issue #15 - june / july 2011 free magazine
ĂDito
COVER
LANDSCAPE MAGAZINE LOVES ALL OF YOU
NeWs . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 FAsTeR THAN YOu . . . 8 KiNGDOM . . . . . . . . . 10-12 CuLTuRe . . . . . . . . . 14 sHOPPiNG . . . . . . . . . 16 TesTs . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20 ONe ARMeD BANDiT . . 22-28 TiMO PRiTZeL . . . . . . 30-40 BFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-48 NDC . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-56 NiTTO . . . . . . . . . . . 58-62 siNGLe sPeeD . . . . . . 64-70 BiKe PARK MALMeDY . 72-76 sNOWsCOOT WORLD CuP 78-85 HOuFFALiZe . . . . . . . 86 sWiss TOuR . . . . . . . 88-92 FMB PORTFOLiO . . . . . 94-98
issue #15 June/JuLy 2011
Timo Pritzel by Viktor Strasse
ĂDITO
photo: Jonathan Borms texte: Jonathan Borms
COLOFON associate editors
Jonathan Borms Christophe Bortels Christophe Carmeliet Vincent Rocher
fixed gear redaction coordinator Jonathan Borms
chillout redaction coordinator Christophe Carmeliet
mtb redaction coordinators Vincent Rocher Christophe Bortels
art direction & design
Jonathan Borms + Christophe Carmeliet = Food /// www.designmyfood.be Aaah, cycling... A passion, a style phenomenon, an elite sport or an alternative mode of transport â so what is it really? Is mountain biking more respectable or crazier than BMX; is track cycling more elitist? But above all, do we even care at all?
Aaah le vĂ©lo... Une passion, un phĂ©nomĂšne de mode, un sport de haut niveau ou un moyen de mobilitĂ© alternatif, quâen est-il vraiment ? Le vtt est-il plus respectable ou plus fou que le bmx, le vĂ©lo de piste est-il plus Ă©litiste ? Mais surtout, est-ce quâon sâen moquerait pas un peu de tout ça ?
Isnât it true that the most important thing is to love what you do and to savour the passion of others? In short, regardless of whether you are a king of extreme customisation, a geek on two wheels, or you spend more time hunting down the most impossible piece of titanium equipment from Siberia and are as happy as a 5-year-old unwrapping their presents at Christmas, thatâs also the spirit of cycling.
Câest vrai non, le plus important câest dâaimer ce quâon fait et de savourer la passion des autres ? Bref, mĂȘme si tu es un king du custom extreme, un geek du deuxroues et que tu passes plus de temps Ă trouver la piĂšce impossible produite en titane de SibĂ©rie et que tu es heureux comme un enfant de 5 ans qui dĂ©balle ses cadeaux de NoĂ«l, câest ça aussi lâesprit du vĂ©lo.
Enjoying yourself with your bike in whatever way you wish, thatâs the beauty of it. Fight to be respected for what you are, and above all, donât be ashamed of your desires!
issue #15 - 4 /100
Te faire plaisir de nâimporte quelle maniĂšre avec ta bicyclette, câest ça qui est beau. Bats-toi pour te faire respecter pour ce que tu es et surtout nâaie pas honte de tes envies !
photography coordinators
Christophe Bortels & Vincent Rocher
general contact
info@landscape-magazine.com
redaction contact
redaction@landscape-magazine.com
advertising
sales@landscape-magazine.com
digital LS Mag
www.landscape-magazine.com
thanks for everything!
Esteban Hendrickx, Nicolas NiederprĂŒm, Geoffroy Libert, Marie Rebts, KĂ©no Derleyn, Philippe HĂ©bert, GrĂ©gory Masson, Arnaud GhesquiĂšre, Jean-David Thomas, Cyril Cabiac, Fred Glo, Timo Pritzel, Viktor Strasse, Thomas & Marc Genon, Frank Petoud, Isabelle Plante, Bruce Rulfo, Vincent Brault, Yann Grandjean, Tarek Rasouli, Sacha Kimmes, Daniel Rossi, Chat, Fixerati, François Tusseki, Baptiste PĂ©ron, Donal Duck
protectING GENERATIONS since 1970
Fight to the bitter end.
Cedric is protected by CG Sinner Knee & Elbow Protection, CG Skad Fullface Helmet and CG Magnetic Vest
oneal-europe.com 2wheel-distribution.com T. +32.80.444.928 facebook.com/oneal
news Writer: Photo: Web:
Christophe Bortels KĂ©no Derleyn www.uci.ch
pietermaritzburg : gwin takes the win ! www.uci.ch
Greg Minnaar won this event two years ago, when, together with Gee Atherton, he was the seasonâs best rider. So when the South African took to the saddle on home turf for the first stage of the Downhill World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, in front of his own crowd, on a long and physically demanding course ideally suited to him, he was understandably the hot favourite. In the end, victory eluded him by a mere 24 hundredths of a second... Unfortunately for him he found himself up against the 23-year American Aaron Gwin, who despite only being in his fourth World Cup season, was in absolutely unstoppable form. Gwin finished fourth in the overall rankings in 2010, but it already looks as if this could be his year. Weâll find out the answer in three months time, but one thing is already clear: the USA has finally found a new rider capable of winning the World Cup. You have to go back as far as 1999, to Shaun Palmer, for the last time a Yank triumphed on the World Cup circuit! The other man of the hour was, without doubt, Fabien Barel. The Frenchman, who was forced to sit out last season following a massive wipeout a week before the start of the World Cup, claimed a magnificent fourth place in Pietermaritzburg! Aside Il avait gagnĂ© cette course il y a deux ans, il a Ă©tĂ© lâhomme fort de la saison derniĂšre avec Gee Atherton, et il roulait sur ses terres natales et devant son public, qui plus est sur une piste longue et physique qui lui correspond bien : Greg Minnaar Ă©tait archi-favori de la premiĂšre manche de la Coupe du Monde de descente, Ă Pietermaritzburg, en Afrique du Sud. Et pourtant, la victoire lui a Ă©chappĂ©, pour 24 petits centiĂšmes de seconde... Câest que ce jour-lĂ , lâamĂ©ricain Aaron Gwin, 23 ans et qui entamait lĂ sa quatriĂšme saison en Coupe du Monde seulement, Ă©tait simplement imbattable. AprĂšs avoir dĂ©crochĂ© la quatriĂšme place du gĂ©nĂ©ral en 2010, cette annĂ©e serait-elle (dĂ©jĂ ) son annĂ©e ? Verdict dans trois mois, mais une chose est sĂ»re : les Etats-Unis tiennent enfin Ă nouveau un pilote capable de gagner en World Cup. La derniĂšre victoire dâun ricain sur le circuit mondial remonte en effet Ă ... 1999, signĂ©e par le lĂ©gendaire Shaun Palmer ! Lâautre heureux du jour, câĂ©tait indĂ©niablement Fabien Barel. Le Français, aprĂšs avoir Ă©tĂ© contraint de faire lâimpasse sur toute la saison derniĂšre suite Ă un Ă©norme crash une semaine avant le lancement de la Coupe du Monde, a en effet dĂ©crochĂ© Ă Pietermaritzburg une splendide quatriĂšme place ! Au
issue #15 - 6 /100
from Minnaar, the biggest disappointment of the stage was Mick Hannah. The Australian, who finished second behind Minnaar in 2009, and clocked up the best time in qualifying this year meaning he was last out of the gate, but his hopes of knocking Gwin off the top of the leader board were swiftly dashed as he was forced to abandon after a crash right at the start of his run, As for the women, British rider Fionn Griffiths enjoyed a long spell in first place until finally being knocked off her perch by compatriot Tracy Moseley, the reigning World Champion. Finishing behind the English duo was a quartet of French riders: Emmeline Ragot, Sabrina Jonnier, Floriane Pugin and CĂ©line Gros. Pietermaritzburg was also the venue for the first stage of the 4X World Cup. The menâs competition was won by Jared Graves, who finished ahead of Michal Prokop, Johannes Fischbach and Michal Marosi; while the womenâs event went to Anneke Beerten, who saw off Fionn Griffiths, CĂ©line Gros and Lucia Oetjen. The World Cup moves on to Fort William (Scotland) in early June, before heading for Leogang (Austria) a week later. rayon des déçus, outre Greg Minnaar, on retiendra surtout la contre-performance de Mick Hannah. LâAustralien, deuxiĂšme derriĂšre Minnaar en 2009 mais surtout meilleur temps des qualifs cette annĂ©e, a Ă©tĂ© contraint Ă lâabandon aprĂšs un crash en tout dĂ©but de run, alors quâil Ă©tait le dernier Ă sâĂ©lancer et Ă pouvoir dĂ©trĂŽner Gwin... Chez les filles, la Britannique Fionn Griffiths est restĂ©e un bon bout de temps dans le hot seat, dont elle sera finalement dĂ©logĂ©e par sa compatriote Tracy Moseley, championne du Monde en titre. DerriĂšre les deux anglaises, on retrouve un joli tir groupĂ© des françaises : Emmeline Ragot, Sabrina Jonnier, Floriane Pugin et CĂ©line Gros. La premiĂšre manche de la Coupe du Monde de 4X Ă©tait aussi au programme Ă Pietermaritzburg. Elle sâest soldĂ©e par les victoires de Jared Graves devant Michal Prokop, Johannes Fischbach et Michal Marosi chez les hommes, et dâAnneke Beerten devant Fionn Griffiths, CĂ©line Gros et Lucia Oetjen chez les femmes AprĂšs lâAfrique du Sud, la Coupe du Monde fera Ă©tape Ă Fort William (Ecosse) dĂ©but juin, puis Ă Leogang (Autriche) une semaine plus tard.
