Connor Fearon Had 154mm of Rear Travel, Flat Pedals and Placed 18th at Fort William 20

Bonkers considering how rough Fort William is. Connor is a boss. Official words from Forbidden below:

After a three-year hiatus, the UCI World Cup circuit returned to Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands, for round two of the 2022 championship series. Greeting the teams, riders and spectators - who were into the tens of thousands all weekend - was a weather system to test the best. Strong winds, driving rain and fluctuating temperatures were all in the mix but did little to upset proceedings, especially for the Forbidden Synthesis team.

With teammate Magnus Manson, riding and testing back in BC between ongoing cancer treatments, and the new DH bike still in a pre-race testing phase, all eyes were on Connor Fearon and his DH-specced Dreadnought. Opting to run the same setup used to secure the Australian National Title, back in February, Connor would be the only rider lining up to tackle the beast that is Aonach Mòr aboard a bike with less than 200mm of travel...

Testament to his athleticism and insane bike handling, Connor secured his place in the big show on Sunday with a highly respectable 32nd. Not enthused by his result, Connor’s eyes were fixed on Sunday's finals and putting on a show for the fans.

On Sunday, the challenging weather continued, battering the mountain and all who flocked there, doing little to falter the resolve of the thousands of spectators, queuing at the gates to witness the action unfold. For Connor, it was time to get to work and push himself and his 154mm travel Dreadnought - a bike that was never envisioned to take on such feats - to the limit and improve on his result from qualifying.

Putting in a stormer of a run in front of Red Bull’s cameras, Connor would take the hot seat for some time before taking a well-earned 18th place - a significant result that can not be overstated given the parameters. To achieve this, in 2022 when times are so tight and the top 60 riders are so good, and on one of the gnarliest and most unforgiving race tracks on the planet, on an 'enduro bike', is just incredible.

“I'm really happy with my result and the team's performance over the weekend at the Fort William World Cup. The track was the roughest I’ve ever seen it and then adding the rain and extreme wind all week made for a very physically demanding race. It took me both practice days to get up to speed and be confident enough to hit all my lines at a race pace. It all came together, just in time for finals, and I managed to sneak the Dreadnaught into the top 20 with an 18th place. I’m just so impressed with how the Dreadnaught handled the longest and roughest track on the World Cup circuit!” - Connor Fearon

“I haven’t been this happy and excited about a World Cup in Fort William since 2005; the track was rough, temperatures were cold and it rained all weekend, but Connor’s exceptional riding led to an awesome result, even on an enduro bike! The atmosphere in the pits and from the team was amazing with Ant-Man (pit manager, Anthony Poulson) doing everything he could, working on Connor’s bike and Thomas Doyle (team filmmaker), braving the wind and sideways rain to capture the goods all weekend, was inspirational. The team worked so hard and the vibe was so positive that we forgot that we lost our luggage and toolboxes on the flight to Scotland! The only thing missing, besides our luggage, was Magnus Manson, whose presence was missed this weekend. I’m so very proud of what we accomplished and blown away by what the ‘little bike’ is capable of.” - Mathieu Dupelle, Forbidden Synthesis Team Manager

To top it off, the team did not suffer a single mechanical all week. This too is incredible given the severity of Fort William’s terrain and reinforces the talents of Connor, the pit crew, the Dreadnought, our amazing partners and the pedigree of their products. We’ll be back between the tape, again in Scotland, for the first round of the Enduro World Series in two weeks' time. Thanks for your support and we’ll see you at the races!