Tens of thousands of mountain bike fans are expected to flock to Fort William later this month for the return of a legendary biking event.
The 19th Mercedes-Benz Mountain UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will return to the Highland town after two years of pandemic cancellations.
On May 21 and 22, 250 world-class riders will battle it out on Anoach Mor for the Downhill World Cup and 4x Pro Tour titles.
Reece Wilson, 2020 World Cup champion, is among those gearing up to take part in the “iconic” event.
“It’s fantastic to have the Fort William World Cup back for 2022. It’s such an iconic venue and never fails to deliver exciting racing,” he said.
“There are not many tracks that challenge you the way Fort William does, and I always enjoy riding it. I’m excited to get it under way.”
£4million for the Scottish economy
Paul Bush, VisitScotland’s director of events, said such events are of huge importance.
He said: “Scotland is one of the best places in the world to experience events and after the challenges of the last two years it is great to have the Fort William UCI Mountain Bike World Cup back.
“Events play an important role in our communities, as they allow us all to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences.”
‘Highlight in the calendar’
The 2022 event is expected to bring £4million to the Scottish economy with fans and riders flooding to the west coast town.
Matt Walker, 2020 Overall World Cup Champion, praised the fans for making the event what it is, with more than 21,000 expected to attend later this month.
“Fort William is a real highlight in the calendar and I can’t wait to get back up there this year and compete,” he said.
“The fans are always incredible and after two years away, it’ll be great to compete in front of them again and feed off the energy and noise they provide.”
