2010 Halo BDS Round 2 | Fort William

Fort William is dead. Long live Fort William! With less than a month left before the World Cup comes to town, the snow finally gone from the lower slopes of Aonoch Mhor, the builders have been in and the BDS show has rolled into town with new found enthusiasm for the events from riders.

Read on for more from round two of the BDS: Halo British Downhill Series Rnd 2 - Fort William


The BDS is a series rejuvenated. With the big names back in attendance and a huge amount of hype in the run up to the season there was an awful lot of speculation as to whether things would be able to live up to the hype. After Rheola things looked good, but would that continue with round two at Fort William? The simple answer to that question is yes. Looking around the pits early on Saturday morning you would be forgiven for thinking you were at a mini World Cup such were the number of trade stands and team pits lined up. Chain Reaction were one team to have brought the full contingent, as were Dirt/Norco and the Athertons with their Commencal set up.


The Bike Outlet team at BDS Fort William:

Not only was there a change in atmosphere and much promise of an exciting event but also changes to the track were being mentioned in the run up to the event. Now normally a collective groan is emitted when change is talked about at the Nevis Range, it rarely adding to the track and more often merely diluting any efforts to maintain the rest of the course. But this time the changes were not only more dramatic but significantly improved in their implementation over previous efforts even if it was clear to see that the deadline that they were working to was the World Cup rather than the BDS. Excavators and rock breaking equipment still scattered across the boundaries of the trail, as though interrupted by the inconvenience of a race on the opening weekend.


Rich Thomas at the Halo BDS:

All this machinery has been put to good use too to expose new bedrock from under layers of peat and move tons of hardcore into place to bridge boggy sections. This is the biggest overhaul the track has seen since the replacement of the top section for the 2007 World Championships. Where there were rough straights consisting entirely of braking bumps there are now rock slabs, drops and flowing, floaty bermed turns. Granted, there are some boggy bits which still need work but all the raw ingredients are there and they really do work very well. Riders were virtually unanimous in agreeing that the changes gave a new twist to the track which was widely regarded as being desperately in need of a freshening. All it needs is a little more time in the oven and it will be ready for the World Cup.


Photoplaymedia: Halo BDS Fort William:

So what were the changes? With the ravages of winter having done their best to wash everything out of the built up track the crew had their work cut out even to get the track back to where it was at the end of last season, let alone work on an ambitious plan of changes. Gone forever is pinball, one of the most famous sections of track just before you pass under the gondola on the open hillside up top but in its place is a section of drops and turns which, whilst slower, certainly add an element of fun and flow. The main rock slab above the deer gate has also been circumnavigated with a fantastic new rock garden, freshly revealed slab and sequence of fast turns following. They may not be huge changes but they certainly rejuvenate things and most agreed that it was great to get to Fort William and actually have to think about sections rather than just hit them flat out as you would do in previous years. All the riders stood at the side of the course on Saturday morning during practice to look at lines is testament to this.


Also in the taped course was the full World Cup wood section, another welcome element of thought when it came to walking the course and looking at lines. Smoother than ever with the majority of the old sections receiving a good re-surface, it still did a great job of beating up both bodies and bikes with several riders unfortunately evacuated from the hill on spine boards and many bikes in need of some serious TLC at the end of practice on Saturday. How many people wished they’d thread locked all those bolts which mysteriously dropped off somewhere between the start and the finish?


MTBCut BDS Round 2:


As for the rest of the track, very little needs to be said as it was mainly minor tweaks to the existing lines. The other noticeable factor over the course of the weekend was the weather. Whatever Si & Dave have done this year to please the weather, it’s worked. Two races which to all intents and purposes can be considered dry and warm is pretty good going, especially when the two venues so far of Rheola and Fort William are such miserable places to be once the weathers turned and you’re soaked to the skin.


Saturday practice went relatively smoothly, with the dynamic trio of Dave Franciosy, Toby Parodi & Si Paton on the mike which kept riders informed as to what was going on whilst tourists looked on in amazement. With only a few stoppages from injuries too there was no shortage of riding on tap with the number of runs done by some riders reaching into double figures. However, the more sensible or seasoned generally elected to spread their riding out and do only five or six on such a punishing course, spending the rest of their day trying to recover feeling in their hands or walking the course to look for those all important sneaky lines.


Dirt Norco Team Fort William Helmet Cam Run:

After a night of relaxation (or drinking, dependent on how serious you were taking things), Sunday dawned sunny and ready for racing. With a few quick practice runs done in the morning it was soon onto seeding and later, the real attraction, the racing.