Men 1. Aaron Gwin 4:08.634 2. Greg Minnaar 4:08.875 3. Gee Atherton 4:10.555 4. Fabien Barel 4:12.880 5. Steve Peat 4:15.443 Women 1. Tracy Moseley 4:56.166 2. Fionn Griffiths 4:56.454 3. Emmeline Ragot 4:57.750 4. Sabrina Jonnier 4:58.339 5. Floriane Pugin 4:58.434
news Writer: Web:
Vincent Rocher www.landscape-magazine.com
KONA BIKEPARK Granieri/Lancondeguy La Roseraie
Pepâs spirit
www.oneal-europe.com
w w w . k o n aw o r l d . c o m
www.peps-spirit.fr
Whoâs in this picture? The two riders share the same sponsors and a striking resemblance!
Always keen to find a good location, Kona provides support for the development of bike parks. The most recent addition is the Rosaraie park in Toulouse, the largest urban bikepark in Europe.Kona has adhered to the practices of the association that regulates bikeparks. In typically committed style, Kona is setting out too promote the ins and outs of cycling among youngsters.
PEPâs is two girls and a guy, who are passionate about sport, travelling and nature. They know the southern part of Provence like the backs of their hands: from the most secret mountain biking singletracks, to the unexpected little roads for road biking, to the paradisiacal little coves that wait to be explored by sea kayak. Fancy participating in a cross-country, endurance or downhill skills camp, or enjoying a tour of their playground for a few hours? Full details are available on their website: www.peps-spirit.fr.
Mais qui est qui sur cette image? Les deux riders partagent pas mal de sponsors mais surtout une ressemblance frappante !
Kona, toujours Ă la recherche du bon spot, soutient les bikeparks dans leur dĂ©veloppement. Dernier en date, le bikepark de âla Roseraieâ Ă Toulouse qui est le plus grand bikepark citadin dâEurope.Kona sâinscrit logiquement aux cotĂ©s de lâassociation qui gĂšre et entretient les modules : une bande de passionnĂ©s bien dans lâesprit Kona qui dĂ©sire promouvoir les pratiques du vĂ©lo auprĂšs des jeunes.
FISE 2011
www.fise-events.net
PEPâs, câest deux filles et un gars, passionnĂ©s de sport, de voyages et de nature. Ils connaissent la Provence du Sud comme leur poche », jusquâaux singletracks VTT les plus secrets, aux petites routes les plus insoupçonnĂ©es pour le vĂ©lo de route, et bien sĂ»r jusquâaux petites criques paradisiaques qui nâattendent que votre kayak de mer. Envie de participer Ă un stage XC, Enduro ou DH ou de vous faire guider pendant quelques heures sur leur terrain de jeu? Toutes les infos sur leur site: www.peps-spirit.fr
On 1-5 June, the FISE will be stopping off in Montpellier, which hosts the freestyle event. The best BMXers, mountainbikers, wakeboarders, skateboarders and roller skaters will all be there to put on an exceptional spectacle in an atmosphere that will be 100% FISE. Le FISE dĂ©barque sur les berges du lez Ă Montpellier. Du 1 au 5 juin, Montpellier sera en mode freestyle, les meilleurs riders BMX, mountainbike, wakeboard, skateboard et roller seront prĂ©sents pour vous offrir un show dâexception dans une ambiance 100% fise.
issue #15 - 7 /100
Photoâ: Friends of Pristine Fixed Gear
Fast as you can ina'dam faster than you crew events Webâ: Writerâ:
www.fasterthanyoucrew.com Jonathan Borms
Faster Than You Crew will be taking Amsterdam by storm for six months with a programme of wild, funky, original and free-spirited cycling events. From a good old fashioned alley cat race to the craziest courses you've ever seen, there will be something for everyone! Don't worry if you're not the fastest riders in the world, these events are about brains as well as speed. In any case, even if your team is on the slow side, it doesn't matter, as all the teams will be split up and new ones formed randomly to even up the field. Want to discover Amsterdam, meet local riders, party, chill out on a canal boat and eat chips with peanut sauce? What are you waiting for? Get yourself over to Holland and hook up with the Crew in one of Europe's coolest cities. You won't regret it. It's what cycling is all about! Just remember to bring your bike!
C'est sur six mois que le Faster Than You Crew va Ă©taler ses Ă©vĂ©nements sur la belle ville d'Amsterdam. De la simple Alley Cat jusqu'au parcours le plus farfelu, il y en a pour tous les goĂ»ts ! Tu n'es pas le plus rapide des riders du monde, pas de soucis, tu peux ĂȘtre dans le temps grĂące Ă ton cerveau. Ton team est un peu lent, pas de soucis⊠Tous les teams seront eclatĂ©s et des nouveaux groupes randoms seront composĂ©s pour mettre tout le monde Ă Ă©galitĂ©. Bref, les events du crew sont tout ce qu'il y a plus vivant, funky, variĂ©s, ouverts d'esprit, pas radicaux pour un gulden ! Le VRAI esprit vĂ©lo ! Tu veux dĂ©couvrir Amsterdam, rencontrer des riders locaux, faire la fĂȘte, emballer des filles sur un bateau mouche et manger des frites Ă la pidasauce ? Alors prends ta voiture, un train ou une licorne et va les rejoindre Ă Amsterdam la Belle. Et surtout, n'oublie pas ton vĂ©lo !
NEXT EVENTS - June 18th - July 9th - August 13th How to subscribe: Send a mail with your first and last name to weride@fasterthanyoucrew.com
issue #15 - 8 /100
PROCHAINS EVENEMENTS - 18 juin - 9 juillet - 13 août Comment s'inscrire :Envoie simplement un email avec ton nom et ton prénom à weride@fasterthanyoucrew.com
© Oakley Icon Ltd, 2011
Downhill. * Style up.
CĂ©dric Gracia porte le MAG SHORT et le SMOKE JERSEY
DESIGN FOR A REASON * Ă la descente plus de style.
PhotoĂą€‰: Jonathan Borms
issue #15 - 10 /100
culture
Writer : Web: Interview:
Jonathan Borms www.kingdomcomes.be Tim - drums player
Three men, voices that alternate between howling and animalistic tones, heavy bass and technical percussion, heavy riffs and arpeggiosĂą€Ć Kingdom is there to draw you right into the grand church of Stoner Metal. Put the volume up and watch your stomach: Kingdom will penetrate to your very gut! Kingdom is not just a band, it's also a real live experience. How could you describe your band ? To describe Kingdom as a live experience is quite hard, since we're usually on the other side... What I see when playing live, is darkness. It is necessary to concentrate, and not be bothered by anything else. How to describe Kingdom? Static yet moving, humble yet immense, three as one. You mix massive stoner riffs with a great postrock melancoly. What are all your influences ? Inf luences are apparent, but irrelevant. Sure other music has unf luenced us indiv idually but there is no point in trying to sound like this or that. This is not our goal when playing music. We come together to write what we love to play. K ingdom is not a stoner
You like to play in symbolic or uncommon places. Why those choices ? We play normal stages more often than you think. But even then it is up to the band to make something more out of it. Our choice is to make every performance symbolic, and that depends as much on the audience as on the location. All the members of the band have sides projects. In how many bands are you all playing ? Colin - Blind To Faith, Sembler Deah, Amenra, Kingdom Ture - Syndrome, Amenra, Sembler Deah, Kingdom Tim - Black Heart Rebellion, Kingdom, Hessian, Pieces of Quiet
band, neither a post-whatever band. W hat you hear when listening, is what we are on that moment, our inf luences are somewhere between the lines.
Do those side projects have an influence on Kindgom ? Everything we do connects and relates to eachother.
How do you decide that a song is ready to be played live ? T h is is a ha rd question since it is d i f ferent for ever y song. Someti mes it ta kes a yea r, someti mes it ta kes one month. We do not have a 'system' or 'ru le' to decide when a song is read y to be played l ive. Songs tend to g row slow or fast, but a lways at a d i fferent pace.
Which quotes could explain the band ? Tegen licht and The smell of fire weighs on the stale air. The birds have fallen silent. A shiver runs through the naked skeletons of the trees. The dead river meanders aimlessly. As the sun darkens, the moon is bereft of its light. The land grows weary amidst the shadows grey, and hearts are relieved for they welcome darkness
You gigs are really sick, it's more than 3 dudes play i ng on stage. W h ich k i nd of feelings you w ish to give to people when you play live ? Dit v i nd i k n iet zo'n goeie v ra ag!
