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#MakingUpTheNumbers - Let’s go racing! Simon Burney, Nina Hoffmann, Andrew Shandro & Jonny Thompson
May 29, 2020
We have a World Cup season on the horizon! Joining George & Jack to discuss it in this podcast are the UCI’s Simon Burney, Nina Hoffmann, Trek Factory Racing’s Andrew Shandro & Fit 4 Racing’s Jonny Thompson!
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0:06
[Music]
0:18
welcome to the making up the numbers
0:21
podcast I'm making up the numbers
0:26
podcast to sponsor by hope technology
0:29
revolution by part swallow and the
0:32
world's finest independent mountain bike
0:35
magazine single drag ladies and
0:43
gentlemen we have a rare season on the
0:45
horizon I'm George Thompson and last
0:47
week the UCI released a revised 2020
0:49
downhill World Cup calendar which kicks
0:51
off in lens are hired on the 5th of
0:53
September and finishes in loser on the
0:55
1st of November it's a 5 venue 7 rare
0:58
series with double headers at the final
1:00
two rounds you marry boring loser then
1:02
in the middle of all that was also will
1:04
jumps in leaa going until it's eight
1:07
races in eight weeks and tonight on the
1:08
podcast we'll be taking a deeper look
1:10
into the season ahead with four special
1:12
guests over the next 90 minutes or so
1:14
and with a little bit of help from the
1:16
technical gods Sr some tour one visions
1:19
Jack Redding and myself will be talking
1:20
to the UCI Simon Burnie
1:22
Nina Hoffman Trek factory downhill team
1:25
manager Andrew Chandra and fit for
1:27
ratings Johnny Thompson to get their
1:29
thoughts and we've been looking at
1:30
everything from logistics to fitness but
1:33
before we roll out the guests lets room
1:35
through those bits in detail we start
1:37
the season on the fifth and sixth of
1:39
September in lenser hide then we head
1:40
straight to Valdez soil the following
1:42
weekend the 12th and 13th of September
1:44
then it's on tillage a 19th and 20th
1:46
this September that's three races in
1:48
three weeks and then there's a week off
1:50
and everybody can breathe a little bit
1:52
well champ sees the following weekend
1:54
the fifth to the 11th of October Elia
1:56
gang and the following weekend after
1:58
that he's Mary bar and it's a
1:59
double-header two races on one weekend
2:01
the 15th to the 18th of October and
2:03
there's a week off before the final
2:05
venue another doubleheader in looser
2:06
initial thoughts Jack yeah very excited
2:10
obviously we all trained all winter and
2:12
we were ready to go and then the breaks
2:14
got put on so the last eight weeks not
2:17
really knowing whether we're going to go
2:19
racing at all this year was you know
2:21
difficult to kind of stay positive I
2:23
guess and stay focused and yeah now
2:25
we've kind of got a light at the end of
2:27
the tunnel that will hopefully stay
2:28
there
2:29
yeah you're just really excited and the
2:31
prospect of having all those races so
2:33
close together is exciting as well
2:34
because it's gonna make for yeah it's
2:37
gonna be unforgettable in a zoo which
2:39
ever way you know everybody will always
2:41
remember eight races in eight weeks
2:43
well kicking off the show then let's
2:44
talk to the UCI Simon Burnie firstly
2:46
Simon congratulations on getting this
2:48
revised season together how difficult
2:51
was it trying to pull together an eight
2:52
race season yeah there was so much
2:56
uncertainty it was just juggling cats
2:58
the whole the whole last month really
3:00
you know not quite understanding what
3:03
the situation was going to be as things
3:05
progressed we had some organizers a
3:08
straightaway pretty much said you know
3:11
and then the ones that were left it was
3:13
just a case of yeah just trying to
3:15
figure out who could do what when and
3:17
it's literally every week something was
3:19
change so there was no kind of set
3:21
criteria to work to it was just but you
3:23
know I think the important thing was
3:25
just getting something aligned in the
3:26
Sun getting a calendar out and I think
3:29
the reaction is being from everybody I
3:31
just mentioned I think everyone's just
3:32
excited to see a calendar I'm not
3:36
convinced it's gonna end up like that
3:38
honestly I think some things will change
3:40
in the next couple of months that might
3:42
you know affect some countries yeah but
3:44
I think it was important that the teams
3:45
and the riders had something to start
3:47
focusing on and yeah
3:49
preparing for because it's just been a
3:51
lot of uncertainty and how close were
3:54
you to cancel in the whole season never
3:56
cross my mind no no no not at all I
4:00
think it's you know even if there's two
4:02
races it's two races and I think
4:04
everybody just wants to race and there's
4:05
so much there's so much tied into the
4:07
racing yeah you know sponsors television
4:10
you know the UCI Oh got sponsors we've
4:12
got partners that we need to satisfy as
4:14
much as the team manager serve with the
4:15
sponsors and the riders so you know it
4:18
never crossed my mind it's thank you if
4:19
we can race we're going to go racing and
4:21
it was just a case of trying to work out
4:22
where and when really yeah that's great
4:25
news because I think a lot of us
4:27
probably thought that if it did boil
4:30
down to the fact that we maybe only had
4:31
two venues or a month we probably
4:35
thought we wouldn't bother but to hear
4:36
that even for a couple of races you guys
4:39
have made it happen that's great news
4:40
yeah we would and again
4:42
it's you know I spoke to some riders not
4:45
expert to Greg Minnaar quite a lot just
4:48
to kind of get his feeling for mainly
4:49
around these double weekends yeah and he
4:52
you know he can really emphasize the
4:54
fact that a lot of riders are paid by
4:55
you know bonuses for performing and you
5:00
know they're going to lose money if
5:01
there's only six races or five races or
5:02
three races yeah we miss Dunlap but you
5:04
know if we can keep adding a race every
5:06
now and again and you know we can we can
5:08
help people we can give sponsors value
5:10
for sponsoring teams and riders and we
5:12
can you know try and get some some
5:14
payback for a wasted five or six month
5:17
civilian yeah got invested interest yeah
5:21
how keen with the venues to still go
5:23
ahead you mentioned that you know some
5:26
of them just straight-up cancelled we
5:28
kind of disappointed that those ones did
5:30
that was you know I think they're all
5:34
professional events organizes their
5:36
that's where they're making their living
5:37
so they all needed to try it you know if
5:39
they could put any events on they all
5:41
wanted to the old they all knew it was
5:43
important for their livelihoods as well
5:45
as for their you know for the season and
5:46
they're all passionate about the by
5:47
tracing so there was you know real no
5:50
real risk that they were just gonna go
5:51
out yeah we're just lucky off this year
5:52
but I think there were a couple that
5:56
that you know we're pretty pretty
5:58
straight away said yeah we can't really
6:01
reschedule we can't go later the weather
6:02
might be bad this might happen that
6:04
might happen and it just felt like come
6:06
on guys you know just you know maybe
6:08
yeah push it a little bit further just
6:11
kind of give it a give it another couple
6:13
of weeks and just see how you're feeling
6:14
but you know they've all got they've all
6:18
got backers and whether it's the local
6:20
authority or whatever kind of and they
6:21
were getting information from everywhere
6:24
and they were basing their decisions on
6:25
the information they got at the time so
6:27
you can't you know it's not a criticism
6:29
at all it's just almost a frustration
6:31
that you know this summer like come on
6:34
yeah you couldn't get it could make a
6:36
season you know yeah we're a little bit
6:38
longer we are in because everything is
6:40
happening so fast isn't it you know a
6:42
few weeks ago it is like things might
6:45
not be get going again until kind of
6:47
almost the new year in some industries
6:49
but now looks over here like they're
6:51
planning to open things up in the next
6:52
few weeks yeah and there's still a lot
6:55
of unknowns you know I think the whole
6:56
thing now
6:56
now we've got the calendar out the whole
6:57
thing is about okay will they be able to
7:01
race with spectators and we've still got
7:03
a couple of organizers and saying you
7:05
know if we can't have spectators if it's
7:06
zero spectators we're probably going to
7:09
have to pull the plug because they need
7:11
the spectators that they need that
7:12
income revenue ticket revenue - some are
7:16
saying if they get limited by
7:18
governments to 3,000 spectators they can
7:20
do it so you know and again right now
7:23
nobody knows all those indefinite so
7:26
it's it's just gonna be waiting to see
7:28
what's what's possible and we've got any
7:30
venues that have said if there's no
7:33
spectators that will be able to run
7:36
we've got one that's saying yeah we even
7:38
if I don't get spectators will we're on
7:40
yeah yes and we've got a couple that are
7:42
just like it's gonna be really difficult
7:44
if we can't because again a lot of them
7:46
have got sponsors are the same because
7:48
of the problems the last six months
7:49
we're going to have to maybe cut back on
7:51
a little bit on sponsorship so they're
7:53
losing revenue you know that it's it's
7:56
not a cheap it's not a cheap deal
7:58
putting a World Cup on so everybody's
8:01
everybody's kind of trying to make cuts
8:02
and try to make sacrifices to make it
8:04
happen and I think the organizers you
8:06
know they want to do it and so yeah if
8:08
if they can't is for very very good
8:11
reasons are we at the stage now where
8:15
you guys are starting to look at
8:16
measures to keep riders and event staff
8:19
and the people involved safe or is that
8:21
later down the line that literally
8:23
started yesterday so the first
8:26
conversations about it and again that's
8:28
gonna progress as we understand better
8:31
which each country is different each
8:33
country going to have different measures
8:34
in place even as far as you know
8:37
traveling across borders and travel
8:39
trouble and restrictions and things so I
8:41
think in the next two months I think
8:44
again we used to at the end of May now
8:46
we've still got a couple of months
8:47
before you know hard decisions have to
8:50
be hard decisions but decisions about
8:53
spectators you know safety health those
8:57
kind of things and I think a lot will
8:58
change in that time our medical
9:00
directors working on a kind of protocols
9:03
across the whole of cycling so even
9:05
though it's a road race or a you know an
9:07
early season cyclocross of the mountain
9:09
bike races BMX
9:10
so you know we're gonna have stuff in
9:12
place that we're gonna have to have
9:13
across the board for cycling and then
9:16
obviously we'll have to take in whatever
9:17
the organizers come back with based on
9:20
their country so each country's going to
9:22
have you know maybe slightly different
9:24
variations on a theme as well and even
9:26
yeah I was talking to the Red Bull guys
9:27
today about television and you know
9:29
they're how many people they can put in
9:31
a production unit how many people are on
9:33
the OB truck it's all going to change
9:36
and it's a lot of things that we're not
9:38
thinking about right now that they're
9:39
going to affect you know even red apple
9:42
is saying okay we're gonna have to think
9:43
out the box and try to be creative about
9:45
where we do some of the production we
9:46
might have to send some signals back to
9:48
Austria to produce it there because we
9:50
can't literally have eight people
9:52
sitting within a 20 meter OB truck you
9:55
know what I mean so it's there's a lot
9:57
of things to think about it so that is
9:59
my industry I'm you know production
10:02
filming etc and I've had to write a risk
10:04
assessment this this weekend for a
10:06
two-day a two-person shoe and it's just
10:10
phenomenal you know it's like forty page
10:12
document on just two persons two shoe
10:14
it's just it's crazy yeah you briefly
10:18
mentioned border crossings and obviously
10:21
that will be what it will be near at the
10:24
time what will happen if say for example
10:28
America's borders are still closed would
10:32
an event in Europe still go ahead if
10:34
American riders for example American
10:36
writers couldn't make the event yeah I
10:38
think so I think I think yeah it'll be
10:42
hard on the Americans absolutely and it
10:44
would be it would be a shame for the
10:45
event but I don't think one nation
10:47
necessarily been able to travel not
10:49
being able to travel is necessarily a
10:52
reason not to have an event for you know
10:54
maybe 25 nations in Europe that can make
