2011 mountain biking world cup The Adventure Show

Hello, and a very warm welcome

to The Adventure Show. This month, we're at the spiritual home of

mountain biking in Scotland,

Fort William, for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

This is a sport that the Brits excel at and in the downhill this year, we have

Steve Peat and Tracy Moseley, both winners here in the past,

the fantastic Atherton family, and Scott Beaumont in the four-cross.

And let us not forget Gee Atherton won the downhill here last year, but he'll be up against some serious

competition from around the world, so it will be tough for a Brit to get on the podium.

But whoever wins it,

he will have deserved it. Do you fancy that, Duncan?

-After you.

-No, thank you. Watch, you'll hurt yourself.

-'Always really fun to ride here...'

and with all the Scottish fans

and all the riders that love this place.

I like the straights, long and hard and beats you up, but it's good.

And to find out exactly how tough the Fort William Downhill

course really is, Duncan will be giving it his best shot later.

That should be a ride to watch.

And north of here, we're off to Glen Affric to discover what's the best

kit for a wild two-day trip into the Scottish hills.

As a famous comedian once said, there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.

But first to the action here at Fort William, and there are

two key disciplines in the Mountain Bike World Cup.

Later in the programme, we'll be following the fortunes of the downhill racers, as they hurtle

almost three kilometres down the ninth highest mountain in the UK,

and they do it all in less than five minutes.

But we're going to start with the fabulous four-cross, a shoulder-to-shoulder

battle down this incredible course. Earlier on,

we sent Scott Beaumont, currently ranked tenth in the world,

down the course with a camera to show us what it's really like.

The four-cross is a power event. It's a 40-to-a-minute-long sprint race.

It's basically a game of, like, speed chess. Someone just makes a move

and you have to compensate to that and react to

what they've done. You're out there learning the track and learning where

it's slippy and grippy and where potentially you could be overtaken or suffer some crashes or whatever.

OK, at the start, big double jump,

single, into a step down.

Passing doesn't really take place on the straights. It's on the corners.

The second corner is really tight and you have to slow down a little bit for that.

This is the loosest corner on the whole track.

Hop out onto the grass, and mind the spectators here.

OK, and here's a rock section, dropping down.

So on the straights, you try and get as close as possible to set up the pass on the corners,

and sometimes, there's contact and that's inevitable. Rhythm section.

Double double. Last corner.

And the last couple of corners will be real good passing places.

I think that's where the action's going to be.

And across the finish line.

That's a run down Fort William four-cross track.

Time now for the women's four-cross, and everyone's after the best seat.

We're joining the action for the first semi-final.

The fastest make it down this 410-metre course in under 40 seconds

and the winning two from each heat go through to the final.

Lining up at the top, it's Luana De Souza from Brazil. Next to her, Lucia Oetjen from Switzerland.

And then it's France's Celine Gros. And finally, on the far left, Melissa Buhl from America.

So eyes on for the green light. There it is!

They're off! Straight into the first set of humps and bumps,

and it's Melissa Buhl and Lucia Oetjen taking the early lead as they head in towards the first bend.

Both women hugely experienced four-cross riders, but Melissa

didn't compete much last year, but both know this course very well.

So... Oh, foot down from Melissa there. That'll cost her time.

And the marker post... Another mistake from Buhl!

Who's taken advantage?

It's Celine Gros who's pushed ahead. Gros taking the lead with Oetjen

just behind, as they head towards the final corners.

That's a huge mistake from Melissa Buhl. She'll be absolutely furious.

Heading down towards the end. Gros has taken the lead.

Who will get that second place? It's Switzerland's Lucia Oetjen, who's kept a consistent line throughout.

So it's Buhl and De Souza out, Gros and Oetjen through to the finals.

In the second semi-final, the surprise rider on the far right

is Britain's Joey Gough. She's been concentrating on BMX, so this is her first

Fort William appearance since 2007. Next to her, another Brit who's recently proved to be

a contender for podium position, Nicola Anderson. Then comes Steffi Marth from Germany.

Finally, the favourite to win, Anneke Beerten from the Netherlands.

Two Brits in the semi, and they're off! A great start from Joey Gough.

What's happened to Nicola? She's nearly off. Feet all over the place!

She has just hung on at the back of the pack.

It's Joey Gough taking the lead, with Steffi Marth in second place.

But Joey is way out in front. An amazing comeback

after four years out of competitive riding.

She just needs to keep her cool and keep pedalling hard.

Looking very, very tasty for Joey as they come over the rock section.

Such a tricky part of the course.

Anneke Beerten now hard on her heels.

Nicola way back in the rear.

Down to the final bend, Joey's still in the lead,

Anneke second over the final hump, and a sprint to the finish!

What an amazing ride for the British girl!

Over the line first, with Anneke Beerten just behind her.

Steffi Marth and Nicola Anderson are out.

It's Joey Gough and Anneke Beerten through to the finals.

This is how it looks as they line up for

the final of the women's four-cross

2011. Taking her place on the far right is Britain's Joey Gough. Next to her, Celine Gros from France.

Then it's Anneke Beerten from the Netherlands. And finally, Switzerland's Lucia Oetjen.

All eyes on the gate. It's down and they're off!

Vital to get off to a good start and Joey's doing pretty well.

Out in the lead with Anneke Beerten right behind.

This is amazing round the first bend.

Over the step down on table top, and Joey Gough is still riding out in front.

Anneke so experienced, been riding BMX since the age of four and twice world champion in that discipline.

Experience is looking good, though.

Round into the rocky section and, yes, she's pushed through, taking the lead from Joey!

She won the first four-cross race of the season in South Africa and she's really powering ahead now.

Came fourth here last year, but today, her nearest rival, Joey Gough, cannot reach her.

Anneke over the last hump, into the final sprint to the finish.

Yes, indeed, it's Anneke Beerten, with Joey Gough taking a great second place.

