The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Williamson hopes downhill contest is not uphill struggle
Mountain biking: British champion comfortable in exalted company
Having once idolised the greatest mountain bikers in the world, Inverness rider Greg Williamson now takes pride in calling them his friends.
Williamson will take part in this weekend’s UCI mountain bike world cup event at Fort William, with the 25-year-old warming up in style by securing a second placed finish behind England’s Danny Hart in the elite men’s race in the British National Series, which was held on the same Aonach Mor track earlier this month.
Williamson, who has been men’s British downhill champion the last two years, feels he has found his place among the racing circuit and is no longer fazed by the competition.
He said: “There were some great showmen back in the day – the likes of Cedric Gracia and Steve Peat, who was more known in Britain but retired last year.
“There were so many big names that I now race against or have raced against, which is pretty cool.
“It comes more naturally nowadays, but when I started I would get so nervous before races knowing they were going to be there, and thinking they were going to go in so fast. You just slowly try to catch up to them.
“Now it’s more natural and it’s cool to call a lot of them friends – that’s another thing that’s so positive about mountain biking.
“We don’t have that same fierce competitiveness as other sports, it’s not as cutthroat. Everyone is really good friends.
“At the end of the day we are racing against the clock, not against our competitors.
“It’s a good atmosphere and quite a positive way to live.
“The only downside, you could say, would be some of the injuries that can come with the sport, but you can’t be all sunshine and rainbows I guess.”
Williamson is looking to excel in his home world cup race, where he finished seventh two years ago in one of three top 10 finishes.
Tickets for this weekend’s event can be bought by visiting www. fortwilliamworldcup.
“At the end of the day we are racing against the clock”