The countdown clock to the World 24hr MTB Championships is ticking away. Less than a week remains before the cream of the UK and the World's riders will hit Fort William, Scotland, to battle it out for the titles. Over the next day or so UKXCNews.com will be looking at some of the UK's brightest and best hopes for success, but before this, we're going to spend some time with the team behind the event, No Fuss Events, to find out what makes them tick, and what riders can expect from the course. UKXCNews - So - a World Championships in Scotland then?! Scotland, the perfect stage! This year has been a standout year for sporting events in Scotland, which has included the Commonwealth Games, the UCI World Cup DH (also at Nevis Range), the Ryder Cup just 2 weeks ago and now WEMBO, when the eyes of the mountain bike world will focus on the Outdoor Capital of the UK once again. We are very happy to have been on the same programme as these events thanks to Homecoming Scotland 2014. Homecoming Scotland 2014 offers a year-long programme of events celebrating the very best of Scotland’s food and drink, our fantastic active and natural resources as well as our creativity, culture and ancestral heritage. Homecoming Scotland 2014 will position Scotland on the international stage as a dynamic and creative nation. Tell us a little about No Fuss Events - how did you come in being, and what keeps you motivated? No Fuss exploded onto the scene in 2005. Since then it’s been fun, pain, laughter, partying, madness, more fun, tension, stress and partying, all in healthy portions of course. For anyone who has been to a No Fuss Event you will know how it is - it’s exciting, it’s professional and it’s a lot of fun. We try to create great events with a fun, relaxed atmosphere. New ideas and challenges keep us motivated, which is exactly why we decided to be part of WEMBO. The planning and organisation of the World Championships is certainly keeping us on our toes. How did it all start out? Whilst enjoying the euphoria of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup ant Fort William in June 2004, a chance conversation (over a lager or two) led to the forming of No Fuss Events in the October of that year. The idea was that there should be a new event introduced that would attract the mass section of the leisure market. Not just the elite racers, but an event where there was a challenge for everyone, no matter what level of experience or ability. In 2005, No Fuss introduced 10 Under the Ben and by 2006 we also had Relentless 24 and from there it grew and grew to where we are now, offering 15 different events in 2014. Who are the names behind the No Fuss brand? Frazer Coupland Born in Dumfries in 1964, Frazer moved to Fort William aged five. He attended school at Fort William Primary School and then at Lochaber High School. On leaving school he joined the Royal Navy for six years where he served as a marine engineering electrical mechanic. After leaving the Navy in 1987 Frazer traveled and worked in various jobs including tree planting and ski instructing in Scotland, France and Switzerland. Summers were spent in Greece and Scotland teaching water sports and mountain biking. After much nagging from parents to get a proper job Frazer studied at Robert Gordon University and qualified as a Social Worker. Living in Fort William with his wife Aileen and their two children Keir and Drew, Frazer brings to No Fuss Events the drive to get on and be first to put into action the ideas. Currently Frazer works as a Destination manager with the Lochaber Chamber of Commerce. David "Spook" Munro Born in the Highlands in 1964, David was brought up in Lochaber and went to school in Roy Bridge and then to Lochaber High School. He then went on to further his studies at Inverness tech college before commencing fifteen years employment with Mountain Technology in Glencoe as part of the team that designed, developed and manufactured mountaineering equipment. Until recently he was employed by United Utilities waste water treatment in Fort William. After too many years getting hurt playing shinty, Spook now prefers to concentrate on his cycling and running. Spook first started cycling in the late seventies and claims to have invented downhill racing along with others in Roy Bridge at this time. He has cycled in the French and Italian Alps and continues to be a contender in the local winter leagues for both cycling and running. He has completed nine Ben Nevis races, his best time being 1hr 50 minutes. Married to Morag with two children Megan and Finn they live in Fort William and since the beginning of 2010 has been full time with No Fuss. Fiona Beattie Fiona was born in Dumfries in 1982, making her not only the fairest of the No Fuss team, but also the youngest. At the end of high school she left the south west to see a bit of the world. After some time in sunny Majorca, Fiona took up snowboarding and then chased the snow round Europe, New Zealand and Canada for 7 seasons. After a few boarding related injuries, and a not so great winter in New Zealand, some friends introduced her to mountain biking and she has spent the last few years trying out as many disciplines as she can (she now has 4 bikes in the shed!). Whilst travelling, Fiona worked in various hospitality roles until she realised one day, she didn’t like it anymore! This led her to embark on a BA degree in Adventure Tourism Management and a move to the Highlands. These days you’ll normally find her riding her bike or swimming in the loch. How did you come to be involved in WEMBO? WEMBO, or the World Endurance Mountain Bike Organisation was formed in 2011 when Russell Baker of Canberra Off-Road Cycling (CORC) spotted a gap in the events calendar for 24 Hour MTB Championships. He felt that it was important to provide 24 hour racers with a credible, annual World Championship race. This would both protect the future of 24 hour racing at the highest level and to meet the needs of the riders. He approached No Fuss and also 24 Hour Finale to come on board with him, and WEMBO was formed. How long have you been planning the 2014 Worlds for? We have known they were coming since 2011 but it all gets a bit real in the months prior to the event. We have been planning since January really, when the entries opened. What's been the hardest thing to arrange / negotiate in terms of the event planning? Transport costs for equipment hire in the Highlands is always a challenge. We have had great support from EventScotland, Nevis Range and Forestry Commission Scotland, who have a lot of experience with events on their ground. This makes event planning and permissions relatively painless. Trying to plan out the pits row in the wiggly Nevis Range car park has been a challenge, but we think we are there now! Which sponsors are you working with, and what do they bring to the event? Our headline sponsor is Exposure lights. They first became involved after our regular 24 hour race, Relentless, last year. They loved the trails and the atmosphere at Nevis Range, so were keen to work with us for the Worlds. They are great to have on board from the racers perspective as they will be providing charging units for lights, and also renting lights to those who need. They will also be bringing an extra special treat to the finish line for all competitors! High5 Sports Nutrition will be providing energy for the riders throughout the race too. What can racers expect from the course? Long climbs, long descents, rocks, berms and very enthusiastic marshals! For those of you who've not already seen it, the official race trailer film can be seen here
