However, there will be the 2023 UCI Downhill MTB World Championships at Fort William as part of the first ever multi-discipline Cycling World Championships, taking place throughout Scotland between 3 – 13 August.
The Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships will be 4 (Junior) and 5 (Elite) August 2023.
Back in 2002 a small Edinburgh based company managed to persuade the UCI to host a Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup at Nevis Range just outside Fort William.
Not only was it the first Downhill World Cup in the UK, but it was also the venue for the first ever 4X World Cup – anywhere. It saw the first of many Fort William wins for Tracy Moseley and it was awarded the best UCI World Cup award for 2002.
That small company (Rare Management) pulled it off. And has continued to pull it off almost continuously for the past 20 years, apart for a 2-year Covid induced pause.
Along the way we’ve accumulated many firsts in the sport and the multiple awards bear testament to Fort William’s success, profile and iconic status in the sport.
That reputation is down to three key groups of people:
Magic exists when these three elements come together – even when you throw in a bit of Highland weather and voracious midges.
Now it’s time for Rare Management to pass on the organisational baton just as the relaunched UCI World Series makes its mark on the international sporting stage. We are confident that Fort William’s legacy is in the safest of hands and we look forward to being fans at future World Cups.
Thanks to everyone – it’s been fun (and hard and frustrating and exhausting and rewarding).
Mike & Lesley (Rare Management)
The Fort William round of the UCI World Series returns to Nevis Range ski area on 3-5 May 2024. For regular updates and ticket info, register via the link below.