Which painting could illustrate the band ? None A sentence to the world ? Not really, thanks!
issue #15 - 11 /100
Photoâ: Jonathan Borms
Trois hommes, entre voix hurlante et animale, basse massive et batterie technique, riffs lourds et arpĂšges⊠: Kingdom est lĂ pour vous faire rentrer de plein fouet dans la grande Ă©glise du Stoner Metal.Poussez le volume et prenez garde Ă votre estomac, Kingdom vous peintrera jusque dans vos tripes. Kingdom nâest pas quâun groupe, câest aussi une rĂ©elle expĂ©rience live. Comment dĂ©cririez-vous votre groupe? DĂ©crire Kingdom comme une expĂ©rience live est assez difficile puisque nous sommes de lâautre cĂŽtĂ© de la barriĂšre... Ce que je vois lorsque je joue en live, câest lâobscuritĂ©. Il est nĂ©cessaire de se concentrer et de ne pas se laisser distraire par quoi que ce soit. Comment dĂ©crire Kingdom? Statique mais en mouvement, humble mais immense, trois en un. Vous mĂ©langez de gros riffs de stoner avec une super mĂ©lancolie post-rock. Quelles sont toutes vos influences? Les influences sont apparentes mais sans incidence. Bien sĂ»r que dâautres musiques nous ont influencĂ©s individuellement mais il nây a aucun intĂ©rĂȘt dâessayer de sonner comme si ou comme ça. Ce nâest pas notre but lorsque nous jouons de la musique. issue #15 - 12 /100
Nous nous rĂ©unissons pour Ă©crire et nous aimons jouer. Kingdom nâest pas un groupe de stoner ni un groupe de post-quoi que ce soit. Ce que tu entends quand tu nous Ă©coutes est ce que nous sommes Ă ce moment prĂ©cis, nos influences sont quelque part entre les lignes. Comment dĂ©cidez-vous si une chanson est prĂȘte Ă ĂȘtre jouĂ©e en live? Câest une question difficile puisque câest diffĂ©rent pour chaque chanson. Cela prend parfois un an, parfois un mois. Nous nâavons pas de «systĂšme» ou de «rĂšgle» pour dĂ©cider si une chanson est prĂȘte Ă ĂȘtre jouĂ©e. Les chansons ont tendance Ă grandir lentement ou rapidement mais jamais en mĂȘme temps. Vous aimez jouer dans des endroits symboliques et incongrus. Pourquoi ce choix? Nous jouons dans des endroits normaux plus
souvent que tu ne le penses. Mais mĂȘme dans ce cas câest au groupe dâen faire quelque chose de plus que ça ne lâest en rĂ©alitĂ©. Nous choisissons de faire de chaque performance un symbole et cela dĂ©pend aussi bien du public que de lâendroit. Tous les membres du groupe ont des projets sur le cĂŽtĂ©. Dans combien de groupe jouez-vous tous? Colin - Blind To Faith, Sembler Deah, Amenra, Kingdom Ture - Syndrome, Amenra, Sembler Deah, Kingdom Tim - Black Heart Rebellion, Kingdom, Hessian, Pieces of Quiet Est-ce que ces projets influencent Kingdom? Tout ce que nous faisons est en connexion et relate les uns des autres. Quelles citations pourraient expliquer votre groupe? «Tegen licht» et «The smell of fire weighs on the stale air. The birds have fallen silent. A shiver runs through the naked skeletons of the trees. The dead river meanders aimlessly. As the sun darkens, the moon is bereft of its light. The land grows weary amidst the shadows grey, and hearts are relieved for they welcome darkness». Quelle peinture pourrait illustrer le groupe? Aucune. Une phrase pour le monde? Pas vraiment, merci!
culture Writer: Web:
Jonathan Borms, Vincent Rocher & Christophe Bortels www.landscape-magazine.com
the bLack heart yOu Like this! WEB PRODUCTION rebeLLiOn . .
stOked: big air editiOn
test drive unLimited 2
vlas veGas rec.
pc/XboX 360
pc/ps3/XboX 360
MONOLOGUE
www pinkbike com
If you like the complex post-rock by MogwaĂŻ but youâre sometimes left unsatisfied during the long swoops in power and are a nostalgic for the languid hardcore of Course of Action, then The Black Heart Rebellion is defi nitely for you! A blend of atmospheric postrock and melodic hardcore, BHR offers a whole album that will take you from meditation to head banging. Although this last LP makes a small independent production felt, all will be forgiven if you have the chance to listen to them live when everything becomes magical with this group that was defi nitely made to leave the confi nes of the studio and come to life on stage. Two concerts in three weeks; two opportunities for goose pimples...
You Like This! is a bike film that takes you on a discovery tour through British Columbia, the Canadian province on the Pacific coast in the far west of the country. The scenery is mind-blowing, the nature wild and splendid, and the focus is clearly on freeriding and crazy little singletracks â all without a generic world star, but with a good level of riding. While the images and the music do not achieve the degree of perfection of Follow Me or Life Cycles, the film still makes for agreeable watching and listening. And above all, it really makes you want to go riding! Even if we unfortunately donât all have the chance to live in Canada⊠Oh, we almost forgot the best part: the film is free and available exclusively on PinkBike.com. One thingâs for sure: youâre going to love You Like This!
Si vous aimez le post-rock complexe de MogwaĂŻ mais que vous restez parfois sur votre faim dans les longues montĂ©es en puissance et que vous ĂȘtes nostalgique du hardcore langoureux de Course of Action, The Black Heart Rebellion est dĂ©finitivement pour vous ! Entre post-rock atmosphĂ©rique et hardcore mĂ©lodique, BHR vous offre une album complet qui vous fera passer de la mĂ©ditation au headbanging. Ce nouveau LP fait toute fois ressentir une petite production indĂ©pendante mais tout leur sera pardonnĂ© si vous avez lâoccasion de les Ă©couter en live oĂč tout prendra magie avec ce groupe dĂ©finitevement nĂ© pour quitter les murs de studio et prendre vie sur scĂšne. Deux concerts en trois semaines, deux fois la chair de poule... issue #15 - 14 /100
You Like This ! est un film de bike qui nous emmĂšne Ă la dĂ©couverte de la ColombieBritannique, province canadienne tout Ă lâouest du pays, sur la cĂŽte Pacifique. Les paysages sont Ă©poustouflants, la nature encore brute et splendide, et lâaccent est clairement mis sur le freeride et les petits singletracks de fou, tout ça sans star mondiale au gĂ©nĂ©rique mais avec un bon gros niveau de ride. Si les images et la musique nâatteignent pas le degrĂ© de perfection de Follow Me ou Life Cycles, ça se laisse malgrĂ© tout regarder et Ă©couter avec plaisir. Et puis surtout, ça donne furieusement envie dâaller rider ! MĂȘme si hĂ©las on nâa pas tous la chance de vivre au Canada... Oh, on allait presque oublier le principal : le film est gratos et visible en exclu sur PinkBike.com. Une chĂŽse est sĂ»re : vous allez aimer You Like This !
NAMCO BANDAĂ
Winter is barely over, but are you already missing being out on the slopes? To bide your time until the snow is back at your favourite resort, Namco is offering an enhanced version of its snowboard game. Stoked: Big Air Edition is arguably the best game in its category at the moment. More realistic than SSX and Shaun White Snowboarding, the other major asset of Stoked lies in the enormous ride freedom it offers. All of us on the editorial team are fans! Lâhiver Ă peine fini, la glisse vous manque dĂ©jĂ ? Pour patienter jusquâĂ ce que ça pose de nouveau dans votre station favorite, Namco propose une version amĂ©liorĂ©e de son titre de snowboard. Stoked: Big Air Edition est sans doute le meilleur jeu de sa catĂ©gorie actuellement. Plus rĂ©aliste que les SSX et autre Shaun White Snowboarding, lâautre gros atout de Stoked rĂ©side dans lâĂ©norme libertĂ© de ride proposĂ©e. On est tous fans Ă la rĂ©daction!
ATARI
It must be said from the offset that the main appeal of this game is that it is online. Test Drive Unlimited 2 is built around this principle, positioning it in the category of the overwhelmingly multiplayer online racing games. The possibilities are endless; the life span vast, especially since the gaming community is extremely active. The gaming environment comprises two sprawling maps: one of Ibiza and one of Hawaii. The relative monotony of the asphalt roads is interspersed with off-road stretches allowing for the discovery of some highly practical shortcuts. This game is made for those of you, who enjoy online challenges against other players. Il faut le dire dâentrĂ©e, le principal intĂ©rĂȘt de ce titre câest le jeu en ligne. Test Drive Unlimited 2 est construit autour de ce principe qui le classe dans la catĂ©gorie des Jeux de course online massivement multijoueurs. Les possibilitĂ©s sont Ă©normes et la durĂ©e de vie gigantesque dâautant que la communautĂ© des joueurs est trĂšs actives. Lâenvironnement se compose de deux gigantesques maps, lâune Ă Ibiza, lâautre Ă HawaĂŻ. La relative monotonie des routes asphaltĂ©es est cassĂ©e par des passages tout-terrain permettant de trouver des raccourcis bien pratiques. Si tu aimes les dĂ©fis avec dâautres joueurs via internet, ce jeu est fait pour toi.
