“It is what it is……”

The drive through the highlands to Fort William provides many stunning scenes

The UCI Mountain Bike World cup at Fort William is legendary and, as a first timer to the event, the nerves were starting to make themselves known as I drove the amazing A82 that snakes it’s way through Scotland. The banks of Loch Lomond signal the start of the epic views that leave you full of awe all the way to the stunning Nevis range.

The world cup course on Aonach Mòr lies among the Nevis range which was once the training ground of the British Commandos during WW2

Stunning everywhere you look

Preparations were in full swing on Thursday morning with the pits a hive of activity for busy mechanics and team personnel who were getting ready for the four days ahead.

Media pass collected and new mascot attached to the bag for the weekend

Quick catch up with Moore Large/O’Neal riders Douglas and Roger Vieira in the team pits. Douglas was still carrying an injury on his ankle from a nasty crash here 3 weeks ago and was unsure how it would hold up over the course of the weekend.

Deadly serious at all times with these guys….

And we were soon off in the gondola to the top in the blazing sunshine, a very welcome change from the usual Scottish summer weather.

Laughs and smiles. For now…

The track walk was very enlightening for a first timer like myself. Everything you have seen over the years on videos does not do this place justice. The rocks, drops, jumps and overall gnarliness are all multiplied by 100 when you see the place first hand.

The famous Fort William start hut

Rocks. Many many rocks

The boardwalk section that carries the riders over the boggy parts of the course at the top

More huge rocks.

The boys choosing their lines underneath the gondolas

Time for an interview with Nick on the way down

The infamous woods section that would prove to be some riders downfall come race day.

All smiles for now but unfortunately not for long.

Friday morning and the sun was still doing it’s thing as last minute checks on the bike and kit were done before the first practice runs got underway.

Top 60 plate for Douglas after the first round of the world cup in Croatia.

All kit checked and cleaned before that exciting first run.

Douglas tackling the steep rocks on his first run.

Speed tucking the boardwalk.

The rocks on the exposed top section are never ending.

Douglas trying hard to keep the Polygon on it’s wheels to keep the speed up.

Style for miles.

The track winds it way down the exposed mountainside of Aonach Mòr with glorious views that stretched for miles.

Roger pinning down one of the many rocky chutes

Douglas styling it up past the Silverline wallride.

Moving down the course and the roots proved no match for Roger as he leapt his way down.

Friday practice finished, it was time to head back to the pits and discuss how the days riding went. Douglas’ ankle was very painful by now and he was unsure whether he would be riding the following day.

The weekend forecast didn’t look very promising on Friday night

The locals didn’t seem to care too much about the weather forecast.

The glorious sound of bagpipes filled the air all weekend.

Luckily, Saturday morning proved the weather forecast wrong for a change and it was straight into practice and then qualifying in the afternoon.

Unfortunately this was a day to forget for the team.

A quick video interview in the pits to start the day.

Pre Qualifying video’s done, it was time to head back up the mountain.

Douglas was first down in morning practice and a crash near the top didn’t get the day off to a great start. With his ankle proving too painful, he made the decision not to ride again or attempt qualifying in a bid to heal the injury for the upcoming races.

Despite the crash further back on the course there was no stopping the style from Douglas.

Looking more like he came from a boxing ring it was weekend over for Douglas.

Douglas will hopefully be back to full strength for the next round of the WC at Leogang.

Roger was on track shortly after and although he was fast all day Friday, he was even faster and absolutely flying in practice and was looking for a good qualifying position for race day.

Last minute bike check

Roger was pinned all morning and anticipations were high for the afternoon.

And then it was over.

As Roger came into view of the finish line he overcooked the drop down the “wall” and landed virtually to flat at the bottom and crashed heavily. The impact seeing him crunch sickeningly onto the bike then tumbling across the track, thankfully in front of some off duty medics who looked after him until the course medical team appeared shortly after.

A just conscious Roger immediately after the horrific crash in qualifying.

