Bernard's Fort William Blog...

Sunny drive up to the fort but with a slightly blurry wind screen from all the god dam midges. I got there on the monday as i had to book accomidation for the week so may aswell make the most of it. Relaxed for a few days along with some cross country and capsising a canoe into the canal! Thursday rolled on and as usual so did sign on followed by course walk and practice!
Course was the same as last year bar one tiny bit which was a new rock section mid track to mix things up a little bit. The track had been swept and prept so was looking prtty good. It was a pretty simple track out the gate into a mini table followed by a table to stept down in table table pinned into the first coner either inside with a little double or just wide around the berm in to step up step downto a double to a flat right and a flat left but catching the end of the berm. Over slight left crest to a really loose off camber corner in to the new rock garden but you could go to the left hit the berm and get a strauighter line through but would let peopel on the inseide? This went back into the normal course off the step down and over the big main tabel into the huge right aud then left and step down step down and youre through the finish.
Practice came and went really well pushing up I saw Saladini gap out of the rock garden...it was sick, I saw Graves do it next, case it and blow a tyre. I had to do it pushed up came in and hit it, small case and the tyre went down. Happy with practice though.
Friday and the heaves were opening and closing like revolving door! I was kinda happy about this as the course was so dry this could help it and it did! course felt mint bar getting 2 more flats in practise! Qualyfiyng came and I rode like a girl did'nt hit the rock gap and was genarlly slow. It just wasnt my day...43rd!
Saturday came and i quallied well in the down hill so was pretty happy and confident going into practise. Practise was amazing crowds were the and i was feeling good hitting the rock gap perfect every time and whipping the big table.
Racing started i was the last heat with Scott Beaumont and some other i had 3rd pick. Gte dropped and i hit it, really pedalled hard and just went wide on the first turned and got back into 2nd just kept it tight to Scott the hole way down little to tight for the rock gap but never mind and got through to the next round! Next round just happened to be in the same heat as pat cj. gate droped and it was pretty even into the first turn but i went wide and pat pushed me out bad decision on my part and good riding by pat! I struggled but just could get back and ended up in 4th. Putting me top 32 but finishing 31st disappointing result, just looking forward to the next round in maribor, nice big fast track!

Check out the action on Freecaster (keep an eye out for Bernard and Pat C-J):


freecaster.tv/mtb/1008241/nissan-uci-mtb-world-cup-4x-fort-william-highlights