Typ: www.tusseki.com
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
1. Oâneal Pin It Jersey / 2. Oâneal Pin It short / 3. Quechua 2 seconds XXL IIII / 4. Quechua Sleepinâbed Camp / 5. Crank Brothers Mallet 2 / 6. Electra Amsterdam Girard / 7. Electra Straight 8 / 8. SB3 Burly / 9. SB3 Fifty / 10. SE x Oakley Factory Pilot / 11. Fox DHX Air / 12. Oâneal Mayhem 2011 jersey / 13. Oâneal Mayhem 2011 pants / 14. Bos Stoy Rare 2 / 15. Royal racing Ride 3/4 jersey / 16. Trickx 3.Lite Shell / 17. Trickx Long DE knee pad / 18. Gilles Berthoud Soulor Titanium saddle / 19. Kryptonite Mini U-Lock / 20. Veganski fresstyle straps / 21. Marshall Major Headphones
issue #15 - 16 /100
Photoâ: Esteban Hendrickx - riderâ: Geoffrey Marechal
Photoâ: Esteban Hendrickx
Test / De Vinci
wilson Writer: Web:
Philippe HĂ©bert www.devinci.com
Canadian brand Devinci brought the big guns out for 2011 as they completely redesigned their DH bike. But thatâs not all folks guess who helped with the design? The famous suspension designer Dave Weagle. Forget the 4 bar linkage 2010 model, it is now time to run a single-pivot + linker system, helped by a concentric axle pivot system, the Split Pivot. The new design, directly inspired by motocross from an aesthetic point of view, is supposed to isolate the braking from the pedaling. This independence of braking, pedaling and the work of the suspension allowed the designers to place the suspension pivot point higher than usual while avoiding harmful braking interference, thus enhancing the absorption of square bumps like braking bumps or sharp rocks ...
Thatâs it for the tech part, now letâs come to the ride! Our test bike was a Small size, so the handling of the bike might be a bit exaggerated ... But whatever, the bike handles very well, the faster the better! The low center of gravity, which seems to become the norm nowadays, gives the Wilson a playful and stable behaviour! Pay attention however not to rip the ground with the cranks⊠The bottom bracket is indeed a bit low ... But youâre aware of it now! It feels like the bike has been designed to rip cornersâŠ
La marque canadienne Devinci sort la grosse artillerie pour 2011 en refondant complĂštement son modĂšle dĂ©diĂ© Ă la DH, le Wilson. Sympathique initiative, dâautant plus que pour lâoccasion, le design a Ă©tĂ© confiĂ© au cĂ©lĂšbre concepteur de suspensions Dave Weagle. Exit le 4 bar linkage du modĂšle 2010, place Ă un systĂšme monopivot + bielette associĂ© Ă un axe et un pivot arriĂšres concentriques, le Split Pivot. Le nouveau design, dâinspiration esthĂ©tique trĂšs motocross, est censĂ© isoler le freinage du pĂ©dalage. Cette indĂ©pendance du freinage, du pĂ©dalage et du travail de la suspension permet de placer le point de pivot de suspension trĂšs haut tout en Ă©vitant les interfĂ©rences nĂ©gatives du freinage, ce qui permet donc dâamĂ©liorer lâamorti des obstacles au profil plus carrĂ©, typiquement des bons gros trous de freinage, ou encore des souches dâarbresâŠ
Fini la doc technique, place au ride ! Notre bike de test Ă©tait un taille S, la maniabilitĂ© perçue est donc peut-ĂȘtre un peu exacerbĂ©e⊠Toujours est-il que celle-ci est excellente, encore plus Ă haute vitesse ! Le centre de gravitĂ© trĂšs bas, qui semble ĂȘtre devenu la norme sur les bikes de DH actuels, confĂšre au Wilson un caractĂšre joueur et stable indĂ©niable ! Attention dâailleurs Ă ne pas accrocher le sol avec les manivelles, le boitier de pĂ©dalier est un peu bas⊠On vous aura prĂ©venu ! Les tournants sont donc un rĂ©gal au guidon du Wilson, que ce soit Ă plat ou relevĂ©, ça passe trĂšs trĂšs bien.
issue #15 - 18 /100
ground all the time. Very active on small bumps and progressive on hard hits, the suspension is all you can expect from a top of the game DH bike ... no compromise! To summarize, the Wilson is a very balanced, agile and stable bike. It truly gives extra confidence to the rider ... what else? The future will tell us how reliable it will be. Finally we must applaud Devinci for keeping the bike 100% Canadian design and build... a rare and beautiful thing nowadays!
But this bike is not just about blasting through berms, the work of the suspension is also incredible. The 216mm of rear travel are smoother than melted butter (copyright Rob WarnerâŠ). The bike sticks to the
Le travail de la suspension nâest pas en reste. Les 216mm de dĂ©battement dĂ©livrĂ©s par la suspension
arriĂšre sont dâune fluiditĂ© incroyable et sâassurent Ă tout moment que le bike colle au sol. TrĂšs sensible sur les petits chocs et progressive en fin de course, la suspension convient parfaitement Ă une utilisation DH engagĂ©e⊠ça tombe bien ! Le bike est donc trĂšs Ă©quilibrĂ©, agile, stable, met en confiance⊠que demander de plus ? Reste Ă voir ce que donnera la fiabilitĂ© dans les mois Ă venir. Bilan plus que positif donc ! Saluons pour finir la conception et fabrication 100% Canada⊠Câest suffisamment rare et beau de nos jours pour le souligner !
Photoâ: Jonathan Borms
Photoâ: Jonathan Borms
Test / BLB
Lapiovra lopro2 Writer: Web:
Dr.Keirin www.bricklanebikes.co.uk
In terms of aesthetics, the new BLB La Piövra Low-Pro 2 is a highly successful frame welded in Columbus Thron tubing, which makes for a solid, comfortable bike that is good value for money. The bike was designed with a fairly short wheelbase of 96 cm, which could well have been 95 cm. This makes for a highly responsive frame that is fairly easy to handle in urban riding, but in which control is easily
L e nouveau BLB La Piov ra L ow-Pro 2 est un cadre esthĂ©tiquement trĂšs rĂ©ussi, soudĂ© en tube Columbus Thron, ce qui en fait un vĂ©lo solide, confor table avec un bon rappor t qualitĂ©/pr i x. Ce vĂ©lo a Ă©tĂ© pensĂ© avec un wheelbase assez cour t de 96cm, mais aurait pu ĂȘtre en 95cm. Cela crĂ©e un cadre trĂšs v if et assez facile Ă prendre en main en ride urbain, mais il perd facilement en contrĂŽle sâil est montĂ© avec une potence cour te.
lost if mounted with a short stem. Given that I own a La Piöv ra classic myself, I can certainly say that this new âpursuitâ model is very well finished, resistant and sensitive at the same time. The short chain stays allow for rapid acceleration in sprints, or during a simple urban ride even.
if you want to rediscover control of your bike while standing on the pedals â unless you remain in the saddle during a sprint that is. This La Piöv ra is the perfect bike for riders with a track bike background seeking a new aggressive beast.
This is definitely a wild frame, but youâll need a long stem (more than 80 mm) if you want a comfortable frame, and particularly
PossĂ©dant moi-mĂȘme un L a Piov ra classic, je peu x fac i lement d i re que ce nouveau modĂ©le «poursuit » est trĂšs bien fini, rĂ©sistant et sensible Ă la fois. L es bases ar r iĂšres cour tes permet tent une accĂ©lĂ©ration rapide en spr int ou mĂȘme pendant un simple r ibe urbain. Câest dĂ©finitevemnt un cadre sauvage mais vous aurez besoi n dâune potence long ue ( plus de 80mm ) si vous voulez un cadre confor table et sur tout si vous voulez retrou-
ver un contrĂŽle de votre vĂ©lo en danseuse Ă moins de rester assis sur votre sel le lors dâun spr int. Ce L a Piov ra est un bike pa r fa it pour les r iders possĂ©da nt dĂ©jĂ un backg round sur vĂ©lo de piste et qui sont Ă la recherche une nouvelle bĂȘte agressive.
issue #15 - 19 /100
Tests
material Writers:
Christophe Bortels / Vincent Rocher / Baptiste Peron
Abus Scrapper & Aven-U Odlo www.abus.de
www.odlo.com
The German brand renowned for its bike locks also develops equipment for cyclists. The range includes the Aven-U and Scrapper models designed especially for urban use. While the Aven-U is extremely light, the Scrapper affords an Abus maintenance system. With its dial adjustment system, this helmet offers the perfect fit.
We wanted to introduce an Odlo product, but the range is so vast, we simply couldnât decide which one⊠It must be said that the Norwegian brand not only offers specialist clothing for a great many different sporting disciplines (cycling of course, but also skiing, golf, horseback riding, tennis, sailing - the list
is endless), but the choice is also extremely varied for each. Regardless of whether youâre looking for underwear (their speciality!), a windbreaker, shorts or something else, all products are well made, high performance and comfortable. So we invite you to take a look at their website, or to visit them in person in your favourite shop!
