I’m now sat in Madrid airport with a San Miguel, about to go home to Bristol. The DH finals are going on as I write but I couldn’t stick around. Got to go to Champery tomorrow morning to start building their new 4X track.

Last night was the 4X finals. I’d been pretty nervous leading up to this. The new style of 4X, with a more DH feel, was sure to make a lot of riders unhappy. However, it also made a load of other riders very happy. There’s such a broad spectrum of rider types, it’s hard to please all of the riders all of the time. In fact, it’s impossible to please some of the riders any of the time! Whatever, it made for a really good show for the 20,000 spectators. Considering the short notice and short time scale we had to get the track built, I think it worked out pretty well.

I’m really happy that Gee Atherton won. In my eyes he epitomises the kind of rider who should be winning 4X races. (By the way, I am totally impartial. I don’t mind who wins, but I can’t deny it’s cool when a Brit wins. Just wish they’d play Jerusalem for the podium!). Good to see Anneke Beertens winning the womens race too. She’s been up there for a while and deserved to win.

Vigo is fast becoming a classic World Cup race to rival Fort William. I can’t wait to come back next year and develop the track.

On a side note, I made a map of the U.K. out of big flat rocks on the second straight. Don’t think anyone saw it, since the riders were too busy trying to work out their route through the rock gardens. Favoured line seemed to be through the English channel, since the France rock stuck out a bit.

Thanks to the organisers, Guillermo and Marta, Manolo, the digger driver, Anton, my translator and Duncan and Will for helping me out with the track during race week. I owe you all some beers.