back…





Manon Carpenter was flying all weekend but a crash near the bottom of the track took her out of contention. She salvaged third place and remains second in the standings.





With just a few seconds difference covering the majority of the top 25, Matt Simmonds was looking good, putting together a solid run. He took 22nd and moves closer to the top-20 overall.



Mixed emotions for the team, but Fort William holds a special place in our hearts and is a race where anything can happen. Plenty of opportunities to come with four rounds left, keep an eye out for the team as we head to Austria and the classic Leogang track.


Photo credit: Duncan Philpott

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MENTIONS: @SaracenBikes

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