La marque allemande bien connue pour ses anti-vol développe également des équipements pour cyclistes. Dans la gamme on retrouve les casques Aven-U et Scrapper spécialement étudiés pour une utilisation urbaine. Le Aven-U est vraiment léger et le Scrapper bénéficie du systÚme de maintien Abus. Ainsi, grace à sa molette de réglage qui vient ajuster le serrage au niveau des cervicales, ce casque offre une parfaite tenue.
On voulait vous prĂ©senter un produit Odlo, mais la gamme est tellement vaste quâon nâa pas pu choisir... Il faut dire que la marque dâorigine norvĂ©gienne propose non seulement des vĂȘtements techniques pour tout un tas de sports (vĂ©lo bien entendu, mais aussi ski, golf, Ă©quitation, tennis, voile et on en passe), mais que le choix est Ă©galement trĂšs large pour chaque pratique... Quoi quâil en soit, quâon cherche un sous-vĂȘtement (leur
spĂ©cialitĂ© !), un coupe-vent, un short ou autre chose, il sâagit lĂ de produits bien foutus, performants et confortables. On vous invite donc Ă jeter un oeil Ă leur site web ou Ă aller voir ça en live dans votre shop favori !
mission workshop rAmbler . . www missionworkshop com
Although their primary focus is on the âmessenger bagâ, they do not claim to only make bags for cycling, but more to create a bag that makes travel easy and into which one can put a ton of things. At first glance a simple rucksack with a straightforward design and a quality finish (waterproof zippered opening, parachute material lining), it subsequently proves itself to be a fairly impressive adjustable item. Featuring three large waterproof pockets and one small one, the Ramblerâs 22 litres (44 litres when opened out) allows space for a great many things. And the so-called âroll topâ mode means tubular items such as a frame, a baguette, or other cardboard tubes can be transported. All the compartments are of course adjustable, which allows for the bagâs load to be distributed equally. It remains comfortable even when fully packed thanks to the plastic coating that provides protection from any angular objects inside the bag as well as to the carbon framework along the back, which is fairly similar to that of a camping rucksack. Despite the support belt being sold separately and the price tag of around 230 euros (depending on the shop), this test is more than conclusive: we note the bagâs numerous strengths, namely the capacity, the quality of the materials and the finish, the roll top and the lifetime warranty. issue #15 - 20 /100
Mission Workshop Marque de bagagerie de San Francisco 100% territoire amĂ©ricain. Bien que leur vocation premiĂšre soit le «messenger bag», ils ne prĂ©tendent pas faire des sacs seulement pour le vĂ©lo, mais plus dâen faire un avec lequel il est possible de voyager aisĂ©ment et de pouvoir y mettre un maximumdechoses.Devisu,unsimplesacĂ dosaudesign sobre et finitions trĂšs lĂ©chĂ©es (fermeture Ă©clair waterproof, toile de parachute pour lâintĂ©rieur du sac) qui sâavĂšre, par la suite,ĂȘtreunobjet modulable assez impressionnant. ComposĂ© de 3 grandes poches waterproof et dâune petite, les 22 litres (44 litres une fois le ouvert) du Rambler nous permet dây mettre vraiment beaucoup de choses. et le dit «roll top» de transporter des objets tubulaires telles quâun cadre, une baguette de pain ou autres tubes en carton. Tous lescompartimentssontbiensurrĂ©glables,cequinouspermet donc de repartir la charge du sac. Il reste confortable, mĂȘme Ă pleine charge grĂące Ă sa plaque de plastique protĂ©geant de tout objets anguleux Ă lâintĂ©rieur du sac et aux armatures en carbon le long du dos, sensiblement similaire a celles dâun sac de camping. MalgrĂšs la ceinture de maintien vendu sĂ©parĂ©ment, et le prix dâenviron 230 euros suivant les magasins, ce test est plus que concluant, nous noterons en points forts sa capacitĂ©, la qualitĂ©s de ses matĂ©riaux et finitions, le roll top et sa garantie a vie.
oz
en oisans
29.30.31 juillet 2011
.URBAN RACE SHORT TRACK .DEMO TRIAL .VILLAGE EXPO .ĂCRAN GĂANT
prize money
3 000 âŹ
WWW.NISSAN-EUROPEANDOWNHILLCUP.COM
Selon rĂšglement disponible sur www.nissan-europeandownhillcup.com
18 .19 juin 2011 .. La Bresse
PhotoĂą€‰: Jonathan Borms
issue #15 - 22 /100
one arm/half bar who of us has never been blown away by Those incredible aThleTes who ride wiTh only one leg, one arm or some oTher form of disabiliTy. buT The QuesTion is always The same: âhow eXacTly do They do iT?? do They really ride like ThaT all The Time? iT musT be hardâŠâ one of These eXTraordinary riders has recenTly emerged from The shadows. heâs noT a pro, he doesnâT even compeTe aT amaTeur level, buT franĂois is fasT, very fasT; heâs 100% fiXed gear, 100% urban, buT only uses half of his handlebars. les riders de dvd Qui nous fonT ouvrir grand les yeuX, câesT cool, mais le bike câesT aussi dâauTres merveilles. Qui nâa jamais Ă©TĂ© plus Quâ impressionnĂ© par les pisTeurs en compTeâ Qui ne roulenT Quâavec une jambe, un bras, ou TouT auTre handicap. mais la QuesTion esT Toujours la mĂȘme : â mais enfin, commenT ils fonT ? ils roulenT vraimenT comme Ăa Tous les jours ? câesT doiT ĂȘTre dur⊠â un de ces riders hors du commun sorT enfin de lâombre. pas pro, ni mĂȘme compĂ©TiTeur amaTeur, franĂois roule viTe, TrĂs viTe,100% pignon fiXe, 100% urbain mais sur 50% de guidon.
issue #15 - 23 /100
PhotoĂą€‰: Jonathan Borms
issue #15 - 24 /100
the one armed bandit portrait of francois R. Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
http://o-a-b.tumblr.com Jonathan Borms Jonathan Borms & Aurélien Lemoine
Hi François, you lost an arm when you were younger during your time as a stuntman. As someone who has known the before and after, what do you find are the major differences between riding with one or two arms? The biggest different is that you have all your weight on one arm, which completely changes your centre of gravity on a bike. But once youâve found it again, itâs the same. And you know what they say: you never forget how to ride a bike â whether it be with one hand or two. It would be easy to lead an extremely monotonous life after an accident like yours. What compelled you to give 200% â and that despite your disability? Actually, after an accident like that, you donât really ask this question. Either you let yourself go and spend the rest of your life as a pitiful soul who does nothing but complain, or you take the bull â or the bike â by the horns and throw yourself into it, donât ask yourself too many questions. As long as you have fun, you continue, and gradually you realise that youâve got beyond all that and ultimately you can always do what you want if you put your heart into it. How did this transition, your realisation occur? Iâve always ridden â BMX and mountain bike â being younger and growing up in the countryside, where biking is something obligatory for me. After my accident, I lived in Brussels. I rapidly developed an aversion for public transport and started to travel around by bike â first an old-school chopper for comfort, then because contrary to the popular song by Brel our country isnât always flat, I bought myself a Peugeot racing bike second-hand to go a bit faster and to not die on hills without any gears⊠and there
you go: little by little, I picked up the speed and gained confidence until I found it completely normal to ride in the city as I do. Getting back on the bike in an urban setting is one thing, but you then switched to a fixie. Even experienced riders sometimes find that dangerous in a city like Brussels. What do you think? That Brussels is a hell of a training city! The perfect playground with little alleyways, boulevards, ascents, descents, asphalt, cobbles, tram tracks... thereâs everything you need to make a good rider! Iâve been riding in Brussels for several years now, and once you know the city and your limits, itâs pure pleasure! You ride with a front brake. Can you envisage riding brakeless? Iâve started riding brakeless without going OTT and with a light ratio, so yes, I could ride brakeless, but not fast. And what I like it going fast, and to go fast in the city â in traffic â I need a brake to reduce the risk of staring death in the face at every roundabout! I donât always have my hand on it, but at least I know itâs there! Some riders have been slow to learn to skid â and that not even with one hand⊠Has this been your experience? Is it not too hard to learn to control a nervous track bike like yours? At the start, it wasnât possible for me to skid; I kind of did little jumps, which gradually slowed me down, but I wasnât able to block my legs while holding my handlebar with just one hand⊠but from riding, from building up my legs and from gaining some muscle in my arm, it ultimately came pretty quickly⊠OK, so Iâm never going to win a skid competition, but I manage, I have fun and thatâs enough for me.