10:56
it I think what what the situation would
10:59
be is how you look at things like you
11:02
see I points and kind of how that would
11:05
affect not necessarily that event that
11:08
weekend I think people want to go racing
11:09
and they want to see it but you know if
11:10
that if some people not being able to
11:12
travel meant that something next year
11:14
was going to get compromised and we just
11:16
have to bear that in mind and be you
11:18
know be kind of really mindful about
11:20
making sure it's fair at the beginning
11:22
of next season
11:24
you know everyone start enough on me on
11:25
the same foot as they would if it been a
11:27
regular season yeah okay okay
11:30
and obviously the we're going until the
11:32
first of November was that cutoff based
11:34
around weather and things like that or
11:36
was that venues just and easier when we
11:38
can do and when we can't do yeah I think
11:40
everywhere you know you know everywhere
11:42
but Portugal is pretty much a ski area
11:43
and I think a lot of them were nervous
11:45
about going into November because of
11:47
because of the weather Portugal it just
11:50
made complete sense to put that one as
11:52
late as we could go yeah yeah so we kind
11:55
of went Mary Ball weekend off so that
11:57
people again mainly for television they
11:59
couldn't get from Mary bore to Portugal
12:02
in time to start setting up for that one
12:04
so again it just meant there was a week
12:06
a week break I think Mary bore are going
12:09
to put an ixs cook on in that in that
12:12
gap yeah anybody who wants to stay in
12:14
Mary Ball you know it just gives time to
12:16
people to either yeah so yeah there was
12:19
it was difficult for the ski area in
12:21
kind of after the weather could change
12:24
things up quite a bit couldn't it should
12:27
be some wild racing and it might really
12:29
forever those who kind of excel in the
12:31
mud yeah no it's good there's gonna be
12:34
so many different things you know like
12:36
this you know that I was talking to some
12:39
cross-country riders on a program over
12:41
the weekend and you know they're talking
12:43
about the same kind of thing it's just
12:44
you know you can't go in too hot because
12:46
you got six or seven weeks of really
12:48
intense racing recovery travel
12:51
everything's going to have to be really
12:53
well thought about yeah you know you're
12:54
gonna have to be optimal in all these
12:56
little details and you know if you come
12:58
in a little bit
12:59
you know overfit you're not going to
13:01
recover if you come in a little bit
13:02
tired you're probably not going to
13:04
recover so it's got to be it's gonna be
13:06
interesting and the weather can add you
13:07
know so much to as well it is gonna be
13:10
kind of doubly difficult for privateers
13:12
we've got a such a tight schedule you
13:15
know with all the travel and the setup
13:17
and you know doing everything themselves
13:19
yeah yeah it makes it doubly difficult
13:22
doesn't it I think I've been should I
13:23
wait for those and indeed
13:25
the final two venues they each have two
13:29
races what will the schedule be for
13:31
those not confirmed right now we're
13:34
still waiting for the organizers and
13:35
television to just to kind of come forth
13:37
but the plan is walking on Tuesday
13:41
training on Wednesday training in
13:43
quality on Thursday finals for the first
13:46
one on Friday yeah training on Saturday
13:48
morning quality Saturday afternoon
13:49
finals on two on Sunday no is it the
13:53
same track for both races so we can't
13:55
change significantly because we can't
13:57
change TV camera points right so but
14:01
again with a downhill you can do some
14:03
really sort of smart small line changes
14:07
that just kind of keep it interesting
14:09
look at that epic quite differently
14:11
currently you just have to move
14:13
something a meter you know a meter and
14:15
the TV camera still gets it but it's a
14:17
different line it's something that's
14:18
maybe not been written in you know it
14:20
can make a lot of difference just with a
14:22
few little changes and I think that's
14:23
the kind of thing we look at it again
14:24
for time if we're going to finish
14:26
Friday's final at you know four o'clock
14:29
on Friday Friday afternoon training or
14:32
start early on Saturday morning there's
14:33
not an awful lot of time to make big
14:35
changes either so it just be a little
14:36
small things just fresh milk yeah and
14:39
then good they're too good venues to do
14:41
that as well both male yeah loser I've
14:43
got fairly like they've got tracks real
14:46
close together and the grounds really
14:48
easy to work so yeah maybe be a little
14:51
bit harder those two we're not that
14:53
problem only again although that's going
14:57
to check out just here today that's
14:59
they're going to make some changes to
15:00
that downhill course as well hopefully
15:02
for Wells I'm guessing from what you
15:08
said before but discussing with Greg a
15:10
lot of the thinking behind the double
15:11
headers was getting riders more points
15:15
and more opportunities yet hit their
15:17
bonuses is that yeah basically I think
15:19
you know just a chance to race more you
15:22
know again you guys you're the World Cup
15:24
you've been you for a few days and
15:25
there's there's one race and I think if
15:27
there's an opportunity you know
15:28
exceptional circumstances abroad in a
15:30
bow but and again I kind of took a bit
15:33
of advice from one of my colleagues is a
15:35
ski racer and you know she said yeah we
15:37
do double races you know Ski World Cups
15:39
have a think about it and you know she
15:41
spoke to to Miriam and I spoke to Greg
15:44
and yeah kind of just kind of why not
15:47
honestly you know it's just one of these
15:48
things we'll try it
15:50
if it if everyone loves it Wiccan we can
15:52
do it again you know what maybe some
15:54
things take forward if it doesn't work
15:56
you know it is something that's that
15:58
doesn't work in the sea somewhere a lot
15:59
of things have gone bad so you think
16:04
you'll be something that if it goes well
16:05
you could carry you carry on over into
16:07
follow me yeah why not it doesn't really
16:10
add the costs of significant costs to
16:14
anybody it's maybe an extra Hotel night
16:16
for riders it's an extra day for TV
16:19
which isn't quite a cost but you know I
16:23
think if the feedbacks good you know
16:25
well yeah why not you know yeah and Red
16:27
Bull will be showing like you said
16:29
they'll be showing both races they will
16:34
just you mentioned at the start that
16:36
even if it goes down to kind of ended up
16:39
being a too rare season that that would
16:41
be a season is that as low as it is that
16:44
as low as it could go kind of well now
16:46
think you know it's not for us to come
16:49
for races I think that's the other big
16:51
thing I think you know the UCI we're
16:53
formulating the calendar based on events
16:55
that are out there and it's it's for the
16:56
organizers to decide if they can put
16:58
their race on you know if if there's
17:02
only a couple of races and we decide to
17:03
you know the World Cup I overall isn't
17:06
really worth basing on two rounds or you
17:08
know we have to make a decision about
17:10
that I think the actual we're not going
17:12
to say well we're just there's only two
17:14
races let's not have any that's not
17:16
really a you know that's not my attitude
17:17
to it at all the races are better than
17:19
no races yeah yes I think you know the
17:23
more we can do the bedroom and I think
17:25
you say we just got to be so reactive
17:27
everything's changing and just bury your
17:30
head in the sounding of it's just about
17:32
being reactive and going out what's the
17:34
best we can do from the situation I
17:36
think just been a little bit open-minded
17:37
about you know a completely new
17:39
situation for everybody yeah yeah and
17:42
what's the response been like has it
17:44
been as positive as as we think it yeah
17:47
I think so I think yeah I think just
17:48
like I said earlier on I think it's just
17:50
the fact that the riders have got
17:51
something to aim for and I think just
17:53
having that light at the end of the
17:54
tunnel has been really positive yeah and
17:58
you know where he went when he work for
18:00
the UCI you don't really get you don't
18:02
really get the good side of real
18:04
you just get the kind of the crappy side
18:06
of it you know you know that's rubbish
18:09
and I haven't had any loads no one said
18:10
if a limb for sucks yeah so you know I
18:13
think just based on that permit proves
18:15
that it's yeah it's gone I think I mean
18:19
I mean if you what's up groups and you
18:21
know you've made a lot of people very
18:23
happy just by the fact that you know
18:24
there is a calendar there that's good
18:26
you know just fans of racing people who
18:29
had just you know everybody's it's a bit
18:32
[ __ ] for everybody at the minute in it
18:33
yes any bit of joy that you could find
18:38
is great well thanks very much for
18:43
coming on the show Sam it's really
18:44
appreciated what we'll be doing another
18:47
show with salmon in August just before
18:50
the race and kicks off so if any
18:51
listeners do have questions for him
18:53
please drop us a message on Instagram at
18:55
making up the numbers were essent and
18:56
we'll be sure to ask him them we'll be
18:58
talking to Nina Hoffmann after these
18:59
messages
19:05
next up we have a lady who burst on the
19:07
world cup scene in 2019 with a third
19:09
place at Fort William and then grab
19:11
second a week later in leaa gang fifth
19:13
English J and finished fourth in me
19:15
overall welcome Serena Hoffman hi nice
19:19
to have you on the show have you been
19:23
dealing with the lockdown yeah I've just
19:27
so I just took it pretty easy so I tried
19:32
to stress myself I try to do the things
19:35
which was possible to do try to train
19:38
and keep the motivation high which was a
19:41
bit hard at the beginning but then I
19:43
started to yeah to do new things to try
19:46
new things and for example I now started
19:49
riding motocross just try to learn new
19:56
things and to improve yourself they're
19:59
always things you can you can't prove
20:01
you're in Germany aren't you at the
20:03
moment yeah has it been pretty strict a
20:06
lockdown that it was a bit different to
20:10
every federal state and here in Turin
20:13
yeah yeah it was like you only could you
20:16
were not allowed to meet another person
20:18
only if it was family but actually also
20:21
not this and yeah you should only go out
20:25
for buying things but you were allowed
20:27
to do sports so I went a lot of cycling
20:30
outside because I was allowed to do this
20:32
and was pretty happy about but like some
20:34
of the persons in a very I think they
20:37
weren't allowed to go cycling I don't
20:39
know it was different in every area yeah
20:43
well I said in the intro that you kind
20:45
of burst onto the scene last season but
20:47
you you only rest four rounds in 2018
20:50
and you had a couple of six place
20:52
finishes involved a solo in the breast
20:54
were you kind of surprised by your
20:56
results in 2019 yeah I definitely was a
21:02
surprise surprise me because my first
21:08
cup season and then I thought like okay
21:11
my goal was it to to get a top ten
21:14
overall in 2019 and then I
21:17
got a sixth place again in my report the
21:19
first book and I was like okay this is a
21:22
good start but then you have to I have
21:25
to admit there were many or few ladies
21:27
out of out of racing and I think this
21:30
helped me to get such good places but in
21:34
the end they are standing there so yeah
21:38
we you've only started you only start
21:40
racing you 2015 yes this was my first
21:44
year racing three races you don't arrest
21:54
lea gang and Valdez soul before so can
21:58
it but before last season what was it
21:59
like having to learn the majority of gun
22:01
of the World Cup tracks they did you
22:03
feel like you're a disadvantage mmm
22:06
I never or I try to not feel like this
22:10
so I try to sue for example Fort William
22:13
is a track which is pretty much the same
22:15
every year so I watched many videos of
22:18
people riding it before tried to learn
22:20
the upper section which really really
22:22
helped me because there are so many
22:24
rocks and every rock looks the same but
22:27
this was pretty good and I've always
22:28
done very slow track walks and try to
22:32
remember everything on track rock so
22:34
that I don't have to do this many runs
22:36
um it was hard for me in Andorra at the
22:40
beginning because this was such a long
22:41
dragon and was hard to find good videos
22:43
to watch before but yeah I watched a lot
22:48
of GoPro runs after my first practices
22:51