His O’Neal helmet stayed intact and helped prevent any serious head injury.

A long, anxious wait as Roger was prepared to be stretchered down to the medical centre where he was looked after by the medical staff until taken away to the local hospital.

The medical staff were amazing in their response and prompt action.

Roger was kept overnight in hospital for observation but was thankfully discharged on Sunday afternoon with bruised lungs and ribs, many scratches and bruises all over but miraculously free of any serious injuries.

And that was the weekend over for the team. Not the finish to the weekend the team wanted but at least Douglas and Roger walked away to race another day.

Race day itself was a bit of an anticlimax with no team riders. Luckily the forecast rain appeared after the racing had finished and Scotland had proved to be an unforgettable weekend for many.

My lasting memories of the weekend are of Roger sending it huge off the Scotland sender.

And of Douglas riding the wallride with more style than anyone all weekend.

---Fort William race report day 2 (2 of 2)-2

Loch Leven sunset

-- sample 1 (1 of 2)

Scotland. You were epic

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SOUTHERN ENDURO. MILLAND 2020

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020 ~ BigMac ~ Leave a comment

The Southern Enduro series finally got underway in 2020 much to the huge relief of riders from all over the country, all desperate for their racing fix in what has been a disastrous year for race organisers, riders and photographers alike.

The socially distanced race village and sign on was a chance for everyone to meet up after many months of non racing and the atmosphere amongst the riders was buzzing as Milland always provides fantastic race events with stages worthy of any Enduro in the country.

Luckily for everyone involved, the rain and mud of 2019 was very much absent and replaced with fast, dry tracks and lots of dust although still very cold and windy. The morning saw very challenging light conditions for riders and photographers with a deforested open section at the top. The light soon changed halfway down where the tracks on stage 1 and 2 plunged deep into the dark woods.

So dark in fact I spent the first half of stage 1 cursing the lack of light only to curse the bright blue skies at the top.

A photographer is never happy as anyone who has ever listened to me moan about the conditions will testify!

Stage 1 was the pedal stage that demanded stamina and fitness from the riders with a fun, flowy track. This was followed by a series of sprints between tight corners in the woods and the relief of the riders faces as they completed the first stage was plain to see.

Stage 2 was the best, photo wise with a ton of features and of course the bridge! I love that bridge as you will see in a second. A huge log step down right at the start led into some sandy and dusty corners with a couple of cool jumps and step downs. Into the woods the pace picked up with some tricky rooty sections that led to the swamp crossing near the end.

And then down to the bridge.

Did I mention I love this bridge? With the moody light, dark ferns and swampy ground it looks like a scene from the Hampshire location of Jurassic park and I’m sure I heard some distant roars, or that may be have groans as the riders sprinted down to the finish!

Stage 3 consisted of loose and loamy corners right from the start gate and was a twisty techy ride through the trees. It seemed to be one of the riders favourite stages but not a photographers one as it was tricky to shoot.

Stage 4 was a fast blast out the start gate and some interesting features all the way down from step downs into 180 degree berms to the narrowest gap through the trees imaginable! Some sprint sections and a couple of small jumps and drops led to the natural bowl that was the finish line for several of the stages.

Stage 5, well I could say that stage 5 was more of the same as 4 but as I didn’t shoot it I can’t show you! But was it another fast stage with some really tight action through the trees that saw the riders finish into the arena. Despite the exhaustion, all competitors enjoyed another epic Southern Enduro at Milland.

The Southern Enduro series has really proven itself to be one of the premier enduro series in the UK with it’s slick organisation and fantastic courses. And it’s down to Mr Enduro himself ,above, and all the team do an incredible job every race so a huge thanks to them, the marshals, medics, timing guys and catering.

Roll on Pippingford for the next round.

RIDERS IN THE STORM

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 ~ BigMac ~ Leave a comment

The blue skies and wall to wall sunshine of 2018 were sadly missing this year for the Moore Large/O’Neal race team for round 2 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William.

