On Saturday 10th February, Scott Beaumont lined up on the gate in Chatel, France for the 2024 UCI Snow Bike World Championships. This was the inaugural event and we were excited to be a part of it.
The journey to this race started a couple of weeks before the event, when Bridgestone tyres kindly stepped up and supplied new Snow Tyres for Scott’s van to travel to the alps for this event!
Next it was a focus on Scott’s Leisure Lakes Race Bike. His Specialized Enduro training bike was transformed into a snow bike racing weapon! The major change were the Schwalbe tyres. Having zero experience (like most of the riders at this event), Scott was pulling on his knowledge and experience ahead of this event. He chose to prepare Schwalbe Tacky Chans with metal spikes and then take a set of traditional Dirty Dans for traditional rubber tyres.
The preparation was meticulous as 400 metal screws were placed into the Tacky Chan tyres!
The drive over was easy and after a quick pit stop at Geneva airport to pick up Holly and Astrid, it was a short distance up the hill to Chatel.
On arrival we met with our team photographer Charles Robertson to get some photos of the new Ride team clothing and then a lap on the gondola to see the race track.
It looked crazy. Steep and obviously fast, but without riding the track we remained unsure and wanted to wait to see what it was like on a bike!
On Saturday morning, we took the bikes up the hill for the first time. Riders were not allowed to practice the track at all, but they were allowed to ride down the side of the track for a couple of sighting laps. On his first sighting lap, Scott was blown away. The speeds were in excess of 70mph in places and the bike felt like it was moving all the time.
On his second run he, stopped in several places to take a look and work out his lines.
Then it was back to the top of the hill. This event was literally one lap to determine the World Champion. Everyone had a shot. However no one knew who was the favourite or who was looking good. It was a completely unknown race and made it pretty unique!
Rider numbers were drawn from a hat ahead of the race and Scott was drawn number 15. He was very happy with that. He would be able to see some lines, but the track wouldn’t be as beat up as it would be for the later riders. Scott rolled into the start gate after warming up and was feeling very confident. The beeps went and he rocketed out of the start gate. He was on fire and flew through the first few corners and out of sight. He was certainly on a flyer and at the first split was just 0.5 seconds off the lead pace.
At the second split he had just lost a further half a second but was well in touch to win. However. Disaster struck. Scott drifted wide on a turn and outside the course markings. It was only for a split second but the marshal saw it and DSQ came up on the huge tv screens in the finish area. The crowd gave out a ‘ahhhhhhh’. Scott carried on with his race run and smashed the bottom section of the track, but when he crossed the finish line there was no time for him and he was disqualified.
He had a discussion with the UCI commissaries, but the decision was final – as it was for 4 other riders unfortunately.
In the finish area Scott said:
“I am absolutely gutted. I was flying and I can’t believe I have been disqualified. I can’t have left the track for more than a few centimetres, but rules are rules and that’s the end of this dream for me.
This is my 33rd World Championship event spanning BMX, MTB 4X and now MTB Snow Bike. I’ve obviously never been disqualified and I am gutted to not know how I might have done.
However. I have to admit that riding on snow with metal spikes at 70mph is one of the craziest things I have ever done and I am glad I am leaving here with no injuries. I buzzed my leg in the race run but got away with it, so we will be thankful for that and move on.
Our real season starts in a few weeks and I’ll be ready for that!”
So that was it for this race. Close but no cigar and we now move onto the BMX season which starts in Caen, France in a couple of weeks.
Finally we want to thank all out team partners and sponsors. Without you this season would not be possible. We have the best sponsors and an incredible presence at the events.
We are forever thankful for the opportunities you give us and want to sincerely thank you all.
All photos are supplied by Charles Robertson. Please tag him @charlesthetog on any social posts.
Thank you to all our team partners. We could not do this without you.
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