and practice runs so just helped me a
22:54
lot and it's just I think it's just a
22:56
bit of extra work in the evening
22:57
and then you get with were there any
23:01
tracks in particularly struggled with or
23:04
I think so I'm rested in 2018 and I
23:09
really loved it because everybody said
23:12
it's such a rough dragon it's so
23:13
hardened I didn't felt like it was so
23:15
hard but in 2019 I don't know I had such
23:18
so many problems because it was wet and
23:20
it was I don't know so physical and then
23:24
this crash to my final run gave me the
23:27
rest
23:30
when we had Valley on a few weeks ago
23:32
she said that you know it was just
23:34
probably saw was the hardest everybody
23:39
says what William was pretty hard
23:40
because it's so long but in my opinion
23:44
and which track you most kind of looking
23:47
forward to going back to Andorra this
23:52
was this was my I mean it wasn't my best
23:56
qualifying worse the first place there
23:58
and it was just a super smooth and
24:01
normal run and I really like the
24:04
combination of fast parts in the
24:07
beginning and then steep once and
24:09
technical and just have it has
24:12
everything in them I love it yeah you've
24:15
got some unfinished business there like
24:17
you said you qualified first with you
24:19
yeah impressive time and it was only
24:22
your second season how did you feel sat
24:24
in the in the start gate for finals last
24:27
lady down the hill actually I tried to
24:32
push this feeling away from me to just
24:36
feel like okay you're just racing
24:39
another race run and don't think too
24:41
much about it and actually it worked
24:44
okay for me so I didn't sell that much
24:46
of the pressure I just tried to focus on
24:51
myself and yeah but and the first thing
24:58
I saw the thought at this moment is was
25:00
that I was like oh no this is not
25:03
happening in your first run down Alaska
25:11
experience mm-hmm yeah I've had so many
25:17
different experiences from highs to lows
25:19
to injuries to crash this and also to
25:22
good race runs so there was a lot yeah
25:26
I've also learned to tighten my shoes
25:29
that's an important one as you say I
25:32
mean being relatively very inexperienced
25:36
compared with the girls who are riding
25:38
at your level you are going to spend a
25:40
lot of the season learning just lesson
25:43
after lesson because you learn new
25:45
tracks you're learning how to race
25:46
you're getting faster it's going wrong
25:48
it's going right so so yeah I'm sure
25:51
every weekend has been been a new
25:54
learning experience you've spent a lot a
25:57
bit of time with the syndicate last
25:59
season were they giving you advice and
26:02
if so what what kind of things have you
26:04
picked up from the syndicate yeah they
26:06
definitely helped me a lot just with
26:11
some easy things like getting some lunch
26:14
or getting a bit of physio but also I'm
26:17
advising so Kathy is a super um yeah I
26:20
mean she's she's all along into this
26:23
sport now and she's so many so many
26:25
advices for me and we talked a lot about
26:28
yeah dealing with pressure and staying
26:31
calm on race weekends and I also learned
26:34
a lot
26:35
I talked to crack in Malaysia because I
26:39
she was a hard weekend for me because I
26:41
crashed and Qualys and had a lot of pain
26:44
in my ankle and in my elbow and I wasn't
26:46
feeling like racing on Sunday I was
26:50
Saturday anyway and I was pretty yeah
26:55
not not self-confident and he gave me my
26:58
self-confidence back with just talking
27:00
to me five minutes just saying you're
27:03
able to do this just keep it easy to a
27:05
safe run nothing special just write down
27:08
and it will be good so he's quite a
27:13
calming influence great so when we had
27:21
Tony on the podcast coming back to what
27:24
you said about some of the girls not
27:25
racing last year she talked about
27:28
yourself and Miriam and sorry Maryanne
27:31
and maybe a couple of others stepping up
27:33
their game did it feel different
27:37
psychologically when those girls weren't
27:40
there maybe not consciously but maybe
27:45
unconsciously so that you were
27:48
to do now podium or even a third or
27:52
second place and this pushes you harder
27:54
than if you are maybe getting a fifth or
27:56
sixth or seventh place and so I didn't
28:00
really thought about this but definitely
28:03
yeah and consciously and influenced
28:07
yeah and you also work more in the media
28:10
and more on focus of the media and
28:13
everybody was talking about you and this
28:15
also yeah made it more excited yeah I
28:18
can relate to that because whenever I'm
28:20
on the live stream in finals always feel
28:23
differently a month like the build-up to
28:25
the finals run and whereas if I've
28:27
qualified but if I've had a bad
28:28
qualifier and I'm not having a good
28:30
weekend and I'm calling about forty
28:31
fifth or something it just doesn't feel
28:33
the same in the finals you just kind of
28:35
like well whereas if you've qualified 15
28:38
yeah nobody cares I guess a question I
28:46
want to ask you after what Thani said do
28:50
you feel that you actually rode faster
28:54
because Tony said that those spots
28:55
aren't taken and they're there anyway
28:59
do you feel like not having those girls
29:01
they're actually made you guys do faster
29:04
runs that you would have done then you
29:06
would have done if those girls weren't
29:07
there this is a hard question because
29:11
you don't know how you would have raised
29:13
when these girls would have been there
29:16
but what me really pushed was some day
29:20
practice so I had the possibility to
29:22
step into a practice and this was the
29:25
first time in Li Yuqing
29:26
and it really really pushed me because I
29:30
was able to write now with the very fast
29:33
guys it was cool to watch um the lines
29:40
which were they racing and that there
29:43
was just one line in the Ewing and I
29:44
wasn't and I didn't know if I could do
29:46
this do this and then I saw all the guys
29:48
riding it and it so easy and then I just
29:50
tried it and it was such a faster line
29:53
than the other one so this is just one
29:55
example which where I think um it helped
29:58
that the arrogance weren't there
30:01
yeah and maybe racing for a first second
30:06
or third place then you're a bit more
30:07
motivated than going for a seventh or
30:10
eighth would you have had timed practice
30:14
normally or was the timed practice
30:17
session in addition for you as well
30:19
being ranked higher I'm sorry first time
30:24
and for William I think yeah not not to
30:27
marry ball because of my I'd women not
30:30
time 4:15 on the first day after time
30:35
practice is top yeah the top 15
30:37
so yeah and just and the thing with the
30:41
a practice was um what's the first time
30:43
that they did 19 yeah yeah I remember
30:48
that just to explain to the listeners
30:50
very yeah yeah talking about their
30:52
practice the be practice starts at 8:30
30:58
in the morning
31:00
until 11:30 in the morning if you're in
31:03
the practice that's you whereas if
31:06
you're in a practice you start at 11:45
31:09
and you go until quarter past three
31:11
so as you said instead of going up the
31:13
track to walk and watch you know
31:15
practice you're able to be there ride
31:17
and you can then try the lines that
31:19
you've seen at the time which just makes
31:22
such a big difference on weather
31:25
conditions it's often um wet in the
31:28
morning especially Riley sort of okay
31:32
which just changes the game and it makes
31:34
it so much harder for the men so
31:36
something that I do want to just kind of
31:38
raise with Simon and August is that it's
31:42
if there's men practicing in beat
31:45
practice and not practicing an air
31:48
practice and they do all their practice
31:50
in the way we practice in the dry and
31:52
that it's qualifying in the dry it's not
31:55
that it's not a level plane but I think
31:57
I think it's very very interesting that
32:01
they can split categories into different
32:03
sections and give them different
32:04
conditions to prepare in it it's like
32:06
giving one guy a bike that's too small
32:08
for him and one guy by difficult Simmons
32:10
yeah it's this is still a big discussion
32:13
point also doing just season
32:14
and this is what was the reason why then
32:17
all girls who qualified so all 15 girls
32:20
got the possibility for a practice on
32:22
Sunday on race day so um this was a
32:26
compromise because yeah it was not fair
32:30
if you're only able because for us if
32:33
you and B practice you're often only
32:35
able to train in the wet and then it's
32:37
dry and it when you do your race run
32:39
this is just not fair GameChanger
32:42
sorry Georgia tangent again just you
32:47
know just looking at that's it you've
32:49
done really really well of in here you
32:50
know you like a second season really not
32:52
even in some ways it wasn't even a
32:54
second season because you hadn't done a
32:56
lot of the tracks before you must be
32:59
really really pleased with how it went
33:01
last year well I can't complain on to on
33:09
to 2020 then when does hash tag team
33:12
rumors started at the at the end of the
33:14
season I think pretty much everyone
33:15
thought you'd be joining the syndicate
33:18
they've never had a female rider you
33:20
look to be a great fit for their brand
33:22
is there any reasons in particular why
33:24
that didn't materialize mmm there's
33:27
nothing particular there are many
33:29
reasons some fitting together and
33:31
smaller and bigger once and I don't want
33:34
to want to name something but um yeah it
33:37
was it's just not um at the time for me
33:40
at the moment so let's wait your own
33:44
team has not changed your approach in
33:47
any way yeah so I really I really wanted
33:54
to UM to stay with Santa Cruz and they
33:58
gave me a good yeah a good offer that
34:02
way and so I didn't just sit yeah so
34:09
it's kind of on your own but you have
34:11
got the support spill from Santa Cruz of
34:13
course of course yeah and from stiffens
34:17
and if my own mechanic now and I thought
34:19
a team manager who cares a lot for me
34:22
and all the organization and stuff so a
34:25
you and your own pets or
34:27
you pity next to the syndicate or you
34:29
know I asked my so I registered my own
34:32
you see items so I have my own pizza
34:35
Pitt space I have my own easy up tent
34:37
and my car and stuff so I'm like my own
34:40
mini team and is there any magic will it
34:45
be any major changes to the bike or you
34:46
sponsors for 2020 yes I have bluegrass
34:51
now as my sponsor and I got my first
34:54
custom hammer from them pretty pretty
34:58
cool yeah and this is I think the
35:01
Dimitra the biggest one is the main
35:05
sponsor now yeah which is yeah a company
35:08
of thumb and this includes Santa Cruz
35:11
Triana and two resort wheels which I'm
35:14
also running now yeah how did the stiff
35:18
contact come about cuz i've stiff quite
35:21
close to us in the UK about two friends
35:24
who ride for the team so how did that
35:25
come about
35:26
yeah it came from from Santa Cruz in the
35:29
end so they so they are pretty close
35:33
with some stiff and they wanted to try
35:36
to push this a bit more and so I'm
35:39
trying to do this now and to promote
35:42
among the underworld cast and there yeah
35:45
pretty cool pretty cool people I also
35:47
was at them in February
35:51
yeah well the big question we all want
35:54
to know is will you be resting the v10
35:56
MX oh you have a 29 probably not have
36:03
you have you had ax any access to it not
36:07
at a moment I hope I hope I get one soon
36:10
this shows how much of a tech geek geek
36:13
I'm not I let you don't know what you're
36:15
talking about
36:15
there's no yeah the the new v10 would be
36:19
and behind the times
36:21
yeah yeah it's a mullet in the sense
36:25
I don't think Greg Greg's not riding in
36:26
Malaysia the other two and lorrison okay
36:36
mullah it's a new backend same from new
36:40
back end
36:41
you know helpful for Lori so imagine
36:43
yeah yeah definitely
36:45
ok so um you tore a ligament in your
36:49
shoulder just before world champs which
36:51
unfortunately ended your 2019 season
36:54
hopefully you fully recovered from that
36:56
injury now I did yes but I just
36:59
partially torn this tendon so this made
37:03
me or prevented me from surgery so I
37:07
just did it or recovered by physio
37:11
moving stuff I read a lot about um how
37:15
the shoulder works and I also did a lot
37:17
of physio by myself and learned a lot
37:20
about movement and stuff also for for my
37:22
whole body this this injury had just
37:25
influenced me a lot and all this
37:28
mobility stuff was a fall for other
37:31
joints and things it was pretty helpful
37:34
actually in the end and the shoulder
37:37
