Scott Beaumont:
Qualifying – 2nd
Race – 1st

The 2017 4X National Championships were held in Moelfre, North Wales. On a track where Scott had won the title in the previous two years, he was confident of retaining the title. This would in fact be the sixth consecutive year that Scott would win the title if he were to win.

The track had undergone some major changes, extended by 300m and with new jumps and an incredible start hill added. There was plenty to learn that’s for sure. Unfortunately, the weather had not been so kind. In the lead up to the event there had been lots of rain making the track very soft in places.

When we arrived on Saturday Scott immediately made the decision to change to spike tyres as the ground was so muddy. With practice starting at 12.00 Scott went up the hill to begin his practice. Incredibly the track had really dried out in places and already it was looking like changing back to Scott’s preferred Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres. Mid way through practice he made the call and jumped back to his dry settings on the suspension and dry tyres.

After practice there was a small break and then Scott went up for his qualification run. With just one lap to determine the fastest riders, there is zero room for error. With his famous 96 number plate, Scott actually qualified early on as at National Championships riders qualify in reverse number order. Crossing the finish line, his time would ultimately be good enough for 2^nd position.

“I’m fairly happy with the run. A couple of mistakes here and there but nothing serious and I am sure that most other riders made some mistakes too, so I am happy with that. We are ready to race.”

Onto the racing and Scott qualified through to the quarter finals with no problem. In the quarter he made a great start and led the race from start to finish moving onto the semi final.

In the semi final he lined up on gate one and this was certainly going to be a tough race. With his trade mark start, Boom Boom fired into the lead and checked out. Each lap he was getting quicker and quicker and looking strong.

So it was final time. With second gate pick he went for gate 2. His game plan was simply. Make the gate, run to the outside on the first turn which would give him the inside in the second turn covering any passing moves for the lead. He made a great start and didn’t even try to cover the inside for turn one, sticking to his plan. He railed the first turn with no brakes and dived inside for turn two cleanly moving into the lead. Riders had been saying all day if you break into turn one you will lose come final time. Certainly Scott gave it a deathgrip in turn one not even touching the brakes and it was what made the difference. On the exit of turn two he was away and pulled a couple of bike lengths lead. This gap held all the way to the last turn where he slowed to cover the inside line. It was a calculated, smart race that was very impressive to watch.

Crossing the finish line Scott immediately rode straight to his dad and mechanic Mike to celebrate what was clearly a win that he wanted badly.

“To win the National Championships an eighth time and for the sixth time in a row, is very special. I felt very quick all day and in the final, rode my fastest lap of the day, making a smart move in turn two to take the win. All the hours of training leading up to this moment is what makes it so special. In this sport you have to do more than the next rider and then use your head to win and with the support of all my sponsors we are happy to have won today. Now it’s time to celebrate and then look towards World Championships in 4 weeks”.

The podiums were held immediately after the finals and Scott was awarded the National Champion jersey which means he will race with the union jack sleeve on his jersey throughout the next year.

Some interviews with the media and then it was home to continue preparation for the World Championships which take place in Italy on August 25^th.

We just want to thank all our team sponsors for their support of the team throughout Scott’s career. He is riding better than ever right now and his focus all year has been solely on World Championships. Let’s see what he can achieve.

Text – USN Racing

Images – Andy Whitehouse

Scott Beaumont

Qualifying – 10^th

Race – 13^th

The fourth and final round of the 2017 4X ProTour took place in Jablonec, Czech Republic at the weekend. After a strong season, Scott Beaumont was looking to maintain a top 5 overall position at this final round.

Historically this track hasn’t been the best for Scott with inconsistent results over the years. He was looking to maintain his good form to finally get the result he wants at JBC bikepark.

The track is in rival, Tomas Slavik’s 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.

Prcatice got underway on Thursday. Scott got most of the track dialed, but was struggling with the strong cross winds on the two big double jumps. Deciding to leave them for Friday’s session, he got the rest of it dialed.

After practice, the top 10 riders were introduced to the town mayor in the opening ceremony with fireworks and interviews. It was great to see the riders being given the star treatment!

On Friday the wind had died down and Scott on his very first lap jumped the two big doubles – each of them over 50 feet in length! It was an impressive start to his practice session. For the rest of the session he tried to dial in the woods and rocks.

The weather was dry for qualifying making the track super-fast and dusty. The sun was shining and the track was absolutely perfect.

Scott was second to last rider down the hill. He rode a good lap, not perfect but it was ok and crossed the line in 10^th position. He was happy as he was aiming for a top 10 qualifying so even though he just squeezed into the top 10 he felt good on the track.

“I made a great start and rode all the lines well. I was a little conservative in the woods and over the doubles due to the cross wind. It was a good run and I’m happy with a top 10 result” said Scott in the finish area.

Race day and waking up on Saturday morning the last thing anyone wanted was rain. But there it was. It rained until early afternoon and the track was turned to a slip and slide.

Opting to miss the start of practice Scott waited for the track to dry out as much as it could before starting. Scott rode a couple of laps and felt good.

Before racing started, the top 10 riders were introduced to the huge crowds with a backdrop of dancers and flames flying in the air. It was an awesome start to the event. Then an acrobatic plane flew overhead and the crowds were going wild!

