THE sunshine has allowed for some arresting views of the Nevis Range over the past few days but the Highland scenery will undergo a dramatic change this weekend.

It is a consequence of every nook and cranny being sought out and occupied by over 20,000 spectators as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup gets under way today, with Fort William hosting the first event of the series. Their hollering will be translated as support by competitors from 25 different nations but it is the ambitions of two Scottish riders which will be peddled most enthusiastically, with Ruaridh Cunningham and Greg Williamson among the roster for the men's downhill event.

The latter signed with Trek World Racing this year and will ride in qualifying this afternoon for the first time as a professional, although the rutted and rooted terrain has already proven fertile for Cunningham, who won his junior downhill world title on the same mountain side six years ago. "The track hasn't changed too much . . . I know it better than most," said the 25-year-old, of Union Tools Team.

That would not prevent his aspirations from being left punctured last year; a rocky section of the Aonach Mor track perforated his front tyre to let the air out of a promising run in practice. Cunningham's preparations for his return north have been also been deflated since he has been unable to race downhill since undergoing a shoulder operation in February, a procedure the personable Scot dismisses as "minor" when compared to a knee ligament injury suffered earlier in his career.

A number of sessions in the gym and on the road with his bike have readied his body for the inaugural World Cup event of the season, although his strength of character has meant his mind has been flexing eagerly for some time.

Both he and Williamson are joined on the men's downhill roster by the former world champions Greg Minnaar, Danny Hart, Steve Peat and Gee Atherton, the latter setting off for the Highlands after featuring in a film in which the Englishman traversed a mountainside on his bike while trying to escape a peregrine falcon swooping for bait attached to his back.

It is a bizarre chase scene but the greater threat to his World Cup chances come from his own race. "Aaron Gwin [of the United States] has won it the past two years and Gee has also done very well," said Cunningham, who would regard a place in the top 10 as a successful weekend's work.

The nature of the sport – this weekend's action also includes women's downhill, the British Trials Cup and 4X Pro Tour – demands that riders have the capacity to couple speed with dramatic changes in direction, which seems prevalent since the World Cup series will later alight in Italy, Andorra, Canada, Norway and Austria. "To get a good position overall you've got to do them all. But Fort William has the most exciting atmosphere, especially being Scottish," added Cunningham.

That will become pictorial as riders hurtle down the Nevis Range but it is also a perception carefully tended by organisers, who are overseeing the 11th year of competition this weekend.

"We have the biggest riders in the world, they come every year and it is a really popular event," said Lesley Beck, a director of Rare Management and who has been involved in the Fort William event since its inception.

"We also have some fantastic British riders and we have a great chance of seeing some Brits on the podium. That is exciting for us."