2. PRO VS PRIVATEER P58

We see what it's really like to be a top downhill racer as we go behind the scenes with two different riders at the Fort William World Cup

Two very different experiences of the Fort William World Cup, as we follow factory pro Reece Wilson and independent racer Taylor Vernon

Fort William – “It’s the race everyone wants to win. The energy there is unmatched anywhere else. It’s by far the biggest event we participate in,” says Reece Wilson. Fellow UK racer Taylor Vernon agrees: “It’s not the track or the location, it’s everything that comes with it. Coming into that finish arena, the local crowd have you so fired up.”

The Fort William World Cup is perhaps the most prestigious race on the calendar, with riders finding glory and heartbreak in equal measure as they pick their way down the rock-strewn slopes of Aonach Mòr and plummet down the infamous ‘Wall’ into the finish arena, to a deafening roar from 20,000 frenzied MTB fans. While both Reece and Taylor have enjoyed success at this venue, having been racing downhill since they were in their early teens, that’s where the similarities end. Because Reece is a fully paid-up professional riding for the slick Trek Factory Racing team, while, after several injury-plagued years, Taylor now finds himself racing as an independent ‘privateer’.

We went behind the scenes with them both at the biggest event in UK mountain biking to find out just how demanding racing on the World Cup circuit can be, not just in terms of the length and physicality of the tracks, but also all the stuff that happens in the pits. Whether you’re taking part off your own back or with the support of a team, racing is always a challenge, and full factory support doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a good result. So, how did the weekend pan out for our duo?