Thick mist, high winds and sideways rain were the theme for the race on Aonach Mor for 2019 and the events on track were certainly a match for the storm that was brewing over the highlands.

With 3 riders racing at the very highest level for the team, there was no time to waste in slipping the waterproofs on, getting up onto the mountain and brave the elements that would challenge riders and photographers alike.

This was Fort William in 2019…..

Sion Margrave. Junior men.

Sion is the teams youngest rider and had the great honour of not only representing his team but also his country in the team GB kit this weekend for only his second ever World Cup.

Friday was a good day that saw him dial into his new bike very quickly in the awful conditions and was soon up to speed and feeling confident for his qualifying run on Saturday.

Unfortunately a big crash in the high speed rock section saw him lose a lot of time and even though he was quickly back on his feet the tumble put paid to a place in Sundays final.

The weekend was a huge learning curve for the young rider that will put him in good stead for his next World Cups later this season.

Roger Vieira. Elite men.

Roger started Fridays soaking wet practice full of confidence on a track he loves but a tiny mistake on one of his first runs saw him crash down a large drop, bashing his elbow hard on one of many rocks that litter the top of the course. This saw him him miss out on a lot of track time as he was in the medical centre having some stitches on his arm.

Saturday practice came and, putting the pain behind him, he was soon up to speed but a mechanical on only his second run saw him lose more time and would see him miss the last run in the morning session.

This was not the preparation he needed for qualifying and a lack of track time and some errors in the woods meant that a place in the final 60 was not to be for the young Brazilian.

Photo courtesy of Dave Price photography

Douglas Vieira. Elite men.

Douglas left Fort William this weekend wondering what might have been.

Friday practice was again, despite the dreadful weather conditions, a successful day for Douglas and entered day two brimming with confidence. However, the ever changing conditions in qualifying saw him making some minor mistakes that would out his time just 3 seconds off the time needed to go through to the finals.

Photo courtesy of Dave Price Photography

Scotland always provides a spectacle whether it is the passionate fans, the friendly locals or the stunning scenery

All in all a disappointing weekend for the team but quite a few positives to take away and the experience has only made the riders stronger and hungry for the next few rounds where I am sure the team will go from strength to strength.

As we left for the long journey south, the weather changed dramatically and the sun made it’s first appearance of the whole weekend. Another Fort William Word Cup was over but certainly not forgotten.

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL

September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 ~ BigMac ~ Leave a comment

The excitement was starting to build as the wheels lifted off the ground on BA170 from London’s Heathrow airport to Zurich en route to Lenzerheide in the south of Switzerland. The destination was the venue for the 2018 UCI mountain bike world championships, the biggest race of the year on the DH calendar.

After a short flight I found myself on one of the most spectacular train journeys I have ever taken as the double decker train snaked it’s way through the beautiful Swiss countryside.

The incredible train journey ended at the city of Chur where I was met by the ever smiling Roger Vieira, who would be one of the two riders I would be shooting for over the next 5 days. After picking up his brother Douglas, we were off to the race village for the track walk for the start of what would be a very emotional race for the young brothers.

Track walk completed and I had wanted to get some shots of the new bikes that the boys would be riding. Polygon had provided the new XQUARONE DH9 and, as this is the world championships where riders race for their country, the new bike was decked out in custom Brazilian colours for the week.

Thursday was first practice of the week and, as well as custom bikes, the boys were keen to put on their new Brazil kit and get onto the track.

Practice runs finished and Roger and Douglas were happy with how they were performing on track with both of them enjoying the dry and dusty conditions.

And then Friday morning arrived, where we woke to a very wet and muddy track that would change the direction of the world champs for Roger.

The low cloud and cool conditions meant that the track would stay wet and slippy for morning practice.

The afternoon had brought the sunshine back just in time for the Brazilian’s qualifying runs.

Qualifying runs over and the boys faced a long and nervous wait to see where they would place for Sunday’s final.