But look at the winner here today.

Anneke Beerten, exhausted but elated.

I've been racing here for probably eight or nine years

and I got a second, I got a third, I got a fifth, but I never won.

I knew from the run before that Joey was taking the turn a little bit wide and I just went for it.

If you see a gap, you've just got to go for it.

And finally getting a win is the best. It's really good.

But taking second place is an amazing achievement for Joey Gough, who's been out of

the four-cross competition circuit for the last four years.

To be honest, I couldn't believe I was in the lead.

I was like, I'm just here having a good time, and I was in the lead.

Those bits round those corners aren't my best part and Anneke rode awesome.

I'm just psyched to be second.

Confirmation of those final results: Fourth place

in the 2011 women's four-cross went to Celine Gros

of France. Switzerland's Lucia Oetjen came in third.

That great ride from Britain's Joey Gough put her into second place.

But out in front to take first

was Anneke Beerten from the Netherlands.

And now for the men's four-cross.

Unfortunately, Britain's top rider, Dan Atherton, is still

recovering from a pretty serious neck injury he sustained last year.

But our hopes lie with Scott Beaumont, who achieved a pretty credible tenth on the first race of

the season, and he's up against the world's number one and number two, Jared Graves and Tomas Slavik.

'In four-cross, you need to have specialist skills'

as a downhill rider and skills, or the power, as a BMX rider.

It's just not about one thing, it's about many things.

My plan is always just try and lead from the start, get out,

get a good start, get to the front and use the practice time wisely

to know where to cover your passes, so you can stay in front.

In the early heats of today's competition, the Brits didn't manage to stay out in front.

Scott Beaumont made it through the first round, but was knocked out before the quarter-finals.

This is an unpredictable sport and one that takes no prisoners.

We're joining the action for the first of the semi-finals,

and the four contenders at the top of the course are...

Romain Saladini from France, then this year's number one four-cross rider, Australia's Jared Graves.

He's right next to his rival, Tomas Slavik from the Czech Republic,

and on the far left, it's Swiss rider Roger Rinderknecht.

The gate's down, they're off. But as they head over the first hump,

Tomas Slavik maybe just got the edge on Jared Graves.

Tomas crashed out in the first race of this year's World Cup, but that's not affecting his riding today.

He's increasing that lead as the forerunners sweep round the second corner,

head towards the difficult rocky section. And look at that!

Roger Rinderknecht's on the inside line. He's pushed ahead of

Jared Graves to take second place.

It's just the first two who go through, so Jared needs to pull something out now.

As they sprint towards the final corner,

Tomas Slavik and Roger Rinderknecht comfortably out in front in the world champion's jersey.

Slavik over the line first, Rinderknecht a split second behind.

They're through to the finals. Saladini and Graves out.

Now for the second semi are Michael Mechura from the Czech Republic.

Next to him, it's fellow Czech rider, Michael Prokop.

Then it's David Graf from Switzerland. And on the left is Joost Wichman from the Netherlands.

The gate's down and they're off!

Really close at the start, but Michael Prokop's ahead of David Graf

and Joost Wichman fighting it out for second place.

Wichman's put on the speed.

He's crept in front of Graf.

Only started four-cross in 2006, but riding BMX since the age of four.

Wichman's dropped down into fourth place.

Mechura's been pushed off by Graf.

Oh, my goodness, look at this! What a mess!

Prokop and Wichman battling it out for the lead.

The leaders have just got to keep it cool and head towards the line.

What's going on!? Another crash. Prokop and Wichman both down,

which means Graf takes the lead, but it's Wichman up and riding first.

Into the home straight.

Graf's over the line first, but Wichman, who was down in fourth,

then knocked off his bike, has done enough to secure himself a place in the finals.

Wichman and Graf go through. Mechura and Prokop will be angry, but they're out.

And this is how they line up for the 2011 men's four-cross finals.

Swiss rider David Graf takes the far right lane, with Joost Wichman next from the Netherlands.

Tomas Slavik from the Czech Republic is next. And on the far left, Roger Rinderknecht from Switzerland.

So, all eyes on the gate... It's down and they're off!

They sprint over the bumps towards the first corner,

and it's Joost Wichman taking the early lead, with Roger Rinderknecht a close second.

But watch out for David Graf.

He's showed what he's made of in that last second semi-final heat.

Graf putting the pressure on Rinderknecht.

Slavik currently bringing up the rear, as they head out into the second corner.

So, into the rock slabs next...

Oh, my goodness! Wichman is off his bike!

Tripped over his own wheel, bike flying everywhere.

He's taken Slavik out as well, so the field's wide open.

Rinderknecht into the lead, round the final corner towards the home straight.

It's Rinderknecht over the line first, with fellow Swiss rider David Graf taking second place.

Thumbs up for that.

But Wichman's gutted.

He's not physically hurt, but after that fantastic start to the final,

with the chance of a win here at Fort William, he'll be finishing in fourth place.

That crash really was a monster, something he'll remember for years,

and that's why Fort William is quite simply sensational.

Confirmation of those results. A disappointing fourth

for Joost Wichman from the Netherlands, third for Tomas Slavik

from the Czech Republic, but the top two places go to Switzerland.

David Graf comes in second.

And heading up the leader-board

for his very first win here at Fort William is Roger Rinderknecht.

It's always been a dream to put in a good result here in Fort William.

I have been here a couple of years and I think I never finished in the top three here.

Winning this one feels amazing.

Still to come on The Adventure Show, we'll be joining some of Scotland's best riders

as they prepare for this event, then we'll be in the thick of the action for the brutal downhill race.

But for the moment, we're leaving Fort William and tackling Scottish mountains

at a slightly more sedate pace.

If you are going to spend some time in the hills in this country,

especially if you're going to spend the night, it's essential you have the right equipment.

