Racing Downhill as an Underdog with Tristan Botteram

Our ‘Underdog’ series highlights the sheer passion, hard work and love that goes into racing bikes as a privateer. In this episode we follow Dutch downhiller Tristan Botteram at the 2nd round of the 2022 UCI Downhill World Cup as he heads to Fort William, Scotland, for his first taste of the renowned Scottish track. In the world of World Cup Downhill racing there are 60 spots for the finals and with well over 100 riders all competing for a seat in the finals, it’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. Privateers are the underdogs, going up against the big guns on the full team set-ups whilst also having to be there own team manager, mechanic, cook and everything else that comes with being on the race circuit whilst also juggling work or studies. The grit and dedication it takes to race as an underdog is inspiring and we hope this series gives you an insight into what life on the road as a privateer looks like in this day and age.