Onto the racing. In Scott’s first race, he took gate 1. With a great start he took the lead and rode his best lap of the weekend. Winning the race from start to finish, Scott was looking in the mood for a great night.

In the quarter finals though disaster struck. Scott went into turn 1 level for the lead but on the outside. He rode a good first corner but the rider in 3^rd dived inside and hit Scott on the exit of the turn. Scott came to a standstill and had to climb up the next jump before getting going again. He was a long way behind and just could not make up the ground. This gave Scott 13^th 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. Being on the high line the door was open and he took it. I am gutted but it looks like that is enough to secure me 4^th overall in the 2017 4X ProTour so I am happy about that.”

Indeed it was. Coming into the weekend Scott was in 4^th overall and in a points battle with 3 other riders to secure a top 5 overall. To gain enough points to hold on to 4^th was a great result for Scott and the team.

After the racing finished, Scott was up on the podium to receive his trophy for the 2017 season in front of 10,000 spectators. It was a great moment.

Now the team are heading home to prepare for the 4X National Championships in 2 weeks time where Scott will look to defend his Championship. Then it’s the World Championships in Italy in 4 weeks.

To keep up with Scott, make sure you add him on social media:

www.facebook.com/beaumontracing

www.twitter.com/beaumontracing

www.instagram.com/beaumontracing

Check out the 4X ProTour Track Preview from JBC Bikepark in Czech Republic.

The toughest track in the World, let’s see Scott on a lap during his qualifying session:

We have just finished editing the new diary from Fort William 4X ProTour.

Check our the video footage from the weekend and see what it is like fro the riders point of view at this huge event.

Enjoy:

Last weekend, Scott had one of his most important races on the 2017 calendar. The 4X ProTour round in Fort William, Scotland. Held as part of the Fort William Downhill World Cup weekend, this event attracts thousands of fans who flock to the Scottish Highlands to watch 4X ProTour, Downhill World Cup and the impressive side events.

The race had a good entry, so when practice started the track had a constant flow of riders as everyone got to grips with it. The weather was wet, but in many ways, that helped the new track changes to bind together. The new changes were good as they added 2 extra turns to the track which would really help passing opportunities come race time.

Scott has had some great results here in the past and always rides his track well so we were confident heading into qualifying.

With all the top riders injury free, this year’s 4X ProTour looked set to be one of the best ever. With 10 of the elite men riders all more than capable of taking wins and the overall title, the strength in depth of 4X ProTour is now better than ever. Scott knows that consistency will be the key and was looking for a decent qualifying to set up his race night.

Qualifying:

In his qualifying run, visually, Scott looked one of the quickest on course and as he crossed – until the last turn where Scott ran off line and almost crashed. Having to roll through the final jump, Scott lost a lot of time, but still managed to cross the finish in 5^th. Clearly gutted, Scott knew he was on a flier and it was time to plan racing on Saturday night. After the run Scott said:

“I made a great start and rode all the lines well. I really messed up in the final turn and that cost me today but we will be back tomorrow”.

Race Day:

Race day rolled around and the weather took a turn before practice started. A huge downpour made the track tricky initially, but as racing rolled around, the rain stopped and the track surprisingly was perfect. With huge crowds, Scott was ready. Winning his first 2 rounds of racing Scott was looking good. In his quarter final Scott made a great gate and led the race into turn 1. Ahead of Joost Wichman, Scott looked comfortable as he booked his place in the semi final.

Semi Final:

In the semi final, Scott opted for the slightly smoother gate 3. This race was all time! In the last 10 years of 4X racing, these 4 guys had all been instrumental in the development of the sport and world wide promotion. These guys are the jedi’s and the crowd knew it. High fiving before the start Scott lined up with Tomas Slavik, Quentin Derbier and Joost Wichman. The gate dropped and Scott got squeezed. Having to settle into 4^th position in the first turn, Scott used his head and railed the turn. Carrying loads of speed on the 2nd straight, Scott was on the move. Railing turn 2, he moved into 3^rd and then in the blink of an eye, he moved into 2^nd. The crowd were going crazy, but on the exit of the turn Scott then got overtook again and slipped back to 3^rd. Staying in touch, Scott battled but across the finish, he ended up 3^rd and didn’t make the main final.

Small Final:

Scott was absolutely gutted. Making the final is extremely important to Scott at this race, but after such an incredible semi final, the only winner was the sport of 4X! One of the hardest things in 4X is to get knocked out in the semi final and then pick yourself back up to race again for 5^th to 8^th places.

Scott took gate 1. Nailed a perfect gate and set off chasing the win and 5^th overall for the evening. Scott had to hold the inside on turn 2 to protect against a pass but Quentin Derbier used the same move as Scott made in the semi final and moved into the lead. The race stayed close but Scott crossed the line in 2^nd giving him 6^th for the evening.

It wasn’t Scott’s best race in Fort William, but he was very happy with the way he raced on the night:

“I am pretty disappointed with 6^th but at the same time happy with how I rode. That was a race where anyone could have won but I gave it my all and 6^th was the result. We have a few weeks now to prepare for the next round in Czech Republic”.