Cameron McNeish and Deziree Wilson have joined forces

to give us the low-down of the best gear for the job.

Over the next two days, Deziree and I are heading into Glen Affric, to the isolated youth hostel at Alltbeithe.

In the course of about 15 miles, we'll be putting both a selection

of jackets and lightweight tents through their paces.

And to help us with the big task of getting everything in and out again,

we've asked mountain men Fraser Fotheringham and Roy Stark to give us a hand.

And with this sort of gear on test, for once, we're actually hoping for bad weather.

Buying outdoor gear is always a big decision, and in the next few programmes,

maybe we can make that just a wee bit easier.

So, what sort of things do you look for in a good waterproof jacket?

Apart from a nice colour, you mean?

Things just feel quite pricey these days, don't they?

You can spend a fair few hundred pounds on a jacket, so I'm certainly thinking about price.

Outdoor kit has become quite trendy in a way and almost quite sexy, a lot more so than it used to be,

really quite good-looking and bright colours and things like that.

It's almost targeting a different kind of market from maybe what it did 10, 15 years ago.

A real bugbear I've got as a hill-walker is that I often feel

that mountaineering jackets are designed by climbers for climbers.

Even if it's the hill-walker's model, they'll tell you, "Fabulous hood,

"very voluminous that can cover a climbing helmet."

I'll say, "I don't wear a climbing helmet!" So maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned.

I have to say, this jacket's

performing quite well, apart from the colour.

I've got a lot of friends who'd say, "There's no way

-"I'd wear that colour."

-It's quite bright, isn't it?

-A wee bit like a Belisha beacon.

But I like it. It's got this quite nice pocket, which is fairly deep and I guess you could get a map in there.

But what I really like about it pocket-wise is inside are these two big poacher pockets.

-You could get a salmon in there.

-I've got...

pit zips here, which are great for just a bit of extra breathability,

But the pockets that I have are longer. They come further up.

They also open from the bottom as well, which is a really good idea, so I could actually, if I had my

hip belt on there, I could still get my hands in my pockets for walking along.

One thing I really noticed when I was walking up here is it felt really breathable.

I wasn't sweating at all. That might be partly to do with

the fact that there's this sort of liner here too. It does make it feel a little bit bulky, though.

So, for 225 quid, middle of the range, the Mammut Kiruna jacket, I think, is pretty good.

Let's try another jacket on now. What have you got in mind?

Well, at the top of my rucksack here, I have Craghoppers.

Slightly more budget-priced. I'm wary about talking about budget prices.

These jackets

are £160. That's still an awful lot of money, but in terms of

what technical outdoor jackets cost, it's probably at the lower end.

What are your first impressions, Deziree?

I was a little bit dubious about whether I'd be able to use

these pockets if I had a hip belt done up, but actually,

I can fit them in just fine below the hip belt,

so potentially could walk along without poles with my hands in my pockets quite comfortably, I think.

-What about you?

-It really is a winter jacket, but it's the sort of jacket,

if somebody's just wanting to buy one jacket to do them all year round, to use in the summer for hill-walking

and in the winter and everything, this would be a good jacket, actually. Any negatives?

Well, I have to say that this is not my kind of colour.

And it would probably be one of the things that I would look for first of all in a jacket.

I know that might sound shallow, but a lot of people really like

earthy colours or muted colours, so I think a lot of people would like it.

-You get a heck of a lot for your money.

-Good, I think.

So, do you get an opportunity very often to come on a backpacking trip like this?

I was thinking as we were walking up there that I don't very often these days

come into the hills just to walk any more. I used to do it a lot,

I used to do it a lot for work, and I tend now to come in to go climbing,

or to access a ski descent, or a mountain bike descent, and I was just thinking how nice it was

to be in the mountains today just walking, cos there's a simplicity about it that's really lovely.

-It feels good to be reaching the high point, Cameron.

-It is, aye.

It's the highest point of our walk.

The Bealach na Sgairne.

-So, this is a rather nice jacket. I love the colour of that. How has it performed?

-It's quite a new

kind of fabric, I think, this NeoShell,

because I think it looks, feels and performs

like a soft shell, but it's sort of technically waterproof as well, or certainly highly water-resistant.

It's really lightweight, really comfortable, not bulky at all,

and I haven't been sweating in it, so it feels like it's really breathable.

This one I'm wearing is from a company called GoLite,

an American company, who are very much into, as the name would suggest,

lightweight equipment, although this one isn't terribly lightweight.

It's a pretty standard jacket, I have to say. It's not a Gore-Tex jacket.

They use their own Trinity fabric in this, which is supposed to be breathable and waterproof,

and it's been fairly breathable.

It's slightly damp inside, I have to say.

The pockets are absolutely useless with a hip belt.

I've worn a lot of GoLite jackets over the years and this certainly isn't the best.

-We've got one jacket left to wear today. Shall we get them on?

-Yep, let's do that.

It feels really big and bulky.

It feels like there's a lot of fabric round about here.

I guess it's quite a robust jacket.

The fabric feels quite heavy.

These jackets go by the same name - the High Trails men's and the High Trails ladies',

-but they're quite different.

-They are, yes.

-The pockets are different.

I think my bugbear about this jacket, which isn't too bad -

I think it's a good all-round good jacket - but it's heavy.

-Yes.

-770 grams. Now, even for winter,

I'd be looking for something in the region of 500, 550 grams.

But having said that, lots of people like the security of a big heavy jacket, particularly in winter-time,

and with this jacket, that's exactly what they'd get.

-It's a lovely spot here, isn't it?

-Isn't it terrific?

And it's a lovely place to camp.

But we'd better go on a wee bit towards Alltbeithe Youth Hostel because,

with a bit of luck, Fraser and Roy will have brought the tents in there and will have put them all up for us.

Do you think they will, or do you think they'll be sat with their feet up having a cup of tea?!

The good news is, three are up.