As the last riders were finishing their runs it was clear to see that unfortunately Roger hadn’t made the cut to get through to the finals. A difficult run saw him lose time in one of the rock gardens and never managed to recover. To finish an agonising few seconds just outside the top 80 left Roger heartbroken.

Although Douglas had also had a run that included a few mistakes, he managed to get through in 76th place and was relieved to had made it into his first ever worlds finals.

An understandably upset Roger congratulated his brother and left to prepare his bike for the whip off competition that was happening nearby that evening. We made our way to the venue as the sun was setting. The riders faced a very steep run in that led to a huge jump that would test every rider.

After several tentative runs up to the jump Roger was soon launching himself skywards. Judging was by the one and only Steve Peat and when the final 20 places were announced, Roger was in. As the finals progressed there were some incredible moves going down and Roger finished just outside the top slots to finish the day with a smile.

Saturday was quite a chilled day with only a couple of hours practice for Douglas in the morning, the sun was back and here to stay until race day.

Douglas finished practice full of confidence for the next day’s finals so all that was left to do was last minute bike tweaks as I took time out to enjoy the sights and sounds that made up this incredible event.

And then it was race day. The sun shone brightly again and the nerves were in full flow for both rider and photographer.

Douglas was 16th down and it was an anxious time waiting at the bottom watching the live feed. The noise of the crowds all around was incredible and the atmosphere was like nothing else.

A few small mistakes including a crash off the bike saw Douglas finish in an ultimately disappointing 71st overall. Even though he managed to shave 10 seconds off his qualifying time it wasn’t the position he was looking for.

We left Lenzerheide with Roger and Douglas vowing to work harder than ever over the winter and to come back stronger for 2019.

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DUST AND (BROKEN) BONES.

July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 ~ BigMac ~ Leave a comment

Now, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely hate mud with a passion when it comes to this photography lark. It gets everywhere on your kit and clothes and with the usual dark gloomy woods it brings, it’s just miserable to shoot in. And it usually appears every time I cross that Severn bridge. But a little bit of the wet stuff would have been welcome to combat the Sahara like conditions that would prevail this weekend.

Driving along the M4 corridor in the wee small hours of Saturday morning the forecast for the weekend was for some serious sunshine and the hope of mud in its dry powdery state.

Well, the third round of the British National Downhill Series at Rheola in South Wales certainly delivered both of them in spades!

Rheola is a long, high speed technical course that challenged every rider in the dry and very dusty conditions. A course that would prove to be a difficult one for many racers to master. I have never seen so many red flags over a race weekend and with a very serious crash on the Sunday it definitely wasn’t for the faint hearted.

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Did i mention the dust….

The sun was already blazing as the Moore Large/O’Neal team assembled in the pits for Saturday practice. Well, when I say team, I mean the ones left that aren’t injured or enjoying a well deserved break.

Which leaves us with three riders then for a weekend of racing at the highest level on the British calendar with a track to match.

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The obligatory team manager Insta video.

Sion Margrave has been putting the miles in during training this year and is definitely due a big result. He was looking forward to getting stuck into what would prove to be a very tough race for a lot of riders but unfortunately this would be a race to forget for young Sion.

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Sion looking good on his first 2 runs on Saturday morning

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Unfortunately this would be Sion’s last run of the weekend.

A high speed crash on the middle woods section would prove to be Sion’s downfall. A nasty crash saw him tumble off the bike onto the roots and rocks and he was soon off to hospital with a suspected broken wrist.

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The boy’s still smiling.

And then there were two.

Ellie Dewdney was the next rider due down in practice in between numerous red flag stoppages. A lot of riders were finding themselves coming into the tricky sections a bit too hot in the very dry and loose conditions and finding themselves in a bit of trouble.

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Ellie waiting for the uplift between delays.

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Saturday saw Ellie launching off the various drops that littered the track.

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The tough “star wars” section made line choice very difficult.

Ellie had a great practice day learning the track that was constantly changing due to the loose rocks and inches of dust that covered the whole course. Unfortunately this would catch out a rider later in the afternoon stopping the proceedings for well over an hour. This led to Ellie calling it a day to prepare for whatever race day would bring.