feels better than before now that's cool
37:42
okay so the UCI is released its revised
37:46
calendar which obviously we're all very
37:48
excited about what what was your initial
37:50
reaction when you saw the calendar I was
37:53
super happy to finally have the goal now
37:57
I can show what I've trained yeah I was
38:06
pretty happy but when I saw the whole
38:08
schedule and yeah I hope it I think it
38:13
will be a long one or a tough one
38:15
because so many races and the double
38:17
rounds in the end remember that yeah I
38:19
don't know if this really works well
38:22
with the double rounds by it let's see
38:24
yeah exactly and I think everybody's in
38:28
the same boat aren't we yeah if some
38:30
people were doing half of them and then
38:33
then you don't we should be at a
38:34
disadvantage but yeah we'll go manage a
38:37
fitness through there so as you said
38:39
we're training hard so hopefully we'll
38:41
be alright yeah going to be going to be
38:45
tough because I don't really have time
38:47
to train again we have to actually just
38:49
race on this eight weeks yeah so just
38:53
ride away
38:54
yeah but it's the same for everyone so
38:57
we were just talking to Simon before
38:59
Simon Burnie and we said yeah you talk
39:02
to look at the price it might be more
39:03
difficult for privateers just because
39:06
you know with the travel and the set up
39:09
with it being back to back to back week
39:11
after week mm-hmm
39:17
it might be yeah but for example we're
39:19
starting with Lanza hidin and body soul
39:21
and Lachey this is pretty much the same
39:25
venues as it's actually planned and then
39:28
you have two minutes off of rest and
39:30
then Leo gang which is not too far away
39:32
from from my home easy and then through
39:35
tomorrow balls also easy just to last
39:37
when you lose us but I'm far away and I
39:40
don't know if I go there by car again
39:42
because I was already down there yeah I
39:49
don't know if I ought to get my pit down
39:53
there what do you like riding in the mud
40:00
it just it could be a really you know
40:03
really weather affected season whether
40:05
it be so much lighter it could be you
40:07
know we're used to seeing World Cups on
40:09
dry and dusty tracks in the man yeah it
40:12
could be pretty crazy could be a
40:14
question about riding in snow do you
40:22
think the shortest season or benefit
40:24
anyone in particular any particular
40:25
riders I don't know I mean I would have
40:31
been maybe happy about finishing with
40:34
our champs in Leo gang and Justin let
40:37
Mary born loser out but I'm also happy
40:41
to for I really like Mary Bonnie also
40:44
the tracking news that was cool though I
40:46
just fingers crossed for the weather I'm
40:48
just about I just worry about um the
40:50
weather at the moment or like summer
40:52
sunrise um is that seven a half past
40:56
seven in my repo and when a prety
40:58
practice starts at 8 a.m. but
41:06
we'll work somehow everybody has to deal
41:08
with the same problem so we will get at
41:11
them any weight you travel or
41:16
accommodation or you waiting to get I
41:19
booked accommodation and I changed my
41:33
Leo gang and I also had a connection to
41:36
to lose that and to this accommodation
41:40
yeah it also means a hider because if
41:43
you wait wait the new so you get to take
41:49
a pretty pretty expensive foreign
41:51
corporation house I'm sleeping in the
41:52
street it better be safe and then no
42:00
absolutely what's your strategy with
42:05
your fitness now between now and the
42:07
start of the season in September it's
42:11
actually mmm
42:13
so I done a few blocks of entrance and
42:17
general training because I also had the
42:20
possibility to do go to a good gym so it
42:23
just did a lot of yeah so code training
42:26
and ruin some road cycling and stuff and
42:29
now I'm starting to to do more down also
42:32
things like in the wards contracts
42:35
sprints and these stuff so like actually
42:37
just like another complete winter
42:41
training so I did my winter training
42:44
went to loser I came back did one week
42:46
of rest and then she started another one
42:49
so and it actually fits perfectly to the
42:53
first race so I think it will be thanks
43:03
very much for making the time to tee up
43:05
Nina Vestal look for 2020 and and going
43:08
forward from that where's the best place
43:10
for people to follow you your progress
43:12
is it Instagram yeah and it's at Nina
43:16
dot h FM 96 is that right that's correct
43:20
so we'll be back shortly with Trek
43:22
Factory races Andrew Chandra
43:29
next up we have a legend of the sport is
43:32
a two-time downhill World Cup winner
43:34
four-time Canadian national downhill
43:36
champion and X Games gold medalist for
43:38
bike across and he's currently the trek
43:40
factory racing downhill team manager
43:42
welcome to the show Andrew Chandra
43:45
thanks for having me
43:47
our pleasure first question Andrew
43:49
please can you confirm for relative
43:51
newbies to the sport like me what what's
43:54
bike across well actually my classes was
44:00
in the X Games style I think it was more
44:03
like four people at a time you know also
44:05
like for cross yeah it's like four car
44:08
same kind of thing when I went the one
44:10
that I won was just was just two people
44:13
at a time I mean to be honest it was it
44:16
was you know it was kind of funny really
44:19
right
44:19
it gets on snow all right okay yeah so
44:24
it wasn't your typical man I would say
44:27
they they held it I think four to three
44:29
years and then it kind of took some time
44:32
off you know yeah but yeah I ended up
44:36
winning it back in like whatever it was
44:38
99 to 2000 on snow in Crested Butte
44:41
Colorado
44:44
yeah it's pretty funny to business nice
44:47
to have an X Games gold medal yeah so
44:52
how is a big dream team like Trek been
44:55
dealing with the lockdown I mean to be
45:01
honest I think it like everyone we've
45:03
all had sort of mixed emotions you know
45:05
you're like whoa this Kovan is I guess
45:12
hotter been like anticipate what's gonna
45:15
happen you know I think that's the
45:16
hardest thing is the moving target for
45:18
everybody
45:18
yeah from I think on the athletes staff
45:21
obviously but just like as athletes you
45:24
know everyone has a goal of mind their
45:25
training they're all like ready to go
45:27
then all sudden it's shut down so I'd
45:30
say that's probably the hardest on
45:32
everyone and then the unknown of what's
45:34
gonna happen next so yeah I mean
45:38
obviously they you see I don't want to
45:40
talk about that now away but the UCI
45:42
would
45:43
new schedule that's been released you
45:44
know yeah so fingers crossed that we'll
45:49
be racing this year so there was a lot
45:52
of cancellation of flights and hotels
45:55
logistics like everybody would have been
45:57
in the same boat and then we've just
45:58
been kind of rebooking holding off on
46:01
flights but get an accommodation sorted
46:04
whatnot and logistics but yeah it's sort
46:06
of it's been interesting yeah definitely
46:10
I don't known something there's no
46:11
experience before no no no vit all is
46:15
yeah it's again I think everyone has
46:18
their good days in their bad days you
46:19
know yeah exactly
46:21
yeah well taking us back in time a
46:25
little bit under I was a massive fan of
46:27
the the collective movie seasons I was
46:29
actually living in Whistler at the time
46:30
that came out it's not a good time
46:33
filming that oh yeah the Whistler
46:36
segment yeah yeah the Whistler segment
46:40
specifically I mean that was I don't
46:44
think we knew how special it was until
46:46
kind of later on you know after the fact
46:48
but to have Stevie Smith obviously part
46:51
of it being like an 18 or 19 year old
46:54
Grom at the time I think that's how old
46:55
he was maybe I'm wrong by piers and then
47:00
Steve he'd call and the whole crew and
47:05
Thomas and that yeah I know that was a
47:07
special one we sort of had the mountain
47:10
to ourselves it was in the fall yeah
47:12
when we shot it nice lots of like top
47:15
riders together I bet it got pretty wild
47:17
on the on the hill while you were
47:19
filming yeah for sure yeah yeah I know
47:25
Stevie and cam scared us all a few times
47:28
today and they've gone wild at night too
47:30
yeah I guess there's no escaping that
47:36
yeah in your segment there's a little
47:40
Ripper that can't be much older than six
47:43
or seven at the time yeah I actually
47:45
watched the segment of the day is that a
47:48
uni thing we're now seeing that the
47:54
trail we
47:56
we just it's actually just over to the
47:58
side of the house here that would we
48:00
kind of fixed up a little bit it's only
48:01
like a short little min and a half
48:03
little but he would ride some times to
48:05
school threw it down into the school
48:08
nice I would take him that way but yeah
48:11
he gravitated to bikes early for sure
48:13
nine seconds no escaping the the
48:16
mountain bikes forward yeah just bikes
48:19
around and just sort of you know he took
48:22
to himself you know like it was just
48:24
sort of his choice his choice yeah do
48:28
they always have his heart set on going
48:30
to race World Cup so did he toy with
48:32
other ideas in terms of professional run
48:34
ah yeah specifically the riding for sure
48:39
his his he's he's more of a racer so
48:44
yeah I think his goal was always to get
48:46
to that sort of World Cup race level
48:49
yeah he was a good athlete in other
48:51
sports as well you know yeah so he's
48:54
sort of which I think you know most good
48:57
you know that most athletes are didn't
48:59
kind of I thinking cheese a little
49:01
little bit to some degree but yeah he
49:04
always sort of had his mind set on
49:06
racing yes and you've obviously been
49:09
with track for a very long time mm-hmm
49:12
tough question I guess what do you think
49:14
you would have taken the the job is
49:16
track team manager if Ethan wasn't
49:19
riding for the team is that a part of
49:20
that decision yeah for him in for sure
49:23
it's a part of it but I so I'm sort of
49:26
like the you know there's a few of us
49:28
that are involved all of this program
49:30
Ryan Gaul who's who's who's one of the
49:33
managers and he's he does a lot of the
49:36
heavy lifting he works out of the track
49:38
each human response and these are really
49:40
good guys who did friend of mine but we
49:41
sort of co-manage so I take on some and
49:44
he takes on some and but um I think the
49:48
fact that I've never track so long like
49:50
you mentioned and I've worked with with
49:52
a lot of athletes to my time you know
49:53
yeah that when Trek decided that they
49:56
wanted to take the program in-house they
49:59
needed to have lean on some people that
50:03
understood the sport and understand
50:05
athletes and the nuances of how work so
50:08
I
50:09
I was sort of you know asked to some
50:11
degree like we would be involved in so
50:14
regardless of Ethan or not I was my plan
50:18
was to help you know track tracks been
50:21
an incredible company to work with and
50:23
you know they so I'm proud to help them
50:27
wherever I can be yeah Ethan looks like
50:30
a fantastic prospect we we surprised
50:33
when he took second at his first World
50:34
Cup yeah I was I was surprised and you
50:39
never really know to be honest you know
50:41
like I mean I knew he was good you know
50:43
I take take the dad cap off and you know
50:45
try not that like tell them or anything
50:48
I sort of like I've always tried I mean
50:51
it's hard as a parent you know to not be
50:54
proud and talk about your kid but I try
50:56
to I just like let his writing sort of
51:01
do the talking I guess you know yeah so
51:04
I knew he was really good and I know
51:06
he's got that talent is also got the
51:08
drive really to be honest he's got to
51:10
work at it that far exceeded my neck how
51:16
hard is it kind of having your son on
51:18
the team and being the dad oh there's
51:22
challenging moments for sure yeah
51:24
the balance to balance it all and you
51:26
know to be the dad but that'd be the
51:28
tech manager and like work with the
51:29
other guys and yeah but I know it's it's
51:33
hard if you know there's people in
51:35
within the sport like I mean Tony
51:37
Seagrave would say the same thing you
51:39
know your challenge of it but then the
51:42
upside and the positives I think far
51:45
outweighs the negative you know so yeah
51:49
well Trek kind of as a brand is it's
51:53
being synonymous with established names
51:55
I remember our in Gwen being on the team
51:57
the Atherton's obviously but last season
51:59
you went with a different approach in
52:01
the downhill side like a young guns kind
52:04
of approach what inspired that decision
52:07
well I think we needed a fresh start we
52:12
wanted a fresh look and so that again
52:14
