The second stop of the season took the iXS EDC back to Fort William – and with it, back to one of the most legendary downhill tracks of all time. Following last year’s impressive debut, it quickly became clear that this race has the potential to become an absolute classic on the calendar.

Friday – Training

Typical Scotland: scattered showers alternated with sunshine on Friday, though conditions on the course remained very consistent. Many riders were already familiar with the course from last year or previous World Cups, yet there were still a few surprises in store. Here is the Maxxis Course Preview with Adam Brayton and Sorley Swabey.

The Challenges

The new sections in the upper part of the course were a particular talking point. At first glance, the fresh meadow sections looked fast and smooth, but the gradient and varying grip soon turned them into a real challenge. Over the course of six hours of training, the riders clocked up plenty of runs, fine-tuned their lines and gradually got to grips with the new sections.

Saturday – Sunshine Deluxe

On Saturday, Fort William showed itself from an unusually pleasant side. Sunshine, clouds and just a light breeze made for almost perfect conditions. The track offered plenty of grip, but changed noticeably over the course of the day as a result of the many runs. Particularly in the new grassy sections, deeper ruts and new lines began to form.

Seeding Run

The seeding session went off without a hitch at first, until a red flag was raised for a re-run during the final five Elite Men’s heats. Despite the interruption, the standard remained extremely high. The fastest woman of the day was Harriet Harnden (GBR – AON Racing), who thus demonstrated her ambitions for the final day. 

In the Elite Men’s category, Danny Hart (GBR – Norco Race Division) set the fastest time. However, it was junior rider Nathan De Vaux (GBR) who produced one of the most impressive runs of the day, with a time that was a bit faster than the fastest Elite time – a real statement on this course.

Race Day & Scottish Weather

Overnight, the rain returned to Fort William, completely transforming the course just in time for race day. The track was already wet by morning, and showers continued to fall intermittently throughout the day. The new grass sections in particular became extremely muddy and turned out to be one of the most challenging parts of the course over the weekend.

Kings of the Bill

Despite the difficult conditions, the riders put on a spectacular race. Harriet Harnden claimed another victory in the Elite Women’s category, impressively confirming her strong form in Fort William. In the Elite Men’s category, Charlie Hatton (GBR – Continental Atherton) repeated his victory from last year and demonstrated once again why this course suits him perfectly. 

Strong Weekend

Fort William has once again shown why this race is already one of the highlights of the EDC. The organisation ran almost flawlessly throughout the weekend, the atmosphere in the paddock was fantastic, and despite the typical Scottish weather, riders and spectators were treated to a truly spectacular show. Sun, rain, mud and racing at the very highest level – that’s exactly why we love Scotland.

A big thank you goes to the entire Nevis Range team and to all the volunteers who ensured safety on the course, even in the most adverse conditions. Thank you to everyone who took part in this event!