The bad news, there are still two to pitch.

So it's time for a race to see who can erect them the fastest.

It's really tricky putting up a tent when you haven't the slightest idea what the end result should look like!

Oh, look at the size of these pegs!

-That's unbelievable!

-I guess this one goes in the front.

-OK, that's starting to look a little bit more like it.

-Aaaah!

-Oh, I think I've put that pole in the wrong way round.

-Come on, Deziree!

Voila, almost there.

-I think I'm finished!

-Voila!

-Hey!

-I think I just had the edge on you in terms of time there, Cameron,

but I think you've won in terms of how neat and tidy your tent looks.

I've also placed it right on top of a big boulder too.

Now, Deziree and I just have to sleep in them.

Tomorrow, we'll see how they've stood up to a night of wild,

wet and windy weather. And we've eight more jackets to try out, too.

So stay with us on The Adventure Show. Right now, it's back to Fort William.

Welcome back to the action at Fort William.

We're gearing up for the Women's Downhill event.

There have been quite a few changes to the course this year,

so Duncan McCallum has donned the right equipment

and the right clothing to find out what's in store for the riders.

I must admit I am feeling slightly nervous, to say the least.

I haven't ridden the course for three or four years and there's lots of changes and lots of big bits.

I am kind of looking forward to it, but I've got the world's

best cyclists, who are going to be pushing up behind me.

Come on, Rachel. I can't have you follow me up.

I'll try and keep up with you!

-So, here goes.

-It's well known as being one of the toughest.

It's consistently physical, from the start to the finish.

There's some steep sections, but it's generally very fast.

The weather here changes a lot, the ground conditions are very poor,

which means the track doesn't always stand up that well,

which creates a very rough surface. So the guys get a battering,

and they expect to here, but everyone loves it.

So this is the end of the first easy section, and we're now on

the first of the hard sections, so we'll see how that looks.

It's nice and steep.

-Oops!

-'Come on Duncan. Make way for the professionals.'

Everything I've ridden so far, I could see over,

and that is the first obstacle that when you ride to,

you can't see over the other side.

I'm not being very brave! I'm going to walk this bit.

Weight got a bit too far back. For the competition, you've got to get your line perfect,

so I don't know how you remember the length of course

that this is, but it's some feat of bravery, skill and belief.

I'm absolutely shaking with adrenaline,

so, I mean, I'm really enjoying it, but it is something else.

As you're hitting the woods, there's a very big new section gone in

called The Big Doon, which is a pretty big drop off.

It's pretty high. It looks pretty spectacular. It's probably easier than it looks,

but it's a long way down. You wouldn't want to get it wrong.

It's a two-and-a-half-high metre ramp, with a five-metre gap over a fire road.

It's seriously, seriously impressive and the good riders just make it look so, so easy,

and what's difficult about it is not only the drop off itself, which is very intimidating,

but to come into the line, you've got a wet rooty section, and there's lots of riders now,

even on the timed runs, just slipping. When you're racing,

you might have to suck up that mistake and just go for it.

'If I were you, I wouldn't go for it just yet, Duncan.

'We need you here, not in A&E! I think Duncan's done really well, but his performance hasn't really

'made much of an impression with the top pros like Rachel Atherton.'

I hope you weren't too intimidated by me following you down the trail.

-Oh, was that you?

-Yes.

-Where?

-Right at the top.

-Oh, right!

You had your gear on and I was like, didn't know who it was.

All the guys were like, "There's a rider on track without a number on and we're worried he's just..."

-He's just going to fall off?

-Yes.

-How have the changes affected the race?

-It's fun.

The new jump out of the woods, I love it, it's so much fun.

-A LITTLE jump out of the woods?

-Well, it's only like

a bike length or something long. But I think it's cool for the fans and for the kids

because it looks quite dramatic. So, yeah, it's really good.

One of Rachel's biggest rivals is fellow Brit Tracy Moseley.

Last year's World Champion, Tracy has won here four times

and has competed on this course every year, from the very first time

the World Cup was held in Fort William.

It's ten years since I came here and first won

my first World Cup, so it's always been a special place.

It's amazing to come back and have some sun and an awesome crowd again.

What is it about the Brits that do so well at this kind of ridiculous hardcore sport?

I'm not sure. Most of us don't live anywhere near a mountain like this.

We've got tons of great riding which improves your skills,

but access to downhill courses is quite limited.

It almost means going to a race.

-And how big a deal would it be to be on that winner's podium again?

-Pretty amazing, yeah.

The honour of wearing this is going to be special. Ten years racing, the first ever race I won here.

Yeah, it would be nice. Another little tick off the list of things to achieve.

But hard on the heels of both Tracy and Rachel is another British rider, Manon Carpenter.

She's 18 years old and yesterday was the fifth fastest female in qualification -

a great achievement when she fits in riding with exam revision.

It's pretty hectic. I've got a couple of A-Levels

next week. It's not too bad to just kind of fit it all in.

Unfortunately, I've got to miss the next World Cup next weekend

because of my A-Level exams. I've only got a month left to go and then home free.

We're joining the action as the last five women gear up for the race.

They were the fastest in qualification.

First off, it's Manon Carpenter. With a vertical drop of 555 metres

and nearly three kilometres of descent,

this is one of the longest and toughest downhill courses on the circuit.

And screaming along the boardwalk is the 18-year-old A-Level student.

She is the new young hope for female Downhill Riding in the UK.

She's been riding a bike since she was two, she told me earlier,

and is absolutely flying on the top part of the course.

Came eighth in Pietermaritzburg earlier on this year

and looks very confident and smooth.

Lots of local support. Riding for a UK company.

Just lost a tenth of a second there, as her back wheel skipped out,

and she'll need to find the sprintability lower down.

The ability to pedal when your arms and legs are screaming with pain.

Still a Junior, got a couple of years to go as a Junior.