Next and last down was Douglas Vieira representing the team in Elite men and the young Brazilian was relishing the chance to get down and tackle the challenging terrain. And right from the first run Douglas was absolutely on fire.

A quick stop to look at the infamous “star wars” section was all it needed for him to pin through that section with incredible speed.

alison!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (1 of 1)-2.jpg

Multiple line choice down this very trick section.

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But Douglas made short work of it.

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Flying.

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Still flying.

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You are starting to get the picture of how Douglas rides….

Douglas had a fantastic Saturday practice to finish second fastest in Elite men which filled him with confidence for race day.

BDS 3. MOORE LARGE RACE REPORT (1 of 2)

Dusthugger???

Sunday morning saw the sun once again shine bright and hot. Some rain was due to fall by early afternoon so the riders were eager to get up on the ~~gondola,~~ sorry, landrover and get on with practice.

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Hold on a minute…..

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This ain’t no gondola!

Ellie was again first down and a solid practice and seeding run saw her sit in sixth place going into the single race run.

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Always smiling.

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The open middle section with some glorious views.

With the expected rain now falling steadily it was time for Ellie to make her way up on the excellent Pearce Cycles uplift ready for her run. Unfortunately a very serious crash for one of the young female riders led to the event being stopped for nearly two hours as she was cared for by the medics.

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Sun shining again Ellie was on her way down.

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Focused…..

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Last jump down to the finish arena.

The long delay and some minor errors on track let to a race to forget as Ellie finished in seventh place overall against a tough field.

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Team spirit.

Hiking my way up to near the top to catch Douglas on the fast open section in morning practice was all in vain as he crashed literally in front of me!

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Checking the bike over.

But he was soon back on and the crash didn’t seem to bother him too much.

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Loving the O’Neal goggles.

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Oh look, Douglas is in the air again…!

Seeding runs done and again Douglas was lying second fastest with high hopes for his first British national series podium finish.

With the rain starting to drizzle again for the elite men the track would become even more treacherous. The loose dust turning to a muddy mess that would challenge the riders even more.

BDS 3. MOORE LARGE (1 of 1)-2

Where’s the sun gone?

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Fast and low as the rain falls.

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Pinned.

It was with nervous excitement as we waited in the finish arena for Douglas to appear.

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Blasting into the finish arena.

Something had obviously wrong as Douglas’s time was seconds off first place and his body language and dirty kit didn’t look good.

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Not happy.

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That doesn’t look good.

It turned out that he had a huge over the bars crash at the top and lost precious seconds over his rivals. A distraught Douglas thought he had lost his chance of a podium but despite his crash he still finished a brilliant fourth place.

alison!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (1 of 1)-3

Emotions run high for these guys.

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A superb fourth place for Douglas Vieira.

All in all a very challenging weekend for the team with hopes that the bad luck that has plagued the team so far in 2018 is behind them for the rest of the season.

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A VIEW TO A THRILL

June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 ~ BigMac ~ 1 Comment

Literally breathtaking views

The Crankworx festival, just outside Innsbruck, was the latest venue for the Moore Large/O’Neal race team, and they were hoping for a change of fortune this weekend. The last two UCI World Cups were ones to forget. Crashes, injuries and mechanical woes were the story at Fort William and Leogang. The team were hopeful that the bad luck was behind them.

Innsbruck lies in the shadow of the Nordkette mountain range and is often described as the jewel of the Alps and rightfully so. Everywhere you look is just jaw-droppingly beautiful with views that one could never tire of.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 1)

I’ve a feeling we’re not in Britain anymore

Crankworx is a four-round series that starts off in New Zealand and then hops to Europe with this weekend in Innsbruck followed by a round in France. The circus then heads to Canada for the finale at Whistler bike park.