Juveniles always suffer with the brutality of the track here, but the times were still quick. In third was Will Weston for Ancillotti UK whilst Cwmdown/Ps Cycles’ Callum Havard was second. However, and with a time of six minutes was Perth City Cycles’ Sam Herd.


In Youth, Ross Wilcox was third for I-Cycles with a 5:50 whilst Greg Gilfillan too second onboard Astrix for RHUK with a 5:46. With a smoking hot time of 5:28 however, and taking the win as a result, was Fraser McGlone who was in a league of his own. His time was good enough to have placed him second in Experts!


All of the top Juniors this year are seriously quick and are putting in times that put the majority of the field to shame. Lapierre Internationals new signing, Sam Flockhart, showed what he’s capable of with a 5:31. It was good but he’ll have been disappointed not to break under 5:30. Two riders who did just that though were MDE Bikes’ Arran Gannicott and All Terrain Cycles’ Mark Scott, taking second and first with 5:29 and 5:27 respectively.


When it comes to Veterans and Fort William there really only ever is going to be one winner, especially when Jason Carpenter stays at home. Peter Roberts took third with a 6:19 whilst Bikeactive.com’s Rich Simpson took second with a 6:15. But taking the win with a huge margin was local, Alastair MacLennan for Fort Williams’ MTB Ride Guide.


Masters is a category filled with ex-elites these days. Ex-MBUK team rider from many years past, Andrew Titley, took third for Kona/Paligap with a 5:49 whilst Antony Gaskin was second with a 5:48. But taking the win amid protestations that he hasn’t ridden a bike in five years was team Chain Reaction’s manager Nigel Page, showing that he can still cut it when the time comes.


Luke Ball took third with a 5:40 for Plymouth Cycle Scene and Ralph Richardson second for The Bike Outlet. Ralph was red flagged in his run but kept it together for the re-run and put in a 5:38, just under five seconds down on the 5:33 of All Terrain Cycles’ Joe Flanagan.


After a massive crash the week before in Llangollen, Angela Proctor was back in the action and took third in the non-Elite girls category with a time of 7:37 whilst local Emma Atkinson took second with a 7:11 for 777 racing. Taking the win however was Ellie Maxfield with a time of 7:05, having made the long trip north from the Bristol. The win no doubt made the trip back down south a lot less tedious!


Fox Presents Danny Hart Fort William Helmet Cam Run:

In Experts Oli Burton took third with a 5:31, just behind Pearce Cycles rider Owain James on a 5:30 for second. Ancillotti’s Jack Geoghegan showed consistency and took both the win in seeding and the race with both runs on the same time of 5:26.


In the Elite girls Jess Stone took third for the Trek/Gravity Girls team before travelling out to the first World Cup of the season in Maribor early on Monday morning. Keeping Nigel Page happy was Claire Buchar, the Chain Reaction rider placing second behind the 2008 World Champ, Rachel Atherton, for Commencal.


Sam Flockhart Fort William Helmet Cam Run May 2010:

Watching the Elites is always an awesome experience, their riding in another league. Ben Reid took third with a 5:07, his team mate Stanny out with injury. Second was Dan Atherton for Commencal, his brother Gee having a mechanical which set him back in eighth. Gee’s time of 5:05 was good but no match for Chain Reaction rider Chris Kovarik who set fastest time in seeding with a time of 5:05 and then followed it up in the final with a 5:02.


So there you have it, round two of the 2010 Halo British Downhill Series. The atmosphere is at levels that most riders can’t remember and optimism and excitement for the rest of the series is incredible. How will things go at Llangollen in six weeks time? After treacherous course conditions for the Welsh Champs everyone is hoping that the planned course changes will provide yet more great racing and a similar optimism from riders. From there the series moves to Moelfre in August and then Caersws in September, all tried and tested venues and hopefully all capable of meeting the high standards that the BDS team have set for themselves. And credit where credit is due, this year really has got off to a great start. Any issues have been solved quickly and professionally and the overall impression is of a very slick, very well managed event. And when it’s like that, riders are far less averse to paying the entry fee when they see improvements for their money.



The next big race in the UK is the Midlands Championships organized by the Pearce Cycles crew on the 16th May whilst the next BDS is Round 3 at Llangollen on the 27th June. See you all there.

BDS Round 2 photo album here.

Descent-Gear
British Downhill Series
Roots and Rain (Interactive results)