The Welsh girl has been super impressive.

She'll be competing in the World Cup this year,

and she'll also be taking time off to do her A-Levels!

She's such a fierce competitor!

Her time was down on the sprint.

I don't think she's done enough to go into the lead,

but she could certainly finish second.

Certainly finish on the podium.

5.40:88 - fourth for Manon Carpenter.

That's truly super impressive for such a young girl.

She's fit, she's fast, and she's furious!

She is a star of the future.

On the top of the course,

Floriane Pugin, who came in second in the French National Championships

and is ranked fourth in the world by the UCI.

So just coming off the boardwalk into the steep rock sections,

where the line is all important, and Floriane looks very solid.

She's raced here a lot, even though she is only 22,

and she is the future of French Downhill Riding

and today is absolutely flying through this, doing very well.

Oh, a little skip out there with the back tyre, but bending her legs

and arms and compressing the bike and using the suspension

to lift herself over the obstacles. Floriane looks good so far.

Back in 2007, Floriane Pugin won the World Junior Championship

here in Fort William.

What can she do now she's a Senior, and what has she got?

She was second in the European Champions last year,

second in the French National Championships. Has she done enough?

We're at the bottom half of the course, wearing the bright yellow.

It's very, very close... Oh, my goodness me! It's inside!

That's incredible! Floriane Pugin is the leader.

0.7 inside the leader.

That is a brilliant, brilliant run!

She took on the second half of the course, kept it smooth

and steady at the top and then attacked the bottom half.

That's our new leader.

On the course now,

the World Championship winner last year in 2010.

Currently ranked number two in the world,

aged 32, Tracy Moseley, who's been at the top

of downhill riding

both in the UK and on the world stage for many years now,

and still an incredibly strong competitor,

and posted the second best time.

Tracy - strong, focussed, absolutely loves Fort William,

loves the rough length and getting a great reception from the crowd here.

And Tracy looks good.

A very nice line there on that big drop off.

Focussed and determined.

Still manages to pull

the performances out of the bag every time she comes here.

And heading towards The Big Doon in the forest,

Tracy Moseley is really going well.

She's won here in 2002, she's won here in 2005,

she's won here in 2006, she won here in 2008.

What about 2011 from the World Champion, Tracy Moseley,

wearing the World Cup Championship jersey?

Look at the time!

Oh, my goodness me! 7.5 inside!

Look at that woman there, Tracy Moseley,

one of the finest downhill racers the world has ever seen.

She is just supreme.

Exhausted, the World Champion here at Fort William

saying that she would be overjoyed to win again.

Can it be a fifth win for her?

The only person can beat her now is Rachel Atherton.

So on the boardwalk,

lifting the bike up is the crowd's great favourite,

came first here last year in 2010,

is recovering from a couple of years of pretty serious injuries,

hit a truck in 2009 while training on a road bike.

Rachel has not... She told me she wasn't up to full fitness

but she's in the hot seat at the moment and is absolutely

charging down to this huge support

high up in the mountain on Aonach Mor.

She needs to focus. She probably doesn't hear any of that at all.

A little skip out there on the back wheel and a beautiful,

powerful line there and as Rachel charges down towards the forest here,

she will not know what's happening below

but you can hear the crowd roaring in the distance.

She was a World Champion back in 2009

and she would love to win here at Fort William.

She has Tracy Moseley to beat

and she has to put on the power on the motorway.

Keeping nice and smooth down the bottom half

and everyone is looking at the clock. It's so close.

Five seconds from the end!

Where's the clock? What does it say?

Oh, just outside!

1.7 outside.

5:23:61.

Rachel Atherton just outside but Tracy Moseley, look at her there!

It's a Britain one, two.

My goodness me, they're both exhausted but both delighted.

Moseley raises the bike in the air, salutes the Fort William crowd

and says, "Thank you for the support."

She's won five times here at Fort William. She is supreme.

Big hands for everyone at Fort William.

Look at the big smile on her face.

She was desperate for this again and she is so, so, so happy.

Every year it's harder and every year there's more and more nerves.

I knew how much I wanted to win it and yesterday, Rachel coming back,

she's not raced since last year so you never quite know how much pace she's got

and I know she'll be fast so I just knew I had to push as hard as I possibly could,

and finally felt like I had a pretty good run to and just managed to hold it.

It was weird - dropped in over that thing and it was silent and I was just like...

Normally as you jump it you can hear the noise

but today I couldn't and I was like, "That doesn't bode well!"

But obviously it was good.

And confirmation of those results.

18-year-old Manon Carpenter finished in eighth place.

Third place went to Floriane Pugin from France.

And the two top places went to Britain.

Rachel Atherton was just two seconds slower than Tracy Moseley

who topped the leader-board.

A great result for both of them.

Fair play to whoever can get down there fast because

it's so hard and Tracy's amazingly strong, you know,

and I'm glad to be chasing her

and I'm glad that it's a Brit one, two on the top.

The men's downhill final is next up at Fort William

but while they're getting ready we're re-joining Desiree and Cameron

to find out if they and their tents survived

an incredibly wild night in the Scottish hills.

I have to say that was probably one of the worst nights I've ever had in a tent.

I don't know what speed the wind was at

but it was absolutely ferocious from time to time, but having said that

the tent stood up to it really well. These tents are designed

to move in the wind so you get quite a bit of flapping going on,

but I'm bone dry, there's not a bit of wetness in here,

I've had a reasonable night's sleep, I've had my breakfast and it was OK.

But outside it's atrocious so Desiree and I

have dived into the youth hostel to discuss how the tents fared.

The tent was great.

The geodesic design

means it feels really stable. It doesn't feel noisy at all.

The shape of the tent holds it in place nicely.

The poles actually support the other poles and it supports the canvas.

The only downside to it potentially if you're backpacking on your own

is it's quite a heavy tent to carry yourself,

but it's not designed for one person, it's designed for two.

