Time To Go To Work
There really is no tougher way to start a World Cup season than with Fort William. The course is long, technical, but most of all, physical. It's fairly safe to say this formidable course would be quick to show us who had put the work in over the winter months.
Friday's practice came and went, with riders finding lines and getting to grips with just how fast the track was running this year. With many riders suiting up with new team kits and working to understand new bikes, it was a busy first day of school.
Saturday started with questionable visibility, but there was work to be done. This season, both Qualifying and the ever popular Semi Finals would be held on the same day.
Tahnee Seagrave and Loic Bruni were first to strike, taking the top spots during Qualifying, although neither could back it up for Semi Finals. That honor would go to Vali Höll and Troy Brosnan who were making their intentions for this season clear. Things at the top were tight, the Elite Men's top 5 were separated by less than a second!
Come the end of race day, two familiar names were at the top of the time sheets. A new bike and a new team didn't slow Vali Höll down. Although she was down at the first four splits, she powered through the motorway as she put her mark on 2024 and claimed the first race of the season. Fort William has not been favourable to Loic Bruni in the past, but 2024 was different. Fastest at all four splits, it was Bruni's day.
This is shaping up to be a season to remember. See you all in Poland for RD #2 in two weeks' time.
