The Fort William World Cup is one of 9 events taking place in Europe and North America, from April to September. There are 8 Downhill and 8 XCO World Cups in the calendar.

Taking place between the 1st and 3rd of June, the Fort William World Cup will be an action packed weekend and fun for everyone involved. Whether you're riding or spectating, a seasoned pro or a newbie to the sport, this weekend will have something for you.

Watch out for the Mini Downhill event on Saturday morning, the kids have been working hard all season to qualify for this great event and will be looking to impress on the big stage.

Read on to find out what Event Organiser Morven Brown is looking forward to most about the weekend!

Who's Going?

Pretty much everyone who is competing at the highest level will be there. Famous names, Heroes from the magazines and World Champions, will be joined by the stars of the future as everyone battles for a place on the podium and important World Cup points.
We expect more than 250 competitors from around 25-30 nations.

At a World Cup, riders can compete as individuals, for factory teams or for their National Teams. Riders can only enter if they have a minimum number of UCI points, which are earned in other qualifying mountain bike events.

Fancy riding the course?

Most of the Downhill course is open to the public, although there will be some sections only used for the World Cup.
The course is open for public riding from May 5  – September 2018 (provisional). For the World Cup it will be closed from Monday 28 May. It is hoped that the course will re-open after mid-day on Monday 4 June. This will depend on the amount of repair work required to the course following the World Cup.

Please check with Nevis Range for accurate opening times.
Telephone: 01397 705825

The 4X track is open to riders all year (except for the the week of the World Cup 28 May-3 June), but it is not supervised and use of the track is at your own risk.

The existing World Cup and World Championship XC courses are part of the extensive Witch’s Trail network in the Leanachan Forest. They are also open to the public, 365 days a year.

The Mini Downhill

Mini Downhill (Mini DH) is just like the real thing but smaller. Shorter courses, smaller bikes and younger riders but it has all of the passion, excitement and drama of racing!

The Mini Downhill Series provides a pathway for aspiring young downhill riders to get their first taste of downhill racing.

Mini Downhill (Mini DH) is just like the real thing but smaller. Shorter courses, smaller bikes and younger riders but it has all of the passion, excitement and drama of racing!

The Mini Downhill Series provides a pathway for aspiring young downhill riders to get their first taste of downhill racing.

Event Organiser, Morven Brown thought back to previous years events and what she is most looking forward to this time around:

"It’s my second year as the Event Organiser for the Mini DH and I can’t wait to see the kids back racing their bikes at the same event as their Downhill heroes. We use a course which runs parallel to the bottom of the World Cup Downhill course and it’s a safe and exciting introduction to racing at a World Cup for the 80 Under 16s who have qualified to ride at the Finals. Last year we were joined by Tracy Moseley and Claudio Claurori who were extremely impressed by the skills and dedication of the young racers. It’s an excellent opportunity for spectators to watch the stars of the future, with racing starting at 10am."

Want some freebies?

Scottish Cycling staff will be on the ground chatting to everyone and giving away some very special free gifts. Come by our stall to find out more!

(Our stall will be more stall shaped than in previous years)

What's on... and When?

This daily programme is provisional and may be subject to change. Daily schedules and start lists can be found on various notice boards around the World Cup Village during the event itself.

FRIDAY 1 JUNE
0800 - 1515	DHI training
1000 - 1600	The Shimano STEPS eBike test track TBC
1530 - 1700	DHI Timed Training top 60 ME, top 15 WE and top 10 MJ & top 3 WJ of latest UCI ranking list
1710 - 1840	4X Pro Tour Training
1845 - 2000 (est.)	4X Pro Tour Qualification
SATURDAY 2 JUNE
0830 -	Site open to public
0800 - 0945	DHI training Group B + Whip Comp
1000 - 1630	The Shimano STEPs eBike test track TBC
1000 - 1145	DHI training Group A + Whip Comp
1030 - 1230	Scottish Cycling Youth Mini DH races
1215 -	World Cup DHI Seeding Junior Women
1230 -	World Cup DHI Qualifying Junior Men
- 1330	Scottish Cycling Youth Mini DH races prizegiving immediately after Junior Men
1330 -	World Cup DHI Qualifying Elite Women
1400 -	World Cup DHI Qualifying Elite Men
1605 (est.)	4X Pro Tour Rider intro top 4 women and top 4 men
1620 - 1720	4X Pro Tour Training
1730 - 1930 (est.)	4X Pro Tour - Followed by Awards Ceremony
SUNDAY 3 JUNE
0830 -	Site open to public
0800 - 0900	DHI training World Cup Finals starters Junior Men, Junior Women and Women
0945	Women Junior World Cup Downhill Final
1000 - 1300	The Shimano STEPs eBike test track TBC
1015	Men Junior World Cup Downhill Final
1045	Women DHI Rider intro top 3 qualifying + WC leader (elite)
1100 - 1200	DHI training World Cup Finals starters Men
1205 - 1220	DHI Rider intro top 3 qualifying + WC leader (elite)
1220 - 1230	Red Bull Matadors Aerial Display
1230 -	Women World Cup Downhill Final
1330 -	Men World Cup Downhill Final - Followed by Awards Ceremony for all categories

Abbreviation:
DHI = Downhill
4X = 4X Pro Tour

Keep an eye on @ScottishCycling for behind the scenes info!