The Mountain Equipment tent was very good, stayed completely dry inside.

It's a big tent, it's very roomy.

It's held up by two curved poles

so there's actually quite a lot of material that's not supported,

so when it is windy it flaps a lot but they don't blow away.

I think I would probably recommend it.

The one that's fared least best probably is the Vango tent

which we kind of probably suspected,

because it doesn't have any guy ropes and that's very odd for

a tent to be used in the UK, if it doesn't have any guy ropes that's a big black mark right away.

There is a balance to be struck between low weight

and practicality, so it looked a bit rough this morning.

I don't think I would've liked to have spent the night in it.

The tent I put up yesterday, the Laser Competition,

it's so light, it's got a single pole structure and then it's

guyed out at either end.

The main thing these guys are trying to do

with this tent is just to cut the weight down.

I think for mountain marathon people who don't mind being uncomfortable.

They're running all day, they spend the night in the tent,

they're away first thing in the morning - then it's fine.

That leaves the Vaude Power Lizard and I've used that tent a lot.

I used it two weeks last year when my wife and I walked coast to coast

across Scotland, and at first I thought it would be too small,

you have to know the person very well you're sharing with.

But it was stable, it's easy to pitch, it's very light.

-It weighs 1kg which is pretty good for a two person tent.

-It's amazing, yes.

It's a tent I've actually become quite fond of.

It's still horrendous outside,

but since there's no road to the youth hostel

and we still have eight more jackets to try out,

we've no option but to start walking.

The weather's now so bad we've had to ditch our normal cameras

and rely on a small waterproof one.

We'll be stopping in whatever shelters we can find

to give you the lowdown on our kit.

-Good to get out of the rain.

-Lovely.

-This is nice, isn't it?

-This is great.

So, a wee chat about the jackets we've been wearing this morning.

The Montanes first of all.

I really like this jacket, really lightweight, functional,

simple, but still could be used technically as well.

I guess the one thing I'm a little bit sceptical about

with these super-lightweight jackets is just how long they last really.

It is a thin fabric but I think you'll probably find it would last quite a long time.

I have to confess I quite like Montane jackets.

I particularly enjoyed wearing this one because we were out in some horrible weather.

I thought the hood was fabulous, it worked really well.

It was snug on my head and yet I still had plenty visibility.

When I moved my head the whole hood moved with me rather than my head turning inside it.

So I really liked that. I thought it was a really nice jacket.

Interesting comparing the price of that as a lightweight jacket

with this Marmot one.

This is the Marmot Stretch jacket

and it was £40 cheaper than this one, but incredibly lightweight.

I have to say I'm slightly damp inside but it is a summer jacket.

I love the cut of it, it's just little features here and there.

The thing I love about Marmot,

is there's nothing extra on it that doesn't need to be there.

Generally Marmot stuff tends to last quite a long time

so I really like this jacket, as a hill-walking jacket.

I have to be honest and say I'd much rather the weather be nice and warm

and sunny and I could wander along in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt,

but that's not the reality of hill-walking in Scotland.

Quite often the enjoyment is in hindsight, isn't it?

You're out there and it's foul and you're thinking, "What am I doing here?"

But there's something about pitting your wits against the elements

and actually using the skills that you've learned to be in the hills.

And as a famous comedian once said,

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing."

Well, the wind and the rain show absolutely no sign

of relenting and we've arrived at Glen Licht House where we've been

able to use a little shelter that's stuck on to the end of the house,

just to get out of the rain.

We've been wearing Arcteryx jackets. How did you get on with yours?

I've got an Arcteryx jacket myself and I like

the durability of Arcteryx and I like the fit of them as well.

This one I find a little bit bulky for me.

There seemed to be a wee bit too much fabric kind of round the arms and round the waist.

It wasn't quite as fitted as I'm used to with Arcteryx.

Really great hood on it, I was out in I think the wildest of the rain

that we've had today with this jacket on and the hood was absolutely brilliant.

I wasn't so pleased with the men's Arcteryx jacket.

Arcteryx have a reputation for making some of the best waterproof garments in the world,

so maybe I was a bit disappointed with this one.

I felt it was a bit like wearing a suit of armour.

It was just big and bulky.

Having said that,

this is the sort of jacket that you could wear on a real nasty winter's day in Scotland

and come out of it dry, so from that point of view, it's good.

-Now a change from there into something completely different.

-Yes.

And this is the Paramo Velez smock

and it's the only smock that we've got on this test.

I quite like a pull-over-the-head smock actually.

It is like a mini layer system.

And because it's like a mini layer system it's very warm and very bulky,

so for a day like this when it's really windy and really nasty,

I can't actually think of a better garment to wear but for general use

-I find Paramo garments too warm

-I think you're right.

I prefer the option of putting more layers on and taking them off

and I always feel with Paramo, once this is on, it's staying on, and it's been brilliant today.

The thing that I really love about Paramo is it doesn't actually feel

like you're wearing a waterproof because the fabric is so soft and it's so comfortable.

I think my criticism of Paramo is I find the fit of it is quite baggy,

but I also really rate the way that the fabric works.

To sum up all the jackets, they were a pretty good selection

and they've been tested in some pretty horrendous conditions.

We thought they were all pretty good for certain times of the year and for certain uses.

To find out more about the jackets

and the tents used by Cameron and Desiree, find us on Facebook.

There's full details about all the gear, together with their route through Glen Affric.

That's also the place to discover what we're all doing.

Right now we're heading indoors for a test of a very different kind.

Go on, Damon! Go on!

-HE GRUNTS

-All right?

Training is never fun but the benefits

you see from it are really good

and it's kind of addictive, once you start getting these benefits

you just want to get better.

Ben Cathro is one of Scotland's best downhill bikers

but to get to the very top of this sport you need more than just raw talent.

