I don’t. When I see what those guys do, again…
…you genuinely think that?When you get older… I like to be a realist. I think that’s the only way you can improve. You need to recognise your weaknesses. Recognise your strengths and work around that sort of thing. I don’t have Danny Hart or Troy Brosnan’s skills, but I have skills in other areas that can make up for that. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You have to work to your strengths and all that sort of stuff. I feel like I could be this year, the way I was riding, a consistent top 20, top 15, maybe the occasional top 10 guy. It doesn’t play to my strengths like natural trails do, so it’s just a bit different.
I guess the World Championships has been talked about quite a lot hasn’t it? Do you think some of those guys were missing opportunities there? Like maybe Aaron Gwin could have ridden that 29”. He could have walked away with the World Championships couldn’t he?That’s a tough one again though. When you talk about Mitch Ropelato – I’ve got huge respect for Mitch because he is one of the few riders that I think of when I look at Blenky… probably Sam Hill and Mitch, and probably Troy Brosnan too, they’re big guys who stand out to me. I’ve seen them do things on bikes that would just leave my jaw on the ground. I’m just like ‘wow that’s amazing’. It was no surprise to me at all when I saw Mitch go so fast on that 29er, because that kid in some areas of riding… he’s just go so much skill and he’s rad.
You’ve had a few cuts and scrapes along the way.I’m down some internal organs, yes.
You’ve pretty much spent a decade on turquoise bikes (Yeti) now haven’t you? You’ve ridden for Orange and Iron Horse in the past.Yes. 2002 on Orange. 2003 Iron Horse and right on my 21st birthday, in December in 2003, is when I signed for Yeti? It’ll be 10 years.
So the story from this year is what lessons do you think Enduro has learnt from this season?I think we need some solid interpretation of the rules. I have some opinions on course layout and whatnot, as far as certain features of courses that lead towards the course.
Misinterpretation?Yes, a little bit. Like here, as soon as you throw in a couple of left/right tight switchbacks, there’s always going to be shortcut straight line. You need to keep the trail going in the generally the same direction. Make it obvious where the fastest line is and that’s on the trail. I really think the round in Val d’Isere, they did a great job of that course. There was no talk of weird lines or whatever all week.
Do you think it matters if there are different events with different sets of rules?I was talking to Curtis Keene about this, when we had the epic train of all trains to get down from the top of stage four. We rode this one trail down and it was all just berm after berm and a few little rocky sections. I was like ‘Oh this is rad. We should have used this as a stage’. Curtis was like, ‘No. Some people think that berms aren’t Enduro’. I’m like, ‘The coolest thing about Enduro is that Enduro is whatever people want Enduro to be’. To me if a course designer thinks it should be tight and tech, then it can be tight and tech. If a course designer thinks it should be fast and open and flowy then… because you need to be all–round good at everything. If you’re not then you don’t deserve to be at the pointy end.
I think there’s been good diversity on the trails.Oh absolutely, yes. This year’s been good. I have nothing bad to say about the diversity of terrain and trails and all that. Even the different formats I think is a great thing too.
I was just wondering if there are lessons to be learned, the fact that Fabien Barel actually drove to the bottom of the stage at Whistler. Then here you can shuttle the tracks. Does it, or does it not, matter?I think it doesn’t matter as long as the rules of that particular race are well and truly laid out beforehand. Again it’s a little bit of a Nico Lau situation from this weekend. As long as the organisers have laid out what the rules and expectations are for the weekend, as a rider you need to know what you can and can’t do. If you are outside those rules and regulations then you deserve to be penalised. It’s a bit of not paying attention on your part. It’s tough, but that’s it.
It’s been great watching you race in Enduro this year, absolutely amazing.I said to Jerome when we were riding back after the last stage to the finish, ‘I’m just pumped that I’ve got guys like you to race against, because it just gives me so much motivation to train’. To not sound like a dick again but in 4X I was getting lazy, because I didn’t feel the need to really push myself. That’s why I stepped away. To have guys like him and other guys like Martin Maes, he impresses me a ton. He’s amazing.
Yes. It’s good your arch rival is a gentleman isn’t it?Exactly. It’s so good for the sport and I just can’t wait for the future.
The middle of February – you’ll be sitting on a beach in Australia. What else are you going to be doing?In February?
Yes. You will be sitting on the beach in February won’t you?Getting sunburnt. I’m pretty sure I’ll be at the beach at some point in February, yes. Honestly I’m going to be a boring guy and give a boring answer and say in February I’m going to be training my ring off for the XC National Champs at home. As boring as that sounds, that’s part of my plan for preparation for next year.
The skill of Enduro is closer to cross–country than it is to downhill?No. No. The skill of Enduro is definitely more downhill centred.
Really?However I think if you want to be at the absolute pointy end of Enduro then you need to have World Cup Downhill skills, World Cup Cross Country fitness and strength, and a good knowledge of reading terrain.
A good knowledge of reading terrain is something you’re born with isn’t it? You can’t teach someone it can you?For sure, to a certain extent. But I think for me I don’t have a very big attention span. I think I’m good on that sort of stuff. But at the same time it’s been almost like a choice. If I want to be the best I can be I need to not be lazy and pull my finger out. Say I get one practice run, like in France, really pay attention to what I’m doing. Put everything else aside and focus on what I need to do.
You beat yourself up about being lazy.Yes I guess I just know what I’m like personally. People who know me really well know me the same way. Outside of riding I’m clumsy, I’m stupid, I’m dumb, I’m lazy, I procrastinate.
I think we’ll leave it there. That’s a great conclusion. You weren’t drinking much of that whisky…No, I know. I’m sobering out. It’s bad.
