- Okay, it's time for one big question
at Fort William World Cup,
is this the last Fort William World Cup?
Personally, I think that would be a tragedy,
but let's find out what everyone in the pits thinks.
What if this is the last Fort William World Cup?
- Oh, I don't know, I think for every race for me,
is like I give it my all, anyway
so it wouldn't change anything performance-wise,
but I'd be really upset not to come back here.
- It won't be the last one,
I don't think it can be anywhere else,
we were just discussing this earlier,
it can't be anywhere else,
because no one else has got the infrastructure to do it.
- The atmosphere, yeah, it's Fort William, yeah.
- Special. - Yeah, exactly.
- Special, special.
What if this is the last Fort William World Cup ever?
That would be a tragedy.
No, you know, it's an amazing iconic venue,
I think it would actually be sad.
Especially with, if the weather stays like this,
we're going to have weekends like this,
it would be sad, but from a rider's perspective,
you know, we have been here many, many, many years in a row
and it doesn't change an awful lot.
So, from a rider's perspective it wouldn't be the worst,
but I think it would be a tragedy, you know?
It's an iconic venue, it always produces
probably the biggest crowd of the year,
so it would be sad.
- A diplomatic answer, I liked it, I liked it.
Okay, William and Miles,
I've got some big questions for you, okay?
I want honest answers,
don't worry if you don't know the answer.
Right, okay, first question, okay?
What if this is the last Fort William World Cup ever?
- It'd be the worst thing ever.
- Hell.
- My life would be over.
- Yeah.
- There's a fan's perspective, I like that.
- It can't be.
- Good answer
(laughter)
- Is that because you know something?
- No, I don't know anything, but it can't be.
- What if it was?
- Yeah, what if it was?
What would that mean to you, what does it mean to the sport,
would that be a tragedy, or would it be positive?
- I think it would be positive,
they'll move it down to Surrey Hills.
(laughter)
Devil's Punchbowl World Cup.
- That's good, good luck beating that answer, Steve.
- What is it, Aston Hill?
- Aston Hill, yeah.
- Aston Hill,
- You'd get a good World Cup track there.
- Or they can revitalize pork.
- Your UK knowledge is too good.
(laughter)
Right this is the man I wanted to find,
it's David Vazquez, World Cup winner himself,
and now, one of the most important people
when it comes to downhill tracks in the UCI.
This is going to be fun.
David Vazquez, is this the last Fort William World Cup ever?
- Hmm, tough question man,
I think I need to go to the next question, man.
- Um, probably a big shock to the sport,
for sure, because, I mean,
this is like the main hub of the World Cup series,
because we get so many people come here to watch.
I think there's like, what?
30 thousand people over the week here?
- It's a lot, man, it's a lot.
- Yeah, yeah it would be,
it would be different to not come here for a World Cup,
but, I mean, it's definitely served it's years and, er --
- Was that a very politically correct way of saying
the track's getting tired.
- Hmm--
- Putting words in your mouth.
What do you think of that track, like,
because I've heard some people say
it's a bit bike parky now, you know?
What do you feel about that?
- I don't think, no, I don't think it's bike parky,
I always love coming to Fort William.
Always feel like I've done good here
and it's been a strong track for me,
so I never really have anything bad to say about it.
- Well, I've not heard a bad word about Fort William,
which is great, but I'm really sensing that everyone,
when I ask them, there's a real love for the place,
you know, a real like, well, but yeah,
it's just so important, it almost seems like
a hurtful question to ask.
- Yeah, for sure, I could come here for another ten years
and I wouldn't be, it wouldn't bother me,
because it's so iconic, yeah,
it's just a track that's been in the World Cup
since I've ever started racing,
from when I started watching, you know?
See Pete and Kovarik, and all those guys here, so--
- Um, oh god, what a depressing question.
- Hard, isn't it?
- Yeah, if it was the last Fort William World Cup,
if it was the end of the world, I don't know.
- Is that the only way there wouldn't be
a Fort William World Cup, the world would have to end?
- Yeah, or Mike and Leslie from Rare just can't be
(censored)
do it anymore, because they're like
the people that make it happen.
- What does it mean for the sport, I suppose?
Like, is this like a crucial race for the season,
or is it time for a change? You know?
- Yeah I think some venues are like, you know,
you've got iconic venues and then you've got
venues that you're just over going to, after a few years.
Fort William is awesome every year, everyone loves it,
it's a really good track.
Yeah, the track's pretty much the same as it's always been,
but, you know, it changes a bit, year on year,
and I think it's so good for the British scene,
and everyone, you know, the kids come,
and there's so many kids here.
Scottish school children, you know,
they're all in their mountain bike groups and they love it,
and I think for them to have access to, you know,
a World Cup race, this is why I started racing.
Watching Tracy win here, back in,
god, I don't even know what year.
And I saw here on the top step and I thought,
"That's what I want to be like,
"I want to be like Tracy up there."
And then started racing a couple of years later,
so, you know, I think for kids to see that.
So, no, don't be the last one.
- Okay, I've been asking some big questions
in the pits today, and I've got two experts,
and I'm going to throw this question out there.
First one, it's a scenario,
you've got to imagine what this would be like,
what if this was the last Fort William World Cup?
Eddie Masters.
- I'd be straight over to Wild Camp, eh?
(laughter)
It would be a hell of a party.
- Good answer.
- Rob, god, should I do this?
Rob Warner, what do you think?
- I can't top that, I think he's nailed it.
- Just realized you've got to be kind of like, er--
- A bit PC.
- A bit PC here, haven't you?
- Yeah I can't tell you what I'd really like to do.
- Steady, yeah, keep your job now, dude, keep your job,
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, Wild Camp, isn't it?
Is there midges down there?
- Right, Mike Jardine,
you are Fort William World Cup, essentially.
- Well, one of them,
there's a lot of people make this happen.
- But, yeah but you know what I'm saying.
You're the head honcho.
I've been going round the pits, please don't hit me, right,
but you'll love the responses I've been getting,
and that's why we asked.
What if this was the last Fort William World Cup, ever?
- It would be a huge shame, I think, for everyone involved,
because there's so much effort and energy
going into the whole thing,
and it's just such a great event,
so, you know, I think it would need,
there would need to be some very good arguments
for it not continuing.
Certainly we want it to continue,
and there's lots of people heavily invested in the event
want it to continue, and as long as it's a good event,
why not?
- And I'm happy to tell you that everyone we asked,
their response was, "Oh."
It was horror, it was horror,
and I guess that's what we were after,
because we love it, we absolutely love it.
Well, there we go, I think the general consensus
was that it's very dear to everyone's hearts,
but definitely the track could be
a little bit stale and needs improving,
the wild bits are certainly being missed,
maybe a bit too bike park, but I'm still of the opinion,
this needs to be in the downhill calendar.
Fort William is important, it's critical, it's fun,
it's full of fans, and we love it.
Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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