The rain may have been unseasonal yesterday at the World Championships in Fort William but the clouds dispersed for Team GB with top men's downhill rider Steve Peat returning to the saddle for the first time following a dislocated foot.
The World Championship title is the one prize which has eluded the giant Yorkshireman in a distinguished career which has included over 10 years at the summit.
There was, therefore, a genuine sense of fear he wouldn't be around at Aonach Mor for Sunday's finale after he suffered a serious ankle injury in a high speed altercation with a tree root in the British National Championships almost two months ago.
Doctors subsequently advised eight weeks of rest for the 6ft 3in, 14st-powerhouse, who has twice won the World Cup downhill series.
When the aircast came off his damaged joint earlier this week, a collective sigh of relief was heard around the British camp.
Yesterday, though, "Peaty" was back on his bike for his first training runs since the crash, as he seeks finally to secure a World Championship title which he has lost by under a second on three separate occasions.
Early indications are that his oft-mentioned physical toughness and mental rigour will be enough to see him make the start area for the 555m descent at the weekend - a huge boost for Britain and the home spectators.
The 33-year-old has won 14 World Cup races, seven UK championships, two Europeans and can still land this year's World Cup at Maribor, if he can eclipse the brilliant Aussie Sam Hill, the current series leader.
One rider who knows exactly how important Peat would be for the British squad is Gee Atherton, currently four places adrift of him in the World Cup table.
Atherton was also in training in the wet yesterday ahead of his participation in the downhill and the four-cross event, which begins on Friday.
After finishing second in the final World Cup outing prior to his arrival at Fort Bill, Atherton is confident of a high placing for himself and a rousing British performance.
"I think this is one of the biggest races for Britain. This is the best squad we've had for a long time so I think it will be interesting to see how we get on at home.
"For me personally, it has been a good build-up. I was pretty unlucky at the start of the World Cup series but I've had some good results since then and a few good National performances as well. I've had a few practise runs today and, with the weather, it's pretty tough. There are also a lot of changes at the start section of the trail but I am hopeful of a third in the downhill and a podium in the four cross."
The UK fans can only hope he's correct. Results. Junior Women's Cross Country 1 A Boyko (Ukr) 1hr, 25 mins, 14 sec, 2 J Skarnitzlova (Cze) 1:25:43, 3 J Bresset (Fra) 1:26:50 U-23 Women's Cross Country 1 Ying Liu (Chi) 1:45:43, 2 Ren Chen Gyuan 1:49:15, 3 E Osl (Aut) 1:51:03
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