After two years of setbacks, The Flying Scotsman showed the world that he's still one of the fastest
After 1,090 days, Reece Wilson is back on a World Cup podium.
It’s been a long time coming for the Flying Scotsman. Wilson has dealt with injury after injury for the last two years, each pushing his recovery two steps back for every one step of progress. A year ago, he was unsure whether he’d ever race again. He’d badly broken his leg in multiple places in a motocross accident early in the year, and his recovery was fraught with complications. He participated in just one World Cup, taking 61st in qualifying in Val di Sole.
But in suddenly treacherous conditions in Loudenvielle, where the top riders in the world were battling just to stay upright, Wilson went second fastest, and finally — finally — hopped back on a World Cup podium step.
Back on a podium step.
The Flying Scotsman living up to his name.
“A year ago I never thought I’d race the bike again, nevermind stand on a podium,” Wilson said after the race. “When it started raining I thought, ‘This is Reece’s day. You’re never gonna get a better day than this.’ When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and I felt super strong all week. I love this track. It’s my first time here. I’m just trying not to cry again and again and again.”
Wilson thrives in the mud, having been hardened on Scottish trails. The best day of his career — winning the 2020 World Championship in Leogang — took place in the wet. But his comeback in Loudenvielle wasn’t a fluke of nature. He was the strongest rider of the weekend, period, taking 10th in qualifications on a sunny Saturday. Before then, he had not finished top 10 in a World Cup run since March, 2022.
“I felt insane on the track when it was bone dry,” Wilson said. “I was ready to have it rain or shine. It felt like I was going to be a top five guy today.”
An emotional moment to one of the most beloved riders in the game.
Take a bow, Reece.
The last time Wilson stood on a World Cup podium, it was a win. He capped his 2021 season by winning in Snowshoe. In a little under one month, he’ll take his resurgent form to another rough-and-tumble North American track in Mont-Sainte-Anne.
“To come back and be where I am today and stand on that box again, and be surrounded by the pilots that are up there, is just sensational,” Wilson said. “I’ve been coming all year and I’m finally here. I’m ready for these guys.”
Wilson capped what has been a sensational week for Trek Factory Racing Downhill. Last week, Loris Vergier won the Men’s Elite DH World Championship, and got to fly his rainbow stripes for the first time in front of a home French crowd, taking 14th. Earlier in the day, Sacha Earnest took third in the Women’s Junior race for her fifth Top 3 World Cup or World Championship finish of the season. Unfortunately, Bodhi Kuhn had to sit due to injury, but there’s no denying his impact on this squad.
Sacha Earnest has been a podium mainstay all season.
Loris Vergier looks GOOD in rainbow stripes.
TFR DH is poised to close the season on a high, with just a trip to Canada from October 4-6 remaining on the calendar.
“When you have 3-4 years of incredible highs, what goes up must come down. And in my position now, what’s down must go up,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, you’re susceptible to life’s rollercoaster.
“I feel like we’re finally climbing back out of that pit now. I’ve got sunshine on me and we’re on the way back up. And like I say, it’s been a long time.”
