Scott Beaumont
Qualifying – 12th
Race – 10th
Round 2 of the 2024 4X ProTour took place in Jablonec, Czech Republic at the weekend. After a strong season so far, Scott Beaumont was looking for a strong result here and to move up the overall standings. Arriving in 7th overall in the points, we were confident and focused on the task ahead.
Historically this track hasn’t been the best for Scott. He was looking to maintain his good form recently though to finally get the result he wanted at JBC bikepark.
The track is the creation of his arch rival, Tomas Slavik, in his hometown of Jablonec in Northern Czech Republic. It is the toughest track on the circuit with the biggest jumps, forest section, rocks, wall rides and rhythm sections. It has it all and it is also the longest track so it is extremely physical.
Practice began on Thursday and it was in perfect condition. With immaculate track preparation ahead of the race, everything was ready to go. Scott completed about 10 laps of the track and was looking much more at home than in previous years. Carful tyre choices from Schwalbe and Fox suspension settings were giving Scott the feel he has always chased at this track.
On Thursday night however, the biggest thunderstorm we have ever witnessed rolled through town. There was literally a river flowing off the bottom of the hill. The track has been washed away in some sections and we feared the worst.
On Friday the weather was cloudy. The JBC crew put out a call to the local town for help rebuilding the track. 100 people turned up with tools and food. By lunchtime, remarkably, the track was in better condition than it was on Thursday. It was an incredible effort.
After the practice session, it was time for qualifying. Scott was seeded 5th for this race, so he so he qualified at the end of the session. He rode a great lap, and crossed the finish line happy with his run. 12th doesn’t sound that impressive but the times were tight and the main thing at this track is being comfortable.
“I made a great start and rode all the lines well. I pushed where I felt comfortable. I’m happy with the run. A bit gutted with 12th, but times are very tight” said Scott in the finish area.
Saturday 13th July – Race Day:
Race day and it was the hottest day of the week. 28 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. There was a short practice session for the riders before the opening ceremonies.
The top 10 riders were introduced to the huge crowds. Scott, with his overall World ranking of number 1 set off down the hill to huge cheers from the crowd. The commentators were building him up as the legend of 4X!
After the intros were done, the Red Bull air race planes took over and simply wowed the crowds with an incredible display over the hillside.
Onto the racing. In Scott’s first race, he took gate 2. With a great start he took the lead into turn1 but then got shuffled back to 2nd in turn 2. He rode a great lap and qualified comfortably in 2nd.
In the quarter finals racing got very serious. Scott had the 3rd pick on the gate and he took gate 4. In this race, Bas Van Steenbergen (King of Crankworx) took gate 1, Stefano Dolfin (World Number 4) in gate 2, Jachym Vanek (World Number 10) gate 3 and Scott (World Number 1) in 4.
Making a great start, he opted to stay wide into turn 1. He dived inside and briefly moved into 2nd before being forced wide by Van Steenbergen. He sat in 3rd and closed in on 2nd, but then lost a bit of time. Closed in again and then lost some more time. In the final 2 corners he was gaining and across the line he missed 2nd by 0.5 second. It was a great effort but unfortunately his night ended there with an overall position of 10th for the evening.
A cruel way to end the night but as Scott said in the finish:
“I would have done exactly the same thing. I was excited for the move in turn 1 but it just didn’t quite work out. I rode a great lap and couldn’t have done any more in that race. That’s racing and it was fun out there. Over 10,000 spectators just saw 4X in it’s finest light’.
As the finals unfolded things went well for Scott. When the overall results were published, Scott had moved up to 4th in the standings with 2 rounds remaining.
Finally we want to thank all out team partners and sponsors. Without you this great performance would not have been 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.