The event is split between the downhill race at Götzens and the slopestyle, speed and style and whip off competitions at nearby Mutters.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (2 of 2)

Götzens was the venue for the thrilling downhill race

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 1)-2

Small pits. Huge background

The sun shone bright for Friday morning practice and it was the first chance for Douglas and Roger Vieira to get the Polygon downhill bikes out onto the track.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 1)-3

Roger the bike whisperer

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Douglas warmed up by casually wheeling through the tech area.

Last minute bike maintenance and warm up finished, it was time to head up in the gondola to the start line, high above the pits with even more breathtaking views.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (7 of 7)

Another country, another gondola.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 1)-5

Yeah, it was alright…..

The track would prove to be a riders favourite over the next 3 days. Around 3 minutes long and just a complete tech fest from start to finish. Roots and loam were the main features as the riders pinged and roosted their way down, threading the needle between every tree, which would later prove to be the downfall of several riders.

CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 7)

Fast and loose straight out of the start gate.

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You want roots? You got ’em.

A few boardwalk sections gave very slight relief on an otherwise full on track.

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Roger speed tucking the boardwalk section halfway down the track.

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The light was just right on this spot as Douglas kicked up the loam behind.

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The sound of Alpine cow bells could be heard all weekend.

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Made some new friends during the festival….

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The light was just glorious at times.

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Douglas flying down to the finish.

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Ducksmart products being used to wash away the loose dust after practice.

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Work tools.

First practice runs finished, it was time to wash the bikes, pack away and head over to Mutters where Roger was scheduled to ride in the whip off competition.

The whip off was another gondola ride to the top of the mountain and, well, this was just something else.

I don’t think there will ever be another venue I will ever shoot at again as epic as this. It literally took my breath away and no words can describe the scene in front of me.

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Imagine jumping over your house at the top of the world.

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Unbelievable views.

As words won’t suffice I’ll let the photos do the talking. All I will say is Roger made the finals with some incredible riding and it was something I will never forget.

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CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (1 of 6)

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Wow. Just wow.

The whip off was over all too quickly and it was then back to the chalet to prepare bikes and riders for the upcoming downhill race. Saturday saw more practice for the young Brazilians and they arrived at Götzens Sunday morning ready for the day ahead. After 3 days of spectacular weather, the talk in the pits was of rain to fall mid afternoon, just as Douglas and Roger were having their runs. Thankfully, this was to be proved wrong and the sun shone all day long.

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Bike and kit prepped and ready for Douglas.

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Kenda Hellkat’s were the tire of choice for the brothers.

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Do as the stem cap says.

Douglas was first on the track and a slight brake problem on the first section, chain issues and still nursing a injured ankle saw the younger brother finish in 27th place overall. Finishing less than ten seconds behind a stacked field of world cup riders, this was a great achievement. Once back to full strength and free from any niggling injuries, Douglas will only reach higher up that leader board in the future.

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Off camber roots were plentiful.

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Sunshine streaming through the trees.

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Did i say it was steep in places?

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Loved this section with the gorgeous light.

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Too fast for my camera panning skills.

Roger was the next rider down and eager to set a fast time.

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New helmet for Roger after his horrific crash in Scotland.

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Dream. Ride. Share.

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Pinned on his race run.

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Roger loved this corner

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More off camber action.

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This huck was not for the faint-hearted.

Roger was full of confidence going into his run and, although he held a little bit back to have a safe run, he absolutely flew down this tough track to take the hot seat as overall leader. A superb sight to see for all the team. CRANKWORX RACE REPORT (13 of 14)

YES!!!!!

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A very emotional moment for the team.

Roger remained in the hot seat for a considerable amount of time but as the later riders completed their runs he slowly moved down the leaderboard. As the dust settled and the final rider went past the timing beam, Roger’s position was an incredible 15th, just a fraction over five seconds behind Danny Hart and Samuel Blenkinsop.

Having both riders inside the top 30 at a world class event was a great achievement for the team. This can only surely boost both riders confidence that will lead them through to hopefully greater results as the world cup seasons rolls on in 2018.

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