During the winter months the Nevis Range is one of Scotland's premier ski resorts; during the summer, mountain bikers decend from around the world to sample the excellent world class downhill track and the various forest stage for cross country. 

2006 UCI World Mountain Bike Championship Round

In the summer of 2006 The Nevis Range played host to a round of the UCI World Mountain Bike Championships and LetsGoThere was there to watch the drama of the Downhill on the Sunday.  

As the car park of the Nevis Range had been taken over by the event village, the organisers had organised a Park and Ride from various locations including in the centre of Fort William and at a school just up from Lochy Holiday Park, where we were staying.  Excellent :-)

What wasn't excellent was they didn't take Credit or Debit cards for tickets. I do hope they change that for the World Championship next year!

The event village was a combination of the team's preperation tents and various vendors of mountain bike gear.

It was interesting to get close to top down hill bikes and see, for example, Honda's gearbox bikes up close.  Most of the top bike vendors had a presence, including Canondale, showing off a collection of their Lefty suspension bikes.

There was also a good collection of shows on from stunt riders - including one (pictured) who could have been no more than 10!

A main grandstand had been set up at the finish line, but we headed straight for the top - via the cable car.  The queue was pretty long, because the competitiors also use it to get to the top. It was great to have a chat to one of the riders on the way up.

At the top the wind was blowing a gale and the occasional snow flurry, but at least it was sunny and the view was amazing.  The riders in their lycra, hid behind the large ski lodge and warmed up on static bikes.

As the bikes approach the marshalls blow their whistles, and everyone stops their progress down the hill to cheer the next competitor on.

Up on the hill its hard to understand who is comming next, let along their nationality, but everyone supports everyone in this sport. 

Enterprising kids fill their empty Coke cans with stones to make rattles, others have brought cow bells or fog horns - up on the hill side the noise is spread out, but as you get into the wooded section people are squezed together to get a view and the noise is incredible as the riders pass us.

What some riders are doing in around 6 minutes takes about 3 hours to get down, but we arrive at the grandstand in time to see the last few of the top men riders come down.  The big screen shows the leaving the start line and then they are off camera for the next 3 minutes.  As soon as they appear back on screen a huge cheer goes up and carries on till the plucky rider makes it the grandstand.

This was a great day out for the whole family and we are looking forward to going again for the World Championship event next year.