they'd want to have sort of a younger I
52:17
guess malleable team to some degree you
52:21
know we wanted a group that we could
52:23
helped develop and you know just really
52:26
easy to work with on a number of
52:28
different levels Charlie had been on
52:31
track previous in his career previously
52:34
in his career we knew that he had you
52:36
know obviously has pace and the talent
52:38
the work ethic the drive and all those
52:41
things that you want on an athlete and
52:42
then with Reese again a younger guy
52:47
showing some talent had some solid
52:50
results the previous year for Leon him
52:53
and then obviously Kate is a beauty I've
52:55
always been a fan of Kate and I and I
52:57
work with I sorta you know I feel like I
53:00
understand those athletes I work with
53:02
this you know my part of my role has
53:04
been managing the c3 team since well
53:07
since the beginning of the program with
53:08
yeah
53:09
with with you know cam was the chemical
53:12
was the first guy that we got onboard
53:14
and then it was Brendan and you know you
53:17
know anyways the number of athletes
53:18
Brett Casey a meal.now so I've worked
53:21
with all those two paths mates of knew
53:24
how they work and so I mean he's a
53:28
talent obviously yeah I'm very very much
53:30
so yeah you must have been happy with
53:32
the first season yeah for sure I mean I
53:35
think there's a lot of moving parts
53:37
involved with a World Cup program for
53:39
anyone that's involved with that in
53:41
managing a team or a privateer even for
53:44
that level I have a lot of respect for
53:46
the privateers that are out there and
53:47
trying to make it happen cuz it's it's
53:49
incredibly or you know so ya know we
53:52
were proud of it and I think we should
53:54
kind of proved ourselves you know it was
53:58
the right move and we got some results I
54:01
know that we can do we can get more but
54:05
ya know I think overall we were like
54:07
extremely happy without one it was
54:10
definitely a solid start for those guys
54:12
Charlie was a man on the mission last
54:15
year for sure and I remember sitting
54:17
seeing his speed trackside when I was
54:19
riding himself in maribor and it was it
54:21
was clear he was kind of want big things
54:23
from himself yeah I was a little bit
54:26
about Charlie what was he like on a
54:28
World Cup weekend well Charlie Charlie
54:31
is I mean he he
54:36
dicks to his program you know he doesn't
54:39
deviate or miss his plan he sticks to
54:42
his plan
54:43
trains incredibly hard he's very
54:46
disciplined just in terms of going to
54:49
bed
54:50
timing going to bed getting out sticking
54:52
to his plan his diet and that doesn't
54:56
work for everybody but it works for him
54:57
you know I think he yeah I think he's
55:02
just sort of like I don't know if he
55:04
came in wanting to prove it or just make
55:06
you know prove himself but then prove to
55:09
the team like this is why you guys you
55:11
know kept me or or picked me up I think
55:13
he just came into the mission like you
55:15
mentioned I know Marable unfortunately I
55:16
wasn't there but he came in with just
55:21
like okay I'm gonna get it done so yeah
55:25
he was flying that weekend but yeah he's
55:27
been um he's been incredible and I think
55:31
he's definitely it's been good for the
55:32
other guys on the team to see how he
55:34
works and and and the way he approaches
55:38
a race weekend you know
55:39
yeah when when we had recent Kade on the
55:42
podcast at the back and the last season
55:44
they said that he was quite different to
55:46
them and they had picked up quite a lot
55:48
of stuff from him yeah how focused he
55:50
was yeah I know for sure he's very
55:54
focused but again it doesn't work for
55:56
everyone like he's definitely on one
55:57
side of the spectrum and Kate might be
56:00
on the other recent sort of in the
56:02
middle of an Ethan is probably more I
56:04
don't know he's still a kid you know but
56:07
he's actually probably closer to like
56:09
Rhys
56:10
Charlie's own you know in that area yeah
56:13
but I think everyone has the way
56:16
everyone and has a plan and how they
56:18
approach to be get in but he's been
56:20
amazing with the other with the other
56:22
guys so cool so what are your thoughts
56:25
on the revised you see ideas I mean it's
56:32
gonna be a busy few months that's for
56:34
sure if we go racing it's gonna be it's
56:38
gonna be taxing I think
56:42
yeah I mean just from going to not
56:44
racing for so long and then to BAM right
56:46
into it and you know there's a few
56:48
weekends off in there but I think it's
56:50
gonna be challenging and a lot of ways I
56:54
mean for the North Americans and
56:56
Australians and Kiwis I mean you're away
56:58
you could be potentially in Europe for
57:01
what ten weeks yeah you know if you look
57:04
at going a bit early and then by the
57:06
time yes and you won't come home just
57:09
based off of like quarantine aid yeah
57:11
and we don't know all this obviously
57:12
this is to be determined with but the
57:14
the you know various countries are
57:18
saying like terms of course you went on
57:20
but yeah it's gonna be it's gonna be
57:21
challenging I think it's gonna be
57:22
amazing if we can make it happen and
57:24
pull it off and but I really hope it
57:29
happens well we've just got Simon on the
57:31
show and he said he's still not 100%
57:35
sure that every day it's gonna yeah
57:37
happen there's still the events are
57:39
still dependent on on certain things
57:41
happening you know whether they can
57:43
happen so you said before that you'd had
57:51
to cancel a lot of flights a lot of
57:52
accommodation how how far have you
57:55
committed to the 2020 season so far and
57:58
when will you kind of go full commitment
58:00
on the flights etc yeah I mean
58:03
accommodation is done you know it was
58:05
locked in there for everything some of
58:07
the places were you know we just had
58:10
just held well we held all the places
58:13
and then we descended rebook essentially
58:15
right you know yeah it wasn't too much
58:17
work in terms of finding places
58:18
everybody would have been in the same
58:20
boat you know just rebooking but and
58:23
then just the staffing issue and we
58:26
share some staffing and logistics with
58:28
the other programs so they could see
58:29
maduro so just figuring that out and
58:32
then flights yeah I haven't booked any
58:35
flights and don't plan on booking
58:37
flights probably for another at least to
58:40
the beginning of July I would say look
58:43
maybe we're going to look later we'll
58:45
see from a logistics point of view has
58:47
the whole lockdown thing made it hard to
58:49
get the parts together for the team or
58:51
were you pretty much ready to go yeah no
58:55
we're
58:55
pretty much ready to go we had you know
58:58
we had bikes I mean everything since in
59:00
the in the European office which is in
59:03
Belgium right I think it's in Belgium
59:06
you know I was gonna say Netherlands
59:07
Belgium but so we have everything there
59:10
there was a few little things but for
59:12
the most part we were were pretty sorted
59:16
and we were fortunate enough to get a
59:19
team campaign in February and France
59:21
with this random crew and RockShox crew
59:23
which is awesome so we got bikes
59:25
everyone has their home bikes and then
59:29
the other the team bikes Tyrande on the
59:31
other rigs in Europe so good the most
59:35
part we're pretty good yeah yes so
59:38
obviously the whole season is now in
59:40
Europe yeah
59:42
logistically it's the only way they
59:44
could get away with it what'd you feel
59:46
about that in terms of do you think some
59:48
European riders will have an advantage
59:49
over like you said North American or do
59:52
you think it'll all even out yeah I
59:54
don't I mean you know be it if you're
59:56
North American rider you don't miss home
59:57
a little bit but I think everyone's
1:00:00
gonna be pretty much in the same boat I
1:00:02
think you're gonna be on the road yes
1:00:04
you know they'll be maybe some riders
1:00:08
will be able to go home for a weekend I
1:00:09
think like again there's only one two
1:00:11
three weekends in there or something so
1:00:13
it's not really I don't think it's much
1:00:15
of an advantage you know I think
1:00:16
everybody will adapt and and be in the
1:00:20
same page yeah absolutely
1:00:23
what kind of strategy will you guys have
1:00:24
between the races because obviously like
1:00:26
you says you'll have to stay out in
1:00:28
Europe will you do things to keep the
1:00:30
guys fresh or yeah we're looking at that
1:00:35
right now I mean obviously move into a
1:00:37
few different locations you know whether
1:00:39
we whether we post up and we go to leash
1:00:42
a more seen before Switzerland
1:00:44
Switzerland happens and after I think in
1:00:47
between there I don't know if we'll go
1:00:50
to Austria early or whatnot but yeah I
1:00:52
think it'll be important to certainly to
1:00:54
be aware of just the fact that we're
1:00:57
traveling together and for that long
1:00:59
giving people a stand try to have a
1:01:01
little bit of fun which we always do
1:01:03
with this crew you know yeah so yeah you
1:01:08
just have to
1:01:08
just have to probably be a little more
1:01:10
conscious of that you know yep cool
1:01:12
what's your feeling on the doubleheaders
1:01:15
at the end of the season yeah I think
1:01:18
it's gonna be I sure didn't get any wild
1:01:21
[Laughter]
1:01:23
it'd be in LA there's gonna be a lot of
1:01:26
I mean it's gonna be intense and I think
1:01:29
I think it happens in the ski racing
1:01:32
world you know able to double weekends
1:01:34
and stuff and so it's I think you just
1:01:37
approach it the same way it's another
1:01:39
race and you just carry on yeah yeah
1:01:42
yeah we're all kind of familiar with the
1:01:46
expression looks like a session yeah
1:01:48
probably the most copied bike on a
1:01:50
circuit but we we haven't seen an
1:01:52
updated version for a few seasons now
1:01:54
what can you let us in on what the boys
1:01:56
will be racing this season is it a
1:01:58
mullet version or are they yeah yeah I
1:02:02
mean we were we've been trying we've
1:02:05
been playing around with a few different
1:02:06
things you know yeah I know Reese Reese
1:02:11
likes that feel a little bit more it's
1:02:13
got a longer torso shorter legs yeah I'm
1:02:16
so depending on how it fits really to be
1:02:19
honest but yeah you know I mean I don't
1:02:22
want to tell you too much but we're
1:02:23
always playing around with things
1:02:26
working on new things potentially so can
1:02:29
you listen to what your kind of
1:02:31
aspirations are for the team this season
1:02:34
um yeah I mean I to be honest state I I
1:02:39
mean I just want to see us all racing
1:02:41
together you know we had some injuries
1:02:43
last year just everybody together racing
1:02:45
and just sort of for the guys you know I
1:02:50
just want to just just we try to give
1:02:53
them everything they can do for success
1:02:54
and I just want to see everybody have a
1:02:56
fair crack at it you know and try to
1:03:00
build on obviously some of the results
1:03:02
we had last year and do you think that
1:03:04
they're all capable of more you know I
1:03:07
mean I would see Charlie with a couple
1:03:11
podiums and podiums that were like you
1:03:13
know within us half a second three go to
1:03:17
a second of the wind you know first
1:03:18
light racing is you need you guys know
1:03:20
the men's field is
1:03:22
kela sleepy see i just kind of want to
1:03:26
all see them try to just keep cracking
1:03:30
on nice so I've got we mentioned Kaede
1:03:33
briefly yeah I've got a I've got to ask
1:03:36
he's obviously such a talent and he
1:03:38
tries to send so many different sub
1:03:41
disciplines within mountain biking
1:03:42
whether he's I mean sturgeon bike or
1:03:44
sending off something crazy or racing
1:03:47
downhill yeah
1:03:48
do you guys at Trek try and like focus
1:03:51
in more manage him during the earth said
1:03:54
control him a little bit or is he just
1:03:56
left to be a free spirit I mean I think
1:04:00
Kate you know Kate operates better when
1:04:02
he has the freedom to do what he wants
1:04:04
you know when he when when you know
1:04:07
there's expectations for sure like that
1:04:09
he's you know when he's at the race
1:04:12
weekend and it's time to get on with it
1:04:14
but I think Kate what's best for him is
1:04:17
to have that freedom you know so I think
1:04:21
having the structure of the World Cup
1:04:23
program and the staff and all of us to
1:04:25
sort of like help him of things and
1:04:26
because you know being a freeride
1:04:29
athlete or someone that's like managing
1:04:32
your own stuff and whether it's film
1:04:33
shoots photo shoots your sponsors it's
1:04:35
actually it's a fair bit of work yeah
1:04:37
