SDA 2 - Fort William, 15th May 2011

The SDA returned to Fort William for round 2. The SDAs are always well run and have a really good laid back atmosphere, so we were all really looking forward to this weekend. It’s a great track, up there with the best in the world, flat out all the way down and obviously the gondola lifts to the top! In traditional fashion it rained on and off once we crossed the border into Scotland, but hey that’s what makes it what it is! Thankfully the rain doesn’t tend to make the track too bad, Maxxis Minion tyres were the ruler of the day!

Once Saturday practice kicked off Nick gave his FTW a once-over to ensure everything was tight and headed up the hill. Angie followed soon after. Things started off nice and steady to get used to the track, getting a feel for it. Both of the team’s riders were feeling comfortable and stopped at the section where it goes into the woods checking out the drop into it. There were some changes to the course here, where last year it went straight on had now been altered with a turn to the left. Nick over-cooked it and washed out on his front wheel ending with a pretty nasty crash, must have been a six foot drop onto his head! That sure ain’t good! He doubled over badly winding himself and was taken down in the ambulance thinking he’d done some serious damage. Thankfully it was confirmed to be just bad bruising. This is a MASSIVE thumbs up to Urge Helmets as his lid effectively saved him, from past experience other helmets would have been smashed to bits with that!

(Photo courtesy of Karen Brumwell)

Nick took an hour’s lie down with some pain killers and then, although feeling rough as hell, went back up the hill armed with the team’s GoPro camera. He kept a good pace and managed a full run although as you can tell from the video once he got to the top it started to rain heavily. Visibility was down due to all the debris and mud being flown up from the tyres, that said it was still a good run.

Angie was on form all the way through Saturday’s practice and was nailing the course. She was on fire. I would really like to sort Angie out with an FB10 frame as soon as possible, can only imagine what she will be like on a lighter downhill steed. This is the biggest course in the country and she was taking it in her stride.

(Photo courtesy of Ian Linton, http://ianlinton.com/)

Nick woke up on Sunday morning feeling like he’d been hit by a truck! He dosed up on pain killers and went up the hill to get some more runs in. The weather forecast of high winds meant it was only going to be a one run race, which to be fair Nick was relieved about because of his pain. Going up in the gondola the wind was playing havoc and his bike was being blown sideways on the back of the gondola until Dickie, his dad, squeezed his arm through the top window to hold onto it! Fort William is a fully open-to-the-elements course, there is no respite.

Once at the top the racing had been stopped due to two serious accidents on the course, this took over an hour and as a result it was confirmed racing would be one run only.

(Photo courtesy of Ian Linton, http://ianlinton.com/)

Although he was focused he was in a lot of pain with his ribs. Nick’s run at the top was very fluid, he was nailing it and feeling confident, disaster struck just before the deer gate on the moor. He clipped a pedal on a rock and went arse over tit. He stayed clean for the rest of the run however the crash took too much time and he finished in 12th place, still a good result considering.

                               
SDA 2 - Nick Turner, Fort William 15/05/2011 from The Development Racing Team on Vimeo.

Angie was a complete other story, she was amazing, pretty much a flawless weekend. Angie thrives on courses like this, she’s had some fantastic training from her brother James.

(Photo courtesy of Barry Primrose)

Staying right on the ball and nailing all of her lines bang on, crossing the line in second place just behind Rachel Atherton. Absolutely stoked, celebrations all round. WELL DONE ANGIE!!!!

(Photo courtesy of Ian Linton, http://ianlinton.com/)

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