Fort William giveth, and Fort William taketh
Sometimes, the breaks just don’t go your way.
Fort William is an iconic track for good reason: Set in the Scottish highlands, no other major downhill track is as long or as bumpy. But that brutality can come at a cost, as the Trek Factory Racing Downhill boys found out this weekend.
Loris Vergier was the team’s highest finisher with a solid sixth, but a mechanical issue during the back half of his run stymied what was on pace to be a podium performance or better. Reece Wilson entered the weekend with high expectations for himself as a Scotsman, and finished a disappointing, by his standards, 17th. Kade Edwards was an impressive 13th in qualifying, but he fell on an early turn during the finals and had to settle for 57th and A LOT of sick whips. And Charlie Harrison never got the chance to race, suffering a broken finger during practice.
Reece Wilson rumbling down a brutal track pre-race.
What could go wrong, did. That’s the way racing goes sometimes, especially on courses like Fort William. As Wilson wrote on Instagram after the race, all that can be done now is appreciate the atmosphere and move forward.
“Haven’t been feeling myself for a while now and this weekend was no different,” Wilson said. “There’s always positives to take and I can think of many to take from this weekend. It’s all smiles moving forward. The real legends this weekend are the fans. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for standing in that rain all weekend to cheer us on.”
Scenes from a difficult, but electric, Sunday below:
Loris getting some last practice in.
Reece closing in on the finish line.
Kade on the move during his race run.
Loris gunning for the finish line.
Soaring Kade.
All smiles before and after.