you got to be God with that and I would
1:04:39
say Kate's strengths aren't that at
1:04:42
times you know like he would admit that
1:04:43
like that yeah but he's a beauty and and
1:04:48
I I've always you know always been a fan
1:04:50
since when he was a you know junior
1:04:52
watching him early on I was kids got
1:04:54
some serious heat and talent but in
1:04:57
terms of like World Cup racing I don't
1:05:00
know if that's his like full passion you
1:05:03
know yeah
1:05:04
but we're we're always like loved having
1:05:07
him there and I've got him around and
1:05:08
we'll always support him yeah well yeah
1:05:11
when we had him on the podcast I think
1:05:13
one of the questions I asked him was if
1:05:15
you could only win warned it was will
1:05:17
will Cup overall world jumps or rampage
1:05:20
and he he went rampage yeah so but yeah
1:05:26
for sure
1:05:27
I mean he has the ability to definitely
1:05:30
compete in rampage just you know so
1:05:32
we'll see if it happens this year and
1:05:36
I don't know if he'll get in this year
1:05:37
or not but I definitely deserves a while
1:05:41
or not a wild card but anybody to try
1:05:43
and get it he's got the talent there's
1:05:45
no question definitely 100% well yeah
1:05:48
thanks very much for coming on the show
1:05:50
Andrew and best of luck for this season
1:05:52
do you run do run the trek factory
1:05:55
downhill Instagram is that is that you
1:05:57
know I'd start me right okay but that's
1:06:00
the best place to stay in touch with
1:06:02
everything Trek downhill I think so yeah
1:06:06
you can see what's going on yeah
1:06:07
absolutely
1:06:08
cool great stuff we'll be back with
1:06:10
Johnny Thompson from fit for racing in a
1:06:12
few moments
1:06:17
finally tonight we've got a man with
1:06:19
more energy than the Red Bull production
1:06:21
factory we served him until the ending
1:06:23
kiss was tiring he's fit for essence
1:06:25
Johnny Thompson Johnny hey George and
1:06:30
Jack how's it go I mean I was about to
1:06:32
apologize for keeping you air in Johnny
1:06:34
but then I remembered it's still a
1:06:35
nineteen sixties up in Cumbria probably
1:06:38
one artist Cumbria is Cumbrian like life
1:06:42
any actually any different under
1:06:44
lockdown no not all everyone's actually
1:06:47
going about the business the news will
1:06:48
get to Liz to is till next year anyway
1:06:51
what was that corona thing that I think
1:06:55
there was a hot spot actually you should
1:06:56
all like the ten worst place isn't for
1:06:58
them were in Cumbria let's get into it
1:07:05
then which riders are you working with
1:07:07
at the moment Johnny which world cut
1:07:08
riders I've got a list but actually just
1:07:12
got off a zoomcar with Silas crazy so
1:07:15
we've got the Miranda team Portuguese
1:07:17
team yeah we've been working with this
1:07:20
year's that's an exciting new addition
1:07:23
and then obviously Adam Britain and Jack
1:07:26
reading two local boys which is really
1:07:30
handy for me but we do a lot of remote
1:07:33
coaching of people all over the world so
1:07:35
we've got we've got a handful of decent
1:07:37
riders but I mean the majority of the
1:07:40
people that followers everyday riders
1:07:42
and all we're talking cruise right now
1:07:44
yeah I see em we've got George Danny
1:07:48
can't Jack salty me obviously Dan done
1:07:53
Jack's current teammate George George
1:07:57
gonna talk is just miss girlfriend is
1:07:59
pregnant he's fine we can continue
1:08:05
riding bike yeah kind of lockdown
1:08:09
[Laughter]
1:08:13
I'm not having children yet and I've
1:08:16
been riding my bike lock down affected
1:08:24
your riders kind of preparations in the
1:08:26
same way of they albeit under the same
1:08:28
restrictions or
1:08:29
well as I say all around the world
1:08:32
riders that we train and restrictions
1:08:35
have been different but at some point or
1:08:37
other they were all pretty much in their
1:08:39
house so there has a new body way or
1:08:42
some guys are looking and had gyms like
1:08:43
Jack he's got a well kitted out Jim so
1:08:47
lots of adaptions to be made so the the
1:08:50
general program that people follow are
1:08:52
we adapted it immediately and had a
1:08:54
bodyweight version and then the regular
1:08:57
program for those who had equipment but
1:08:59
surprising how many people couldn't
1:09:01
access even a dumbbell and how'd you
1:09:04
just rely on body weights to but now
1:09:06
yeah different countries are relaxing
1:09:08
getting back into the Germany I think
1:09:11
German guys couple weeks ago got back
1:09:12
into the gym the Americans with
1:09:14
restrictions here not quite another some
1:09:18
outdoor training going on but we just
1:09:20
keeping safe yeah it has affected people
1:09:24
massively but you know you do what you
1:09:27
can and you adapt you know we're
1:09:29
experienced in the game and there are
1:09:31
things you can do and I always like to
1:09:33
say that like with an injury there's
1:09:35
opportunity there to address an area in
1:09:39
a different way that might give a
1:09:40
response that surprises you and address
1:09:43
a weakness that you didn't even have so
1:09:45
for a lot of guys I'm gonna come back on
1:09:47
and it might realize that there's been
1:09:49
something that they've neglected for a
1:09:50
while and then find oh wow that feels
1:09:53
different and turn into a positive yeah
1:09:56
yeah Nina Hoffman said exactly that
1:09:58
earlier on in the podcast that she'd had
1:10:00
the shoulder injury and off the back of
1:10:01
it looked at a lot of mobility stuff and
1:10:04
she's improved a whole body just off the
1:10:06
back of that negative happening so yeah
1:10:09
you do focus a lot more on the things
1:10:11
are important when something's taken
1:10:13
away from you because of an injury then
1:10:16
it's a good time to start thinking wow
1:10:18
I'm not indestructible
1:10:19
what is it kind that I can do to protect
1:10:22
myself and then there's the opportunity
1:10:25
of education around that and you start
1:10:28
looking after yourself particularly as
1:10:29
you get older you know it's important to
1:10:32
stay in the game as long as you can and
1:10:34
with that is health as a foundation and
1:10:37
a lot of people especially teenagers you
1:10:41
know they can get away with inor
1:10:42
everything
1:10:43
like training minimal or if not you know
1:10:46
just riding the bike enjoying themselves
1:10:48
but then it catches up and people a lot
1:10:51
of people like yeah you can you can
1:10:52
perform well on a bike just by riding
1:10:54
your bike which is fair enough
1:10:55
but as you get all that it does become
1:10:58
more important to look after yourself in
1:11:01
other ways so you're able to ride your
1:11:02
bike for longer yeah particularly a high
1:11:05
level you know going back to the just
1:11:09
the pro riders that you coach Johnny
1:11:10
obviously you've said that I've got
1:11:12
access to to a gym which I do and that's
1:11:15
been really handy have a lot of the pros
1:11:18
that you coach had gyms to train with or
1:11:21
have you been having panicked emails
1:11:22
saying what can I do with the tin of
1:11:25
beans for the next day weeks yeah well
1:11:29
yeah quite a few to be honest and
1:11:31
because we spend a lot of time on the
1:11:35
general program it's it's you see it as
1:11:38
like there were principles within
1:11:41
strengthen gone machine relevant for
1:11:43
pretty much all athletes and then you
1:11:46
can hone it down into specialisms which
1:11:48
is what we've done for riders and when
1:11:51
you start talking about individual
1:11:53
program that's kind of the icing on the
1:11:55
cake so in this time when racing is
1:11:58
quite far off then we've spent a lot of
1:12:01
time around programming the best program
1:12:04
we can do for a rider down hill rider
1:12:07
and we've pushed them on to that program
1:12:10
because we've thought a lot about what
1:12:12
can you do to identity address all
1:12:16
strength and mobility throughout the
1:12:19
body without neglecting any areas and
1:12:21
because of that I couldn't possibly do
1:12:24
that for every single rider so it's put
1:12:27
them onto the bodyweight program because
1:12:30
so much effort into that and then
1:12:32
anything in addition so if they have a
1:12:35
dumbbell then we can advise around how
1:12:38
can use bodyweight and then each stage
1:12:41
there's different adaptions depending on
1:12:43
the available equipment so they just
1:12:45
saved for instance a squat a back squat
1:12:47
we know how important it is to be able
1:12:49
to squat a decent amount of weight but
1:12:52
with no weight whatsoever we'll switch
1:12:54
onto a single leg pistol squat which
1:12:57
is has different benefits you know it's
1:12:59
better in some way than a heavy weighted
1:13:02
squat but generally not the same so in
1:13:07
between all of that is how much weight
1:13:09
can you carry on my in front of you and
1:13:12
it what's an appropriate way to be able
1:13:14
to go to a ball legs do you know I mean
1:13:16
lots of stages within it obviously I'm
1:13:22
used to fit for racing program book with
1:13:24
a lot of people who see things that go
1:13:27
on the social media for the fit for race
1:13:29
and stuff
1:13:29
why is standard bodybuilding work
1:13:33
bodybuilding movements not really any
1:13:35
good for mountain biking simple answer
1:13:39
is reverse engineering so if you look at
1:13:44
strength you know it means different
1:13:46
things to different people but what we
1:13:48
want to see strength that is a whole
1:13:52
holistic ability and with it function so
1:13:56
if you think about building strength in
1:13:58
a muscle then that muscle on its own
1:14:02
could be strong but if it was stronger
1:14:04
than the opposing muscle then you create
1:14:07
imbalance and therefore the function is
1:14:10
reduced so what we're after is a
1:14:12
functional athlete not one that is
1:14:15
strong in particular small areas and to
1:14:19
get that function much prefer big
1:14:22
compound movements that actually stress
1:14:24
the body more and then create things
1:14:26
like core strength you bodybuilders now
1:14:29
that were massive in the 90s like Ronnie
1:14:32
Coleman you basically can't walk they
1:14:36
didn't ever carry weight and well
1:14:39
actually only Kuhlman's about an example
1:14:41
because he did squat but a lot of them
1:14:44
they don't actually carry that weight
1:14:45
anywhere they isolate arms shoulders you
1:14:50
might be like I'm doing a back day today
1:14:52
yeah as soon as you have a disconnect
1:14:54
between your hips and your upper body
1:14:56
then your function is reduced and
1:14:58
clearly as a rider you know you can be
1:15:01
strong shoulders for endurance and
1:15:03
you're like yes and then you do some leg
1:15:06
raises for your legs and then all of a
1:15:09
sudden you have these two more
1:15:10
incapable areas with a disconnect to
1:15:13
each other and then you don't have the
1:15:14
structure functional it fits in really
1:15:18
well to something I said to Dan today my
1:15:20
jr. that we were out doing sometimes
1:15:22
training on the bikes and and we were
1:15:26
talking about training and whatever and
1:15:27
I'd said that you can be the strongest
1:15:30
guy in the gym but if you can't ride a
1:15:33
push bike then that explain is pointless
1:15:36
and we do in such a dynamic sport when
1:15:38
you ride a mountain bike you're moving
1:15:40
all the time the bikes moving in the
1:15:42
year and if your gym work is very
1:15:46
dynamic as well and making your body
1:15:48
move in similar ways then that's only
1:15:50
gonna then improve the way you're then
1:15:52
going to move on is exactly that so what
1:15:55
we're doing in gym is having a real
1:15:59
exaggerated version of the stresses that
1:16:02
you have on the bike and so then you can
1:16:04
strip that back so like at this stage in
1:16:06
this offseason we'll call it again a bit
1:16:09
closer to being able to get race ready
1:16:12
but you were a strip those areas back
1:16:15
and make sure that you have no
1:16:17
imbalances between you know capacity
1:16:20
strength different types of strength
1:16:21
around your body
1:16:22
you know short energy systems long and
1:16:25
then you're really taking the pieces
1:16:27
apart to put back together
1:16:28
not like bodybuilding but the the
1:16:32
performance metrics of fitness that
1:16:34
contribute to you being a rider now you
1:16:37
can take that to an extreme and say
1:16:40
right well to be a rider I need to be
1:16:43
the best squatter
1:16:44
I need my wattage to be this and I need
1:16:46
that and that and the reality is to get
1:16:49
there might be detracting you so much
1:16:52
from actually riding and the purpose the
1:16:55
unifor I mean yeah then you become the
1:16:58
best power output and the best squatter
1:17:00
presser this and that and everything on