At the beginning of this year,

Edinburgh Napier University opened a new facility

to provide state-of-the-art training for top athletes.

Today the Scottish Cycling Team are being put through their paces.

Go, go, go!

The gains you get from it. You can put in hours of work

and on the track maybe get half a second or under gain,

but then the times are so tight, half a second could be

20 places at a World Cup.

Ruaridh was one of the original riders -

there were two on the first programme that I started.

He was just a chubby little guy at the time,

he was a young junior, went on to win the World Championships.

He's changed a lot to the sculpted young man that we have today.

Ben's quite a different character, pretty gregarious.

Massive! None of the bikes in the lab actually fit Ben.

We've used cardboard and electrical tape just to try and get seats the right height and various things.

Incredible talent.

His size allows him to get into positions that other guys just couldn't possibly do.

To be a world class downhill racer requires focus and dedication,

but losing those last one hundredths of a second on a run

needs a scientific training programme and a strong support team.

In every sport there's an amount of talent that's there

and then it's enhancing that and then trying to improve it,

and that's where the big input comes from,

from us and from what we're doing with Chris.

Without that programme in place you wouldn't see

the success which we're getting with those junior riders.

If you look at the rest of the UK for instance, the junior riders

are nowhere near as good as our riders as a collective.

Before we had this kind of course,

I thought I was putting in the hard work, every week getting up,

busting a gut.

But if you don't do tests and re-test and figure out actually what you're working on,

what aspect of your performance, then you're kind of stabbing in the dark,

so this really clarifies why we're doing it

and that we're improving and getting steps closer to being champions, I guess.

-Go!

-Go on, Ben!

-Go on, Ben! Good man.

Feel the gas, Ben.

Keep burning, keep pushing!

It's pretty intense,

I have Geraint on one side and Chris on the other side just shouting at me

and I had no choice to back down, so I just kept going.

When I tried to open my eyes through that last sprint, everything was just black,

all my vision had closed and I couldn't see anything,

I thought I was going to pass out but I managed to stay together

and just crawl off to the corner to get some time to myself.

'The test is anaerobic and you get a build up of what's known as lactic acid.'

That lactic acid, at the levels that he was sustaining at the end of it,

was blacking him out, and once you come off the bike and you stop,

that's when it starts making you feel really sick.

As you saw at the end, he couldn't have given any more.

If he had I would've had to stop him

and that's an amazing thing to see in people.

You don't understand how hard people will push themselves.

In a real-life scenario you never get to that state of exhaustion,

so if you can push yourself this hard in the gym

when it comes to riding on the bike, it's easy.

It's nowhere near as hard as it is in here.

I don't train because I have to.

I could go out, get a normal job and ride my bike at weekends

but being able to ride your bike for a job,

it's hard work but it's, biking is everything to me.

I can't think of what I'd do if I didn't have it.

Welcome back to Fort William and as you can hear,

the excitement is reaching fever pitch as we prepare for the Men's Downhill.

For the Brits, Gee Atherton is trying to make it two wins in a row,

but let's not forget former World Champion Steve Peat,

or even Ruaridh Cunningham for Scotland.

From abroad, Sam Hill, Aaron Gwin, Greg Minnaar, I think you get the idea.

Any one of a dozen riders could win here.

It's pretty noisy. It's going to be pretty exciting.

I love this place. Everyone's here and backing me. I just want to get it done now.

One of the most talented young British riders is 20-year-old Danny Hart from Redcar.

Up against all the big names, he was the third fastest down the track in qualification.

'I didn't know whether to go a bit steadier'

and not risk crashing or getting a puncture or...

Then I thought, it's pointless doing that

because I'll be thinking too much about going slow,

so I just went like hell and it worked out well

so I want to follow it up today and I'm quite confident.

'Someone else to look out for is Brook MacDonald from New Zealand.

'Like Danny, he's just 20 years old and is currently ranked 16th in the world.'

I try to keep calm and just think through

the course as it comes up, just bit by bit,

but with treks like these being so long,

you've got to be pretty fit and bang on your game here.

It could go wrong but hopefully it's going to go good.

And this is it for Brook MacDonald.

In 2009, he was the World Junior Downhill Champion

but last year at Fort William he only managed 76th place.

Today, he'll want to do a whole lot better.

Charging down this course and it's so intimidating

coming up to one of those big bends where all you see is sky once you're on the bike.

Big intimidating drop offs at the edge of this course,

dropping into the faster section of the S bends,

where keeping the line on the mud is more important.

But safely through Pylon 13, there's a nasty little rock drop off there

and if you get the line wrong, you hit the dirt.

But that looks like a good first section.

This is amazing riding. Not taking much air over the big new jump

but every second counts.

Charging over the finish line.

He's slashed the previous time by almost seven seconds - 4:45:78!

That is incredible! Brook goes into the hot seat.

Back at the top and all Scotland's hopes are now on Ruaridh Cunningham.

He's had a great qualifying round, finishing in ninth place.

37th here last year. He was the Junior World Downhill Champion in 2007 however.

But Ruaridh has struggled with a knee injury over the last couple of years

and maybe a lack of focus, but this year, he's very determined.

A new fitness regime. Bike's went a little high there in the front end.

A very, very tight line there, just clipping one of the posts.

Hopefully that was intentional and Ruaridh knows this very well.

Races a lot in Innerleithen.

Another dab there. He's really pulling the stops out, always right on the edge.

CROWD CHEERS

Just have a wee listen to what the Fort William crowd have to say to this young man.

Get down here, Ruaridh, and fast!

And here he comes. 42nd in the world this year.

He's had a terrible time with injuries this past couple of years

since going senior,

but he needs to put the afterburners on.

Oh, finishes in tenth. Ruaridh said if he finishes top 20,

that'll be a great result for him this weekend. 4:51:49.

Wow! That was fantastic for him.

Now it's time for one of biking's legends.