Are there things that youâd like to be able to do, but that you still canât quite manage? Iâve started attempting backward circles, but balance is really difficult for me. If it continues to be fun in Belgium though and I keep drinking beers in the evenings with my friends when cruising in the parks, I think Iâll manage it before the end of the summer! And the day I manage keos, Iâll send you the picture! You made your mark a few months ago during an Alley Cat in Brussels: you finished first in front of some experienced riders. You got off to an explosive start in the city. Is it very different to manage your power with one or two arms? No, I donât think so. After all, the key factor is still your legs and mine work â Iâve no damage to report on that front! For the Alley Cat Alley Frite, I rode ss and not a fixie any more. By then I knew the city well enough, which is essential for an Alley Cat. I think itâs mainly that that made the difference! In addition to knowing how to ride well, with 2.5 g of beer in the blood, youâre primarily known for your long-distance rides in relatively short times and always on a fixie. Brussels to Amsterdam in a day, Brussels to Paris in less than two days⊠So it isnât too difficult to keep the pace up with a single hand? Is there a trick? Yes, of course itâs difficult. I bust a gut; almost cried on my bike and called my mother to come pick me up! But no, whether with one hand or two, so many kilometres; itâs never easy â unless youâre called Armstrong that is! As far as tricks go, apart from the usual cyclist things (and Iâm not talking about Belgian pot!), you can concentrate on a reward at the finish: a beer, a
issue #15 - 25 /100
Photo : Aurélien Lemoine
whisky, a hooker, whatever... it helps you keep pedalling and stops you from thinking about how youâve still got 75 kilometres ahead of you before you can get off your saddle!
d i f ferent c ent re of g rav it y, wh ic h me a n s t h at I c a n r ide no h a nd s for lon ger â u nless I c ome a c ross a lor r y or a n i n noc ent l itt le he d gehog t h at i s!
A lot of riders, who do not know you yet, often react with âwow, did you see the bloke⊠wowâ. Is that ok for you? Not to hard on your playboy ego? Itâs true that itâs weird. I canât go 100 m without attracting looks, without people doing a double take or telling me to stop being a poser with my hand in my pocket! But well, itâs rather funny to cause confusion so that people ultimately ask themselves a bit why I ride like that, etc. A nd then I admit itâs quite entertaining to see peopleâs faces when I f ly by at 40 km/h with one hand, at the red light on the boulevards with five lanes of traffic waiting to drive off!
A re long d istances a new challenge? I rea l ly wa nt to ride from Brussels to London â both for the route a nd a lso for the city. T he scene over there sounds completely craz y. A nd then, wel l, to ride on the lef t wou ld cha nge a l l my rid i ng habits a nd I f ind that fairly appealing! A nd then for the performa nce, sha l l we bet that I ride no ha nds??
â Itâs never easy â unless youâre called Armstrong that is! â The average rider often rests and relieves s m a l l ac hes b y c h a n g i n g pos it i o n s o n t hei r ha nd leba rs. W hat do you do? H ave yo u b ecome a pr o i n r id i n g no h a nd s? I d o l i k e e v e r y o n e e l s e: I f r e q u e n t l y c h a n ge t he posit ion of m y h a nd. Iâ v e h a d a fe w more d i f f ic u lties i n feel i n g c om for ta ble on t he d r o p s, b u t itâs s t a r t i n g t o c ome⊠Itâs t r ue t h at I h av e de v elope d a
issue #15 - 26 /100
Power and speed are k ind of your things, arenât they? W hen are you planning the velod rome, pure and hard? I tested the track recently, but I didnât have a good setup to rea l ly enjoy it. I wou ld l i ke to retu rn w ith a good 52x12 a nd see what happens⊠I needed severa l laps to da re to th row mysel f i nto the corners, but I th i n k itâs good now; Iâm read y to do the ha mster a nd to ma ke my lu ngs bu rn, to g ive my a l l on a track! Yo u r i d e w i t h a h a l f h a n d l eb a r. I s t h at a w a y fo r y o u t o a s s e r t y o u r d i f fe r e n c e o r r a t h e r y o u r l a c k o f d i f fe r e n c e? O r i s i t j u s t a fa nt a s t i c a nt i - t h e f t t a c t i c ? I tâs a b i t o f b o t h . F or m e, a b i k e i s s u c h a p e r s on a l t h i n g t h a t i tâs a n o b l i g a t or y s t a g e â w h e n y o u s e e m y b i k e, y o u k n o w i tâs m i n e! A n d t h e l e f t s i d e i s n o u s e t o m e a n y w a y, s o w h y c lu t t e r i t up w i t h a s up er f luou s fe atu r e? Itâs c er t a i n l y a l so a w a y for me t o c ome t o t er m s w it h m y d i s a bi l it y. Iâm no t ent i r el y s u r e, but I
th i n k Iâl l ne v er ride w ith a f u l l h a nd leba r a g a i n â itâs become something of my trademark! So you donât have too much trouble with the mounted police when you ride with just one brake and a half handlebar? Surely that canât go unnoticed. I must say Iâve nothing to complain about⊠They always look at my bike funny â I do too, actua lly â but theyâve never rea lly caused any troubleâŠI was stopped for jumping a red light a few weeks ago. I had my road bike attached to my rucksack and the only comment the cop made before letting me go was: âYou had better change your handlebars. You should not ride around with a broken handlebar like that, monsieur!â So thank you, Brussels police, for your indifference, and thanks to those, who always look the other way when I jump a red light! What would you say to a kid whoâs just learned your story? TA KE THE MONEY A ND RIDE!!
Photoâ: AurĂ©lien Lemoine
Salut François, tu as perdu un bras dans ton adolescence de cascadeur. Toi qui as connu un avant et un aprĂšs, quelles sont les grandes diffĂ©rences entre rouler Ă un ou deux bras ? La plus grosse diffĂ©rence, câest dâavoir tout son poids sur le mĂȘme bras, ce qui change complĂštement ton Ă©quilibre sur un vĂ©lo. Mais une fois que tu as rĂ©ussi Ă retrouver un Ă©quilibre plus ou moins normal, câest la mĂȘme chose. Et puis tu sais ce quâon dit, le vĂ©lo ça sâoublie pas, Ă une, ou deux mains. Il serait facile de passer Ă une vie trĂšs monotone aprĂšs un accident comme le tien. Quâest-ce qui tâa poussĂ© Ă te donner Ă 200% et ce malgrĂ© ton handicap ? En fait aprĂšs un accident comme ca, la question ne se pose pas vraiment, soit tu te laisses aller et tu restes Ă rien foutre le reste de ta vie en passant pour un pauvre mec qui se plaint, soit tu prends le taureau, ou le vĂ©lo, par les cornes, et tu fonces, tây vas et tu te pose pas trop de questions, tant que tu prends du plaisir tu continues et de fil en aiguille tu te rends compte que tâes passĂ© au dessus de tout ca et quâau final tu peux toujours faire ce que tu veux si tu te donnes Ă fond. Comment sâest passĂ© cette transition, ton apprentissage ? Jâai toujours fais du vĂ©lo, du BMX et du VTT en Ă©tant plus jeune et en grandissant en campagne, donc le vĂ©lo câest quelque chose dâobligatoire pour moi. AprĂšs mon accident, jâai habitĂ© Ă Bruxelles, jâai vite eu une aversion pour les transports en communs et commencĂ© Ă me dĂ©placer Ă vĂ©lo. Dâabord un chopper old school pour le confort, puis bon vu que contrairement Ă la chanson populaire de Brel, notre plat pays ne lâest pas
toujours, je me suis achetĂ© un Peugeot de course dâoccasion histoire dâaller un peu plus vite et de pas mourir en montĂ©e sans vitesses... Et voila, petit Ă petit jâai repris de la vitesse, de lâassurance jusquâĂ trouver ça complĂštement normal de rouler en ville comme je le fais. Reprendre le bike en milieu urbain est une chose, mais lĂ tu es passĂ© au pignon fixe. MĂȘme des riders chevronnĂ©s trouvent parfois cela chaud dans une ville comme Bruxelles. Tâen dis quoi toi ? Que Bruxelles est une putain de ville dâentraĂźnement! Un terrain de jeu parfait, des ruelles, des boulevards, montĂ©es, descentes, bitume, pavĂ©s, rails de tram... yâa tout ce quâil faut pour faire dâun rider un bon rider! Ăa fait maintenant plusieurs annĂ©es que je roule Ă Bruxelles et une fois que tu connais la ville et tes limites, câest un pur plaisir! Tu roules avec un frein avant. Tu vois le brakeless envisageable ? Jâai commencĂ© brakeless, sans faire le fou et avec un ratio lĂ©ger, donc oui je pourrais rouler brakeless mais pas vite. Et moi ce que jâaime câest aller vite, et pour aller vite en ville, dans la circulation, jâai besoin dâun frein histoire de risquer un peu moins de croiser la mort Ă tous les carrefours! Ma main nâest pas toujours dessus mais au moins je sais quâil est lĂ ! Certains riders ont dĂ©jĂ mis du temps pour apprendre Ă skider et je parle mĂȘme pas Ă une main⊠Ca a Ă©tĂ© ton apprentissage ? Pas trop dur dâapprĂ©hender le contrĂŽle dâun vĂ©lo de track nerveux comme le tien ? Au dĂ©but câĂ©tait pas possible pour moi de skider, je faisais des espĂšces de petits sauts qui petit Ă