1:17:02
paper puts you as a high performer then
1:17:05
you've got the biking [ __ ] got ride that
1:17:08
rock garden or yeah exactly exactly it
1:17:11
has to complement what we're doing it
1:17:15
for you know my job is a strength and
1:17:17
conditioning coach that does not mean
1:17:19
that you should do exactly what makes me
1:17:24
the coach at first strength and
1:17:26
conditioning it's like you're a rider
1:17:28
how do you ride and then we talked in
1:17:31
high level here right how do you ride
1:17:33
what's best for you for the volume of
1:17:36
riding and so that you feel you get
1:17:38
enough practice skills acquisition and
1:17:41
all of that and then where do we start
1:17:43
in the strength and conditioning to
1:17:45
complement that these are a massive
1:17:48
glaring deficit in something physical
1:17:52
for you that we can maybe take a little
1:17:54
bit out identify it
1:17:56
attack it put you back in and then easy
1:18:00
riding better and ultimately we're not
1:18:03
we're not two difference athletes
1:18:04
we're not engines pedaling you know we
1:18:07
are mixed martial artists and you could
1:18:10
have the heaviest punch on the planet
1:18:12
and then some guy could come and knock
1:18:14
you out because you've done nothing else
1:18:16
but practice a heavy punch linear
1:18:18
accuracy and speed and dynamic and
1:18:21
actually practice you know having the
1:18:25
ability the mentor the confidence of
1:18:27
riding you bank so you've got your
1:18:31
riders up to Peak Fitness lockdown comes
1:18:35
along and no one kind of has any idea
1:18:37
how long it will be before we go racing
1:18:40
what was the kind of strategy from a
1:18:43
fitness perspective and what was it the
1:18:45
stem for every rider no no it ends up
1:18:49
being very different because for a rider
1:18:53
that's had something taken away from the
1:18:56
opportunity it's been taken away it's a
1:18:59
heavy hit there's lots of preparation
1:19:01
there's lots of things going on and
1:19:03
training means different things to
1:19:05
different people like Jack it's a form
1:19:07
of meditation escape self-harm
1:19:10
whatever but it's a positive it's a
1:19:13
positive mental space so he looks yeah
1:19:16
just when he's gonna over train I'm fine
1:19:20
with that
1:19:21
you know yeah if you feels in control in
1:19:25
the gym and he enjoys it then I'm not
1:19:28
gonna stop him you know and then on the
1:19:30
other end of the spectrum
1:19:31
there are people just like I've got
1:19:33
nothing to work for and you know I'm
1:19:37
just gonna
1:19:37
enjoy myself on my xbox well of course
1:19:39
there's going to be some encouragement
1:19:41
not to get absolutely stale but there's
1:19:44
not as much push and so seeing coaches
1:19:47
say you know with bossing time off I
1:19:50
don't necessarily agree with that
1:19:51
particularly in a time where no one
1:19:53
really knows what's going on and
1:19:55
everyone you have to allow people to do
1:19:58
what makes them feel safe and in control
1:20:01
because ultimately you mental state is
1:20:04
gonna be the thing that affects you more
1:20:05
than your physicality in those early
1:20:07
stages yeah so what about the other
1:20:12
riders that you look after your are kind
1:20:14
of World Cup level who are trained in
1:20:16
here for nationals is it the same same
1:20:18
approach yeah well a try have tried to
1:20:24
promote a general physical preparedness
1:20:27
program and that is basically one that
1:20:30
doesn't peak for a season is one that
1:20:32
anyone can follow at any time and week
1:20:35
on week you would become better
1:20:38
physically on paper to ride your bike so
1:20:43
that way people can be spinning the
1:20:46
plates of all elements of fitness
1:20:48
without being like right well I don't
1:20:50
have an end date so I can't walk back
1:20:53
from that and saying well I need to do
1:20:54
my base strength or base cardio and then
1:20:57
this and then that the period eyes
1:20:59
approach and what we've seen actually
1:21:01
from a crop more crossfit style training
1:21:05
program that periodization isn't
1:21:08
necessarily the best way particularly
1:21:11
for guys is but are still riding through
1:21:14
the season you know a lot of sports
1:21:15
people just completely show off they
1:21:17
don't do anything at all and period eyes
1:21:20
in it is a peak and there are strategies
1:21:23
around being but as we said you know
1:21:26
riders are very dynamic they have a lot
1:21:28
of law stresses it's not a single
1:21:31
modality thing so we can't train that
1:21:34
science-based training in a linear way
1:21:37
to a peaking point so this general
1:21:40
physical preparedness this continual
1:21:44
improvement with fluctuations within
1:21:48
smaller cycles of maybe fall
1:21:50
maybe eight weeks it's not an annual
1:21:53
thing so that way people can see
1:21:55
benefits and that keeps them positive as
1:21:57
well times when the can't be on the bike
1:22:00
and then hopefully as soon as you know
1:22:03
it could be tomorrow or as John says
1:22:05
that you can get out on your bike again
1:22:06
and then you go out and you're like wash
1:22:08
[ __ ] right I was ready I am physically
1:22:11
in a good position now so then it's just
1:22:14
practice to pick up from where you left
1:22:16
off skill and confidence wise yeah yeah
1:22:19
does that make sense yeah down the said
1:22:22
the same today I think I can't remember
1:22:24
when we got down on the program but it's
1:22:26
18 it's probably four or five months ago
1:22:28
now it is his words were something long
1:22:32
lines if I'm glad I can get all the
1:22:34
climbs fast now I'm not fat [ __ ] anymore
1:22:38
[Laughter]
1:22:45
he thought he was quite a fit young 18
1:22:48
year old before we got on the very same
1:22:51
program and and yeah I think he's lost
1:22:54
about six kilos in weight
1:22:55
it was fat and put maybe a kilo to a
1:22:58
muscle on and now he's stronger on the
1:23:00
downhills and he's lighter and fitter on
1:23:02
your pills and like you said that gym
1:23:04
work just goes hand-in-hand with the
1:23:06
bike work and you win on the importance
1:23:09
as well is that it's not a chore so we
1:23:13
try really hard to keep it exciting even
1:23:17
buried that also has lots of benefits
1:23:20
you know if we can vary it it's not a
1:23:23
scattergun approach where we're just
1:23:25
picking random [ __ ] you know the science
1:23:27
these principles within it but a lot of
1:23:30
time goes into keeping it very and
1:23:32
exciting for riders and when we're
1:23:34
working with riders at the top level
1:23:36
that thing that excites Jack might not
1:23:38
excite whoever else and so we have to do
1:23:44
a bit of balancing it like on paper what
1:23:47
is the best exercise in the reps and a
1:23:50
scheme and what's the rest between each
1:23:53
training session and then you become a
1:23:55
robot you like you basically in a in a
1:23:58
lab and all of this information comes to
1:24:01
you and I had he's actually a more
1:24:04
guy had been coached off somebody no
1:24:07
names and then he has literally two
1:24:11
months off and he'd come back in so he
1:24:14
got tested had two months he didn't
1:24:15
train at all went back in got retested
1:24:19
he's like he's still making progress
1:24:21
this training program is definitely
1:24:22
working for you know he actually did
1:24:25
nothing at all so you can actually write
1:24:29
down you can spend so much time
1:24:31
analyzing the science and giving the
1:24:33
best program but ultimately he's
1:24:35
actually gonna do it at stage one does
1:24:39
it excite them and then write what can
1:24:42
we do with that and then how much time
1:24:44
is that taking it away from writing and
1:24:48
all of the stuff that keeps them excited
1:24:51
about being downhiller you know so the
1:24:55
UC is released the dirts for 2020 now
1:24:58
he's eight races in eight weeks you've
1:25:02
talked before about it being an ongoing
1:25:04
thing kind of fitness how do you prepare
1:25:07
a rider at the top level to race eight
1:25:10
times in eight weeks is that
1:25:13
periodization kind of do you zoom in yes
1:25:17
the periodization that we're using for
1:25:20
that schedule right now with a handful
1:25:23
of guys and girls is that we have a very
1:25:26
solid strength base which is a little
1:25:30
bit more on the volume side so we want a
1:25:33
really resilient rider to be going into
1:25:37
those eight weeks what I mean by
1:25:39
resilient is that they can afford to
1:25:42
lose strength and some performance
1:25:45
because of the stresses that go with the
1:25:48
travel and the hormonal effects you know
1:25:52
it's a stressful time a lot of
1:25:54
adrenaline and we need resilience for
1:25:57
that so that then when you're into the
1:25:59
latter weeks where there's going to be
1:26:01
races five days of hard you know
1:26:04
back-to-back raising the resilient ones
1:26:08
are the ones that are going to dominate
1:26:09
they're resilient mentally and
1:26:12
physically so they know that well I'm
1:26:15
not on my peak but
1:26:17
[ __ ] when I'm not on my peak and still
1:26:19
better than the majority guys because of
1:26:21
the work that playing and during those
1:26:24
eight weeks will it just be kind of rest
1:26:26
between the races yeah
1:26:30
rest mobility and again looking back
1:26:33
what keeps people good mentally yeah and
1:26:38
with small adjustments in what we
1:26:40
prescribe physically what we don't want
1:26:42
to do is over stress yeah so especially
1:26:45
in the early weeks because he can't undo
1:26:48
it once you've gone because of the
1:26:50
contents nature of this season you can't
1:26:53
be like well [ __ ] that didn't work by
1:26:54
doing that then Wednesday headed squats
1:26:57
that was fine for week two and three but
1:27:00
then I was [ __ ] and that was it season
1:27:02
over so orange is like really rainy back
1:27:05
in a do enough that makes people maybe
1:27:09
on them the more how would you say it
1:27:14
like I don't want to say panicky I want
1:27:17
to say more like a sense of urgency
1:27:18
about it
1:27:20
a sense of control around the things
1:27:21
that can control often then goes into
1:27:24
training want to kind of rein it back
1:27:26
and keep that function will always come
1:27:29
back to you what's the function of the
1:27:31
rider how can we complement the function
1:27:33
for what's coming up so if it's the next
1:27:35
weekend
1:27:36
it's Tuesday Wednesday what we do in
1:27:38
those days increasing function is that
1:27:42
mobility is it some banded work is it a
1:27:45
little bit of weight and moving in many
1:27:49
directions
1:27:50
is it getting your heart rate up is it
1:27:52
testing your intensity with a ten-second
1:27:55
sprint
1:27:56
every two minutes five rounds and that
1:27:58
you can recover from so we can sensibly
1:28:02
do that without because we don't want to
1:28:05
make progress we just want to slow the
1:28:07
decrease in performance which is
1:28:09
inevitable and this what we're talking
1:28:11
about is training which will only be a
1:28:14
power of it as very sleep a massive
1:28:17
thing a nutrition huge as well the last
1:28:21
two rounds are double-header so it's
1:28:23
gonna be five days riding in a row some
1:28:26
practice there and then seeding the rest
1:28:29
they're saving the rest
1:28:31
how did how do you prepare for that
1:28:38
yeah physical way which the way we train
1:28:43
also trains mental resilience is that
1:28:46
will replicate some of that in training
1:28:50
days so it could be that we keep riders
1:28:54
safe yeah okay a couple of heavy riding
1:28:58
days yeah followed by multiple sessions
1:29:02
in the gym for a couple of days so we
1:29:05
can create the stimulus you know on the
1:29:08
back end of it keeps the safety because
1:29:11
it's in the gym in a controlled
1:29:12
environment we wouldn't want to flip
1:29:14
that over and be like right we're
1:29:16
absolutely destroyed you in the gym for
1:29:17
two days now go ride hard
1:29:19
how does he can for two days and see how
1:29:21
you do no no we wanna a maybe on the
1:29:25
fifth day so it'd be like two days hard
1:29:27
ride in two days multiple gym sessions
1:29:30
fifth day be on you by can be aware of
1:29:34
how you feel on it no crazy runs but
1:29:39
just be aware because a lot of it is
1:29:41
shock surprise when you're in a state
1:29:44
that you've not been in because of
1:29:46
fatigue and fatigue on top of fatigue
1:29:48
yeah and then especially with the
1:29:50
adrenaline you know your body's not
1:29:53
capable of what your mind is telling you
1:29:55
to do but if you've been there and
1:29:58
you've sensed and you felt it it's not a
1:30:00
surprise you know hair of it and then
1:30:03
that's the resilience on the other side
1:30:05
on those days that's when there's gonna
1:30:07
be some crazy shuffling of where people