South African Greg Minnaar has rarely finished outside

the top four.

'You want to win races and this is a great race to win.

'I enjoy racing here, the track's awesome, it's fast, it's rough.

'You always want to do well, you don't race to come second or third.

'That's what keeps the fire burning.'

Age 30, on the course,

Greg Minnaar, one of the most focussed downhill riders

the sport has ever seen.

An incredible performer over many, many years.

Ranked second in the world last year,

third in Fort William the year before. He has won in Fort William

in 2009, 2008 and also 2004 when he was riding a very strange bike.

Now riding in the same team as Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar,

a fantastic, fantastic rider. Very strong, super determined,

very conscientious about training, remains focussed and true to the sport.

Greg Minnaar starting off in the last four here in Fort William after a superb timed trial run.

Greg is absolutely charging this top part of the course, making it look so easy.

He's won the four-cross here at Fort William,

he's won the Downhill in 2004, 2008 and 2009!

Greg Minnaar, "The fresh prince of big air" they call him.

He's such a fantastic rider from South Africa. What is he?

He's the leader, that's what he is.

Absolutely smashed it! 4:43:85.

1.9 inside Brook MacDonald.

My goodness me, that was amazing.

He really controlled the middle section of the course.

No-one's been able to do that up to now, apart from Brook MacDonald.

If he wins today, it will be his fourth win. Can he do it?

Only a few guys left to come down.

So, Danny Hart, only 20 years old

and coming in here third out of the gate, and the last three

and a fantastic achievement for this young British rider.

Currently ranked an extremely credible ninth,

the depth of British Downhill Riding is continuing and at 20 years old this...

Oh, no! I may be speaking too soon.

He's pushing very hard, he recovered well.

A few tenths of a second lost there.

Danny is an incredibly cool young man, very laid back in style,

except when he's on the bike and then it all comes out.

He's really pushing hard. Another slip and dab there.

He may be trying a little too hard so far.

He'll be wanting to get in the top five for sure

but too many mistakes in the upper part.

He really has to focus now.

He's pushing it to the limit.

He's had his feet down on the rocky sections of the course,

but he's absolutely flying, this young man from the north of England,

what an incredible performance!

He was inside at the top, he was inside in the middle.

Will he be inside at the end?

Unbelievable! Unbelievable, this young man!

Oh, just outside! My goodness.

He's still delighted. And that is incredible. Wooo!

Hands in the air, salutes the crowd,

takes the goggles off,

flings them into the crowd, thank you very much,

crowns one of the spectators, but he's got a smile from ear to ear.

Danny Hart, yes, yes, yes!

He qualified in second place. He won here last year.

Can Gee Atherton make it two in a row?

'Last year was amazing but winning last year only made me want it more

'and you know, this year I'm hungrier than ever.

'The track's tough, it's challenging,

'every time you come here you have to bring your A game

'otherwise you've got no chance, and the atmosphere, how good the spectators are here,

'it's definitely one of my favourite races.'

So on the course is THE phenomenon of British Downhill Mountain Bike Riding, Gee Atherton,

ranked number one in the world, placed number one in the World Cup,

number five in the World Championships, and first in Fort William in 2010.

And Gee absolutely loves this course.

An incredible rider, very, very focussed and strong.

Just changed gear there. You can hear the gears crunching a little bit on this upper part.

Really pushing hard, using all his strength.

Gee's such a strong rider. If there's a slight miss-cue on one of the lines,

he's got enough power and skill to push through it.

What has he done in the bottom of the course? He won here last year.

The crowd are absolutely going wild for this young man.

Former World Champion,

his sister finished second in the Women's Downhill.

He won here last year. He's got the afterburners on.

Putting everything into it. Greg Minnaar to beat. Oooh!

He loses it on the bottom half of the course. Three seconds outside.

It's such a physical course.

That was a great ride

but we thought he had enough left in the tank

but he ran out of puff at the end, Gee Atherton.

Aaron Gwin is the only one that can win it now.

With only three tenths of a second

separating Gee Atherton and Aaron Gwin on their runs on Saturday,

any slight mistake here for the US National Champion will pay.

He'll pay dearly for that but he is through the first part,

off the boardwalk into the rock sections.

A very, very, very determined young man, riding motocross

and motor trials early on in his career, BMX and now Downhill.

He is a truly fantastic American phenomenon, ranked third in the world.

Taking a difficult tight line there.

He's looking extremely quick on the top part of this course.

He won the World Cup in South Africa a couple of weeks back.

Approaching the Scotland Arch. Wooo! Aaron Gwin!

Coming down now, he's still working really hard,

pedalling when he has to, smooth when he has to.

Greg Minnaar to beat.

Oh, my goodness, he's drabbed in the bottom half of the course.

He put it all into the top,

all into the middle, but ran out of puff at the end,

which means Greg Minnaar is the champion for the fourth time

here at Fort William and with Danny Hart in second.

What a brilliant, brilliant performance from him.

I couldn't ask to do it anywhere else.

All my family's here and all my friends.

My dad was crying at the bottom and it was just,

I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for my dad, so thanks to him and to my team.

And the final placings look like this:

for the Scots, Ben Cathro finished in 19th place,

with Ruaridh Cunningham just beating him to come 17th.

New Zealand's Brook MacDonald was the third fastest rider,

Britain's Danny Hart was second,

but the winner for the fourth time with that fantastic time

of 4:43:85 was Greg Minnaar from South Africa.

It's not easy coming back to try and win. Everyone expects you to do well

and all I wanted to do was nail that middle section where I lost

a lot of time in the qualifier, and I made a mistake there so I knew

I had to push hard down the bottom, but I did it and pulled it off.

That's it for this month's Adventure Show.

Next time, we're heading over the water

for one of the toughest events in the country, the Jura Fell Race.

We'll see you then. Bye for now.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

Email [email protected]