petit me ralentissaient mais jâĂ©tais incapable de bloquer mes jambes en ne tenant mon guidon quâĂ une main... Mais Ă force de rouler, de me faire des jambes, et de muscler mon bras aussi, câest finalement venu assez vite... Bon ok, je gagnerai jamais un concours de skid, mais je mâen sors, je mâamuse et ca me suffit. Y a-t-il des choses que tu aimerais maĂźtriser et qui te sont encore impossibles Ă gĂ©rer ? Je commence Ă tenter les backward circles mais lĂ lâĂ©quilibre est vraiment difficile pour moi, mais si il continue Ă faire beau en Belgique et quâon continue Ă boire des biĂšres le soir avec les potes en roulant dans les parcs, je pense y arriver avant la fin de lâĂ©tĂ©! Et le jour oĂč je rentrerai le keo je vous enverrai la photo! Tu tâes dĂ©marquĂ© il y a quelques mois lors dâune Alley Cat Ă Bruxelles, tu as fini premier devant des riders bien chevronnĂ©s. Tu es parti dans la ville comme une bombe. Est-il fort diffĂ©rent de gĂ©rer sa puissance avec un ou deux bras ? Non, je pense pas. Le principal en vĂ©lo câest tout de mĂȘme les jambes et ca va, de ce cotĂ© la yâa pas de dommage Ă dĂ©plorer! Pour lâalley cat alley frite, je roulais en ss et pas encore en fixe et puis je connaissais assez bien la ville, câest quand mĂȘme indispensable pour une alley cat et jâpense que câest surtout ça qui a fait la diffĂ©rence! En plus de savoir super bien rouler avec 2,5gr de biĂšre dans le sang, tu es surtout bien connu pour tes longues distances Ă vĂ©lo dans des timings relativement courts et toujours en pignon fixe. Bruxelles - Amsterdam en une journĂ©e, Bruxelles - Paris ⊠Pas trop dur de tenir la cadence au bout dâune seule main ? Une astuce ? Si Ă©videmment câest difficile, jâen ai chiĂ©, jâai failli
issue #15 - 27 /100
Photos : Jonathan Borms
pleurer sur mon vĂ©lo et appeler ma mĂšre pour quâelle vienne me rechercher! Non, mais Ă une ou deux mains, autant de bornes câest jamais facile, sauf si tu tâappelles Armstrong et encore! Pour les astuces, mis Ă part les trucs de cyclistes habituels (et je parle pas du pot belge!), le fait de penser Ă un objectif Ă lâarrivĂ©e, une biĂšre, un whisky, une pute, nâimporte quoi... ça tâaide Ă pĂ©daler et Ă pas penser quâil te reste encore 75 bornes avant de retirer ton cul de ta selle! Bcp de riders qui ne te connaissent pas encore ont souvent la rĂ©action « wow tâas vu le gars⊠la vacheâŠÂ» Ca va ? Pas trop dur pour ton Ă©go de playboy ? Câest vrai que câest bizarre, je peux pas faire 100m sans regards, que les gens se retournent ou me dise dâarrĂȘter de faire le poseur avec ma main dans la poche! Mais bon, câest plutĂŽt comique dâinstaurer la confusion pour quâau final les gens se demandent un peu pourquoi je roule comme ca etc... Et puis câest assez plaisant, jâavoue, de voir la tĂȘte des gens quand je passe Ă 40km/h, Ă une main, Ă la limite du feu rouge sur les boulevards avec les 5 bandes de voitures qui attendent pour dĂ©marrer! Un rider lambda se repose et soulage souvent ses petites douleurs en changeant de position sur son cintre. Comment fais-tu ? Es-tu devenu pro du no-hand ? Je fais comme tout le monde, je change souvent la position de ma main, jâai eu un plus difficile Ă me sentir Ă lâaise sur les drops mais ca commence Ă venir... Câest vrai que jâai dĂ©veloppĂ© un Ă©quilibre diffĂ©rent qui fait que je peux rouler longtemps sans les mains, tant que je croise pas un camion en travers ou un petit hĂ©risson innocent!
issue #15 - 28 /100
Un prochain challenge de longes distances ? Jâai vraiment envie de faire Bruxelles-Londres, pour la route et aussi pour la ville, la scĂšne lĂ -bas a lâair complĂštement folle et puis bon, rouler Ă gauche, changer toutes mes habitudes de conduite, je trouve ça assez tentant! Et puis pour la performance, on parie que je le fais no hand?? La puissance et la rapiditĂ© câest un peu ton truc. Le vĂ©lodrome pur et dur, câest pour quand ? Jâai testĂ© il y a peu la piste, mais bon, jâavais pas un bon setup pour vraiment mâĂ©clater, jâaimerais y retourner avec un bon 52x15 et voir un peu ce que ca donne.... Il mâa fallu quelques tours avant dâoser me jeter dans le virage mais je pense que maintenant câest bon, je suis prĂȘt Ă faire le hamster et Ă cracher mes poumons en donnant tout ce que jâai sur une piste!
â Câest jamais facile, sauf si tu tâappelles Armstrong et encore! â Tu roules avec un demi guidon. Est-ce pour toi une façon dâaffirmer ta diffĂ©rence ou ta non- diffĂ©rence ? Ou est- ce simplement un super antivol ? Câest un peu de tout ca, pour moi un vĂ©lo câest tellement personnel que je pense que câĂ©tait une Ă©tape obligĂ©e, quand on le voit on sait que câest le mien! Et puis bon, le cotĂ© gauche me ser vait Ă rien, pourquoi mâencombrer du superflu? Câest certainement aussi une maniĂšre pour moi dâassumer mon handicap, je
sais pas trop mais en tout cas je pense que plus jamais je roulerai avec un cintre entier, câest un peu devenu ma marque de fabrique! Pas trop dâennuis avec la marĂ©chaussĂ©e quand tu roules avec un frein et un demi guidon ? Ca doit pas passer inaperçu. Je dois dire que ca va, jâai pas Ă me plaindre... Ils regardent toujours mon vĂ©lo bizarrement, moi aussi dâailleurs mais ne mâont jamais vraiment posĂ© problĂšme... Je me suis fais arrĂȘter pour avoir brulĂ© un feu rouge il y a quelques semaines, jâavais mon vĂ©lo de route accrochĂ© sur mon sac Ă dos et la seule remarque que la flic mâa faite avant de me laisser repartir, câest : vous feriez tout de mĂȘme mieux dâĂ©changer vos guidons, on ne roule pas avec un guidon cassĂ© comme ça monsieur! Bref, merci Ă la police bruxelloise pour leur indiffĂ©rence, et merci Ă eux de toujours regarder du mauvais cotĂ© quand je grille un feu rouge! Que dirais-tu Ă un gamin qui vient de connaĂźtre ton histoire ? TAKE THE MONEY AND RIDE!!
The Custom Experience Exclusively for Brick Lane Bikes London & availible throughout Europe from all good BLB stockists
The New La Piovra Lopro X Frameset Info@bricklanebikes.co.uk +44 (0) 207 033 9053 / For Retail Enquiries
orders@blbbigmama.co.uk +44 (0) 203 022 3002 / For Dealer Enquiries
Photoâ: Viktor Strasse
a Rider's life Our sports are still so young that the pioneers are often in their thirties. Taking a step back with a rider affording over 15 years of experience can allow for something of an insight into the everyday lives of these alternative athletes. Timo Pritzel engages in an interview that draws us into the very heart of his life.
issue #15 - 30 /100
Nos sports sont encore si jeunes que les pionniers sont souvent des trentenaires. Prendre un peu de recul avec un rider qui compte plus de 15 ans dâexpĂ©rience permet de comprendre un peu le quotidien de ces athlĂštes alternatifs. Timo Pritzel se livre dans une interview qui nous plonge au coeur de sa vie.
issue #15 - 31 /100
PhotoĂą€‰: Viktor Strasse
issue #15 - 32 /100
timo pritzel Interview Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.timopritzel.com Vincent Rocher Viktor Strasse
Hi Timo, could you introduce yourself? Age? 34. Hometown? Berlin. children? Not yet but happily married since last year! Hobbies? Traveling, yoga. Favourite beer? I hardly drink any alcohol just some good wine sometimes. Favourite food? Healthy organic food. Favourite book? Lately my last one that I really liked was Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Favourite car? Iâm really happy with my Audi A6S6. Favourite what you want?! How, when and why did you start to ride? After I watched the movie E.T. in 1983 in my neigbourhood all cool kids had BMX bikes, so I really really wanted one too. I got one for xmas 1983. My first BMX race was in 1984. I wasnât good in the beginning but was so happy that I found something in my life that I really wanted to do and it felt good. I learned a lot from winning and loosing and being around the older BMX Racers. I was always really active, and really athletic and did all kinds of sports but none got to me like BMX. Was going to the USA for 1 year, the deciding factor to turn pro? The main reason I went to the states was that I had been « reading » american BMX mags since I was 8 and it was my dream to go the birthplace of BMX. Also Iâd finished school and did not really know yet what I wanted to do jobwise. I just wanted to ride my bike! So I had the idea to write to an american BMX mag and ask for a host family. Jim Kleinhans from Las Vegas was the only one who answered besides 2 little Girls that had not asked their parents yet ! Jim got the german BMX champion for his racing team and in return helped me to deal with the paper work for school and gave me a little room in his house. How were your first days in this country? I knew a bit of english and was a bit shy. When you have something in common like riding your bike you meet people quickly. It was strange meeting my « american dad and mom». They were quite typical americans, some would say white trash. The daughter was 19, already pregnant and was getting beat up by her boyfriend. They had a dog that was a bit brain dead after they forgot him in the garage for a few days, and was shitting on the living room floor. It sounds worse than it was, they where still nice people but, well it was a bit different than home in Berlin. They helped me to come to the States and I was riding for his racing team called Herdas Killer Bees !