1:30:10
are and lots of surprises one way or the
1:30:13
other
1:30:13
Jack just question for you a beaufort
1:30:17
build kind of opens which i think i
1:30:19
heard some sort of saying it might do do
1:30:22
you think you might go up there and try
1:30:24
and replicate this i saw you were trying
1:30:26
to do some application of stuff on your
1:30:29
on your vlog this week i think is that
1:30:33
something you might try and replicate or
1:30:34
can you not get to that level because
1:30:36
it's not a world cup i mean we
1:30:40
definitely for windows open and they
1:30:42
allow us up there then we'll
1:30:44
hundred percent me up there because it's
1:30:45
the only place on this little island
1:30:47
that we can do proper World Cup practice
1:30:50
really and yeah I mean that's that that
1:30:53
would be a really sensible thing to do
1:30:54
to to literally just replicate put the
1:30:58
three lap time and stuff out do the same
1:31:00
amount of practice runs roughly as you
1:31:02
would do replicate quality base and and
1:31:05
yeah do that with down and and yeah
1:31:07
that's that's a really good idea to be
1:31:09
fair psychologically then at least you
1:31:12
might Johnny just said you know you can
1:31:14
do it if you know any be more for the
1:31:17
fitness you never you never going to
1:31:19
replicate that work or pressure feeling
1:31:21
of a race run but to get to that fifth
1:31:25
day after you've done however many runs
1:31:28
knowing that that would be the
1:31:30
equivalent of the room of the final
1:31:33
racer in more and looser to get to that
1:31:36
run and go right the free lap stuffs out
1:31:38
dance on track I don't want my junior to
1:31:41
beat me vice versa he's on track going
1:31:46
I'm gonna beat the old boy so yeah
1:31:49
looking that looking Jack is then gonna
1:31:52
beat you this yeah I'd beaten today by
1:31:55
four seconds on a track one minute
1:31:57
twenty so he let himself it's on the m1
1:32:00
crying at the moment although he's very
1:32:04
good so he's got a good potential and
1:32:06
excited to see where he yeah George
1:32:09
great idea I'm gonna borrow that anyone
1:32:11
else Johnny and obviously like the
1:32:16
doubleheader weekends like they're going
1:32:18
to be new to all of us so like you've
1:32:21
just said I guess a lot of a kind of
1:32:24
preparation between the rounds and
1:32:27
during the events is going to be quite
1:32:28
like reactive depending on how we feel
1:32:31
in do you plan on like heading out to
1:32:34
Mary more and looser to be there with
1:32:36
the athletes particularly on those final
1:32:39
weekends then yes there's a bit of
1:32:43
juggling with family save the wife I
1:32:48
mean she cleared three three races that
1:32:53
were fine this year but they were spaced
1:32:55
out now she's being unlocked down
1:32:58
not even asking yet light at the end of
1:33:01
the tunnel
1:33:03
just play this podcast Johnny yeah topic
1:33:06
get on in the car when you run along
1:33:08
journey I just want to listen back to
1:33:09
this be honest yes I'll definitely get
1:33:18
to one hopefully both of those double
1:33:21
eyelids yeah I have have broken into it
1:33:25
we'll be doing some training camps which
1:33:29
is kind of top secret castle just a call
1:33:39
I will give any more details but nobody
1:33:43
they travel anyway so yeah I mean I'm
1:33:46
always intended on going to some races
1:33:48
this year anyway
1:33:49
yeah because of the coaching remotely I
1:33:53
actually don't see any riders in person
1:33:55
other than the handful that can make it
1:33:57
to the gym so it's for me a good
1:34:00
opportunity to actually meet people in
1:34:03
person and show my support it means a
1:34:05
lot you can mean a lot on a weekend like
1:34:07
that if someone can turn up that you're
1:34:10
not expecting maybe or just can say the
1:34:13
right thing keeping positive that can
1:34:15
make a big difference and you talked
1:34:18
before about mental resilience how big
1:34:21
an aspect do you think mental toughness
1:34:23
is going to be in those kind of eight
1:34:25
weeks Oh massively and it depends what
1:34:29
what your view of mental toughness is I
1:34:32
mean the mental toughness is for me
1:34:36
inability to endure but not in like a
1:34:41
military way it's have a good plan and
1:34:45
endure that you have strategies that
1:34:50
you've had put in place so you know
1:34:53
what's gonna come and with that is the
1:34:56
training and the practice you know
1:34:59
what's gonna come and how it's gonna
1:35:00
feel physically so that eases you mind
1:35:04
being more resilient because you
1:35:07
practiced it so the resilience comes
1:35:09
from just knowing and that is
1:35:11
all of the things that go before it if
1:35:14
you get to an 8-week season like this
1:35:17
and you haven't practiced much and
1:35:19
you're just relying on well I'll be
1:35:21
alright when I get there
1:35:23
then well you don't know whether you're
1:35:25
gonna be able to cope and the thing is
1:35:28
not knowing he's a massive drain on your
1:35:32
free will if you nervous in doubt they
1:35:36
are the biggest things that are gonna
1:35:37
get you so you need to nail down the
1:35:40
things that you fully in control of
1:35:41
ignore the things that you not but be
1:35:44
aware of how you're gonna feel in
1:35:46
particular situations so Michael Phelps
1:35:50
and when they're talking about
1:35:51
visualization I visualized [ __ ] up
1:35:54
because when it happens you wanted to be
1:35:56
prepared and a lot of guys will say
1:35:59
don't do that because you know you hit
1:36:01
the tree that you look at we know that
1:36:03
but it's the small adjustments that you
1:36:06
make because you practice in your mind
1:36:08
with a positive outcome
1:36:10
so you visualize the potential mistakes
1:36:12
with a positive outcome then that's
1:36:15
practiced and it's mental resilience
1:36:18
yeah how are you going to approach it
1:36:21
because with the past nowadays you can't
1:36:23
afford to kind of go anything less than
1:36:25
a hundred percent if you want a good
1:36:28
result but one crash one injury and
1:36:31
that's the whole season done and dusted
1:36:33
when it's all in eight weeks yeah I mean
1:36:38
in my race rooms I don't I don't try and
1:36:42
I don't ride in a way that I'm searching
1:36:44
for kind of injury anyway if that makes
1:36:48
sense I'm not like riding on the ragged
1:36:50
jet ragged edge in my race room so that
1:36:52
wouldn't really be anything that I'd be
1:36:53
considering the main thing for me will
1:36:56
be like Johnny said I've been a really
1:36:58
good plan so the between the events
1:37:02
because I'm going to do what I'm going
1:37:04
to do at the events like it's a World
1:37:05
Cup whether it was a little on the
1:37:06
weekend after or not I like my practice
1:37:08
strategy that will work through that
1:37:11
will be that the important thing will be
1:37:13
once you're back at the pits on the
1:37:15
Saturday or the Sunday after your race
1:37:17
run that recovery period from there to
1:37:21
when you arrive at the next World Cup is
1:37:23
going to be so important and for me
1:37:25
someone who runs his own team and that's
1:37:27
the kind of coordinate pits down and
1:37:29
driving the van and I'll have to make
1:37:31
sure I'm like quite restrained and like
1:37:33
my mechanic do most of the work and eat
1:37:36
well and sleep like Johnny said but but
1:37:38
yeah when it comes to the actual racing
1:37:41
it will just be exactly the same taking
1:37:42
race as it comes go for that best race
1:37:46
from possible every time and hope that
1:37:49
the yeah as Johnny says the Fitness is
1:37:51
where it should be so should just be in
1:37:53
a good position relative to everyone
1:37:55
else look you mentioned nutrition a bit
1:37:57
there and Johnny mentioned it before
1:37:58
let's just finish with a bit about diet
1:38:00
I think I rat I'm right in saying Jack's
1:38:03
gone vegan this season you were believer
1:38:06
in that vegetarian George bit about
1:38:13
nutrition for that eight weeks well hey
1:38:18
I am a firm believer in stimulation so a
1:38:25
blue spiral of coffee if you've not had
1:38:28
sugar or four weeks or caffeine is
1:38:31
basically drugs I know it's that yeah I
1:38:35
I I will not have any caffeine for it
1:38:37
all day and then just before I went out
1:38:40
on a ride yesterday I was like right
1:38:42
massive coffee yeah I would be up the
1:38:45
first climb you know I do stay off it
1:38:47
for weeks before World Cups yeah yeah
1:38:54
you do you do you rely on that stuff
1:38:56
because it's there it's free it's legal
1:38:58
and why not leverage it when you can and
1:39:02
so I've been encouraging people to do
1:39:04
that and sample and trial it and see how
1:39:06
I feel but now with this condensed
1:39:09
season like even when there's two days
1:39:13
really hard work I'd always say don't do
1:39:17
on your first day save it for you second
1:39:21
but this yeah don't do it for you first
1:39:24
half four weeks
1:39:26
right stick to really low glycemic very
1:39:30
slow burning energy and pick-me-ups
1:39:33
maybe have some sugar if you would
1:39:36
normally have a coffee and sugar but be
1:39:39
sensitized to it so for weeks before
1:39:42
nailing down that diet so you're not
1:39:44
relying on it as a pick-me-up on every
1:39:47
day because hey I have three coffees
1:39:49
before lunch because I'm just in that
1:39:51
zone and it'll be hard to break it but
1:39:55
when I do I have one coffee and I'll be
1:39:57
bouncing off the wall is exactly like
1:39:59
that well we don't want to do is peak
1:40:01
too soon because with that stimulation
1:40:04
becomes more difficult recovery and it's
1:40:07
gonna be essential to get that recovery
1:40:09
and with caffeine that adrenaline and it
1:40:13
does spike you a little bit on the
1:40:16
dangerous side when we're talking about
1:40:19
being prepared so soon after so I say
1:40:23
save it for as long as you can sustain a
1:40:27
good healthy low glycemic diet vegan or
1:40:31
whatever but just save those more
1:40:36
dangerous strategies for when you
1:40:38
absolutely need it people do it it's
1:40:41
gonna be difficult and you might not be
1:40:44
prepared for the effects afterwards
1:40:46
especially on top of a journal a
1:40:48
adrenaline that's you feeling anyway
1:40:50
well I have to say Johnny I'm sorry
1:40:52
you're feeling pretty smug right now
1:40:54
iced I've spent that whole offseason
1:40:56
looking at everyone killing themselves
1:40:57
down the gym eating healthfully all for
1:41:01
nothing
1:41:01
we've got 14 weeks to go on a start of
1:41:04
the season what could out realistically
1:41:06
achieve in 14 weeks thanks very much for
1:41:25
coming on the show Johnny and friend
1:41:26
Jack getting a bit of much-needed energy
1:41:28
at the end there
1:41:30
outfit for racing is that the best place
1:41:32
to follow you guys yeah Instagram or
1:41:35
Google fit for racing hopefully we'll be
1:41:37
top of the page it's a four with a
1:41:39
number four yeah all racing and you've
1:41:42
got a lot of stuff on YouTube
1:41:44
yeah actually I'm lacking at the moment
1:41:46
this lockdowns been terrible because I
1:41:49
can't be seen at the gym and basically I
1:41:51
rely on shredded
1:41:53
riders what I don't have there I can't
1:41:57
do anything I got my wife to film me
1:41:59
doing some bodyweight crap in my front
1:42:01
room got a pink bike but it's not ideal
1:42:05
just before we go out I'd like to
1:42:07
formally apologize for setting off all
1:42:09
the fire alarms in the gym when we
1:42:11
filmed the I did find the exercise
1:42:17
difficult but I genuinely wasn't but
1:42:19
trying to burn the place down and any
1:42:21
remarks along world's lines were purely
1:42:23
said in jest
1:42:24
I have to drive in my possession now so
1:42:27
I'll get that edit finished ASAP and
1:42:30
hopefully everyone will enjoy the team
1:42:32
launch video keep your eyes on Instagram
1:42:35
at making up the numbers were asking for
1:42:36
that and I'm sure you'll share it on
1:42:38
yours jack as well
1:42:39
lutely yeah just jet ready and was going
1:42:41
to be yeah that's where you'll find me I
1:42:44
think it's pretty fair to say we were
1:42:46
excited for the season Jack oh yeah
1:42:48
hundred percent as we said before like
1:42:49
it's even everybody something's waiting
1:42:51
for now after the period not even a clue
1:42:54
what was going on so yeah let's just
1:42:56
cross our fingers and hope that when we
1:42:57
actually get there the season looks like
1:42:59
something like what they've put on the
1:43:01
calendar now oh well I hope everyone's
1:43:04
enjoyed tonight sure
1:43:05
thanks very much to our sponsors for the
1:43:07
podcast help technology revolution bike
1:43:09
park troll and singletrack WorldCom will
1:43:11
be back very soon
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