Was it easy for a german teen to make friends? Through my Bike I made friends quickly and the racing scene was good in Vegas. It was such a strange city too, and I felt a bit lost in my first days at the 3000 pu high schoolâŠI did not like the school too much. It was very unpersonal. But on the other side americans are quite friendly and its easier to talk to people than in Germany. The culture was quite new to me and I thought that when I walked into a shop and they say « Hi how are you?» that they really wanted to know how you feel, so I responded I did not sleep too well , but thats just the american way and you are supposed to say fine thank you. ;) After this year in the USA were things much easier when you came back to Germany? I learned a lot from the one year riding in the states, so many different tracks and many races ! I rode my bike to school because I did not like the school bus, so that was good training and in school every Day I had sport and weight lifting ! I was able to choose between math and weight lifting so I took weight lifting ïAnd after school, there was not much else to do in the desert and City of SinâŠthan riding my bike and I loved it. One NBL and one ABA race tracks and a few dirt jump spots where I rode with TJ Lavin and other Vegas locals. Dirt Jumping back then was not a discipline yet as it is today, it was a show from racers in between the races where guys like Brian Foster, Fuzzy Hall, Chris Moller, Robbie Morales would do a demo. But of course people where always jumping for fun on the trails. To see how much bike control and style Brian Foster had was a big eye opener for me! Some of the racers where stiff muscle guys he wassmoove and wining races because in rhythm sections he would pass the buff racers. TJ Lavin and I where on the same BMX racing team, on Herdas Hot Shots (Killer Bees was not able to pay my travel expenses, so I switched the team) which was owned by a crazy electronic warehouse owner who had 2 sons who raced BMX and he had a team just for fun. He bought an old Greyhound bus in which we traveled often to the races. TJ was not so fast but already really good at jumping. Seeing him showed me what was possible and motivated me a lot. When we where 17 we went to Huntington Beach to the famous california dirt jump spot called Sheep Hills and stayed in a house where many pros BMXers where living. We where young and nervous to meet and ride+stay with our idols. TJ was a fan of Todd Lyons and I of Brian
Foster. I knew them all from reading all the BMX mags and had been dreaming to ride with them since I was kid.So it was really cool to see how TJ achived so much in BMX a few years later. Seeing that motivated me a lot. Riding all those trails and dirt Jumps in the states tought me a lot and with the racing technics and bike control it helped me back home to be good at dirtJump events. When and why did you focus totally on freestyle? After I came back from the states the racing scene in Germany seemed a bit boring with the tracks, parents and BDR officials being so stiff and official. In 1996 I went to the BMX World Championships in Cologne I was so stoked how laid back it was and had a really good time at the event. From that dirt jump contest I got my first cover (Freedom BMX Mag) I was so stoked when I saw it at the newsstand. So I was pumped up to learn more. When did you realized you were good at it and that would be your job? When I came back home from the States I worked for a while as a postman (riding a bike of course) which showed me how normal working life is and motivated me to make my hobby and passion my life! Shortly after that I became World Champion in BMX dirt. Then I realized it could actually be my career! As a pro BMX rider I did not make much money but some TV jobs like 6 months in the biggest German daily soap opera really helped me. I was playing the role of a bad guy that was in a bicycle gang! I was paid well for bunny hops and wheelies! After that everything happened step by stepâŠ.. Which magazines did you read when you was kid? There was a time where I did get 6 different BMX mags every month! I was spending all my small money that I had as a kid. There where 2 german ones, BMX Speed and BMX Speed Spezial. And sometimes I got american mags like BMX Plus and BMX Action from my sisters american boyfriend.I really liked BMX Action back in the day, it was the first magazine that showed BMX in the right way! Now i like the UK Magazine Dig and Dirt. I used to really like the french mag Cream when Manu Sanz was doing it. I like having a magazine in my hand. We spend already too much time on the computer, internet changes the game about fresh news but reading an good interview or looking at a well designed article is much better than looking at a screen!
issue #15 - 33 /100
PhotosĂą€‰: Viktor Strasse
issue #15 - 34 /100
Friends of mine have a BMX mag called «Zwanzig Zoll» where I helped a bit in the beginning. When did you start Mountainbiking? I always had a mountain bike to ride around from a early age. I did a XC race when I was 15, but my first time riding at a festival in a 4x event and jumping on a MTB was in 1996 in Riva del Garda. My sponsor GT liked it when I rode MTB at bike festivals. Back then there where not many mountain bikers good at jumping so it was easy for me to get attention and make my sponsors happy. Do you continue to ride on both bmx and mtb? I did not ride BMX for a while because it confused me going back and forth with those bikes⊠but I want to build up my BMX again now to ride trails and maybe even ride a BMX race for fun this year. Injuries are parts of a riderâs life. What about it? Deal with it. I experienced many crashes and learned a lot about my body because of my injuries. So now I know what helps me and I have really good natural healers where I go to. (osteopathy, homeopathy) I do a lot to stay fit and healthy. Yoga has been a huge part in my life too for the past 6 years because it helps me so much to feel better in general and erase the injuries that where stored in my body. Its not easy seing your friends getting hurt badly, I know 4 BMX friends that are in wheelchairs. I wish that more riders would understand what consequences big crashes have to your body, its so important to learn to listen to what your body tells. If you want to compete or just ride for a long time at a top level you have to do your homework with stretching your body and learning what is right to do after crashing and finding a good body worker. Itâs important to listen to your stomach, feeling your body and know your limits! Example: you rode all day you are tired and your friends are pushing you to learn a new trick... or at a contest you wanna try a new trick on a shitty jump because you are hyped up... in my experience thats when you get hurt.
Now if you have a son, would you like to see that your kid take the same way ? Lets ask it differently! Do you want your son to have a broken head, torn spleen, torn kidney, 3 times a broken foot & torn ligaments, broken collarbone and finger, torn ACL in my knee, messed up ankles and knees, back pain for a long time and around 50 concussions & head Injuries? I think every dad would probably say no! I just want my kid to have a good time. It does not matter what he wants to do as long as it is what he or she wants and is not pushed. Being a bike pro is the best job in the world but it has its negative sides too! In downhill it is accepted that riders have a mental coach, have massages all the time, but in freeriding & dirt most riders are on their own with their pressure. It is a lot of pressure for many riders to be a pro, many did not finish school and are living with the risk and the thought in mind that it all can be over very quickly . For example a big nam freeride pro has a good contract, buys a big house and car on credit and at the end of the year the company drops him because they decided it is worth more to spend a million on a road bike team instead of the little budget in freeriding. So now the rider has some serious pressure on his back and does not ride for fun anymore, how it used to be but goes to a contest to make money .
«âMy Bike took me places school never couldâ»
When you have fun on your bike and listen to your body it all flows good. When you have or had an injury, really take your time and do everything possible to make it better! From good food to swimming to stretching exercise. If you compete at a top level, it is quite brutal on your body, lets say you have around 16 big events a year plus filming for your video parts where you give 100% it is almost normal to have a couple concussions & big crashes a year and one big injury every 1-2 years... especially now with the new big tricks like double flips and triple whips or one big drop at the finish line (Crankworx) where you have to do a trick down the 9 meters to get a chance for the podium. I m glad that in 2011 there is a rule for full face helmets at FMB Gold&Diamond Events!
Most of the time it is not the companies that put pressure on you it is your own head that wants to do good all the time. So of course you need a lot of will power to just get that far. It helps you to be that goal orientated but it is the hardest thing to be good and loving to yourself! For me it was such an hard process to accept that I m getting older and canât take those slams anymore like I used to. Iâm 34 now and for a while didn't see clearly what I wanted to happen next and just kept competing... So I m quite happy now that I have good sponsors supporting me and that I can still be valuable fort them with my image, photo&video shoots and I also help Scott as a team manager with the freeride&dirt team. Plus have lots to do with my clothing company Atmosfair.
And yes you have to have fear! if you donât then you are not sensitive to your limits anymore. I had moments where I completely lost all fear and went for things like the whole box in Whistler. When I now think about it, it was meant to be because at that point I had back pain where normal medicine and Docs could not help me and I rode for 2 years with pain killers. I was on my Limit! My 6 year relationship just ended so with that injury I went traveling by myself to Asia for 3 months where I tried out yoga and natural doctors that helped me with my back pain and my foot.
What you do to be a good professional? Love what you do! Respect others, donât walk around with a big ego, just because you are a bike pro. Understand that you have to work, organize and communicate and not only ride your Bike. I sometimes see riders that are not nice people but are really good riders... it might work for a little bit that they have success but not long, bad karma always comes back! I get emails from kids that tell me their parents want them to finish school, start that education that they dont want... and they only have biking in their head and ask me how I did it. One mum even got mad at me for writing on my web page that I made it without a normal education and still learned a lot... She told me I canât write that
because I encourage kids not to go to school! I get her point, but I wrote how my story was and I deeply believe that when you really want something dreams can come true! The thing is I guess with some Riders that they are «only» good bike riders but donât know that riding is half of the job. What does it help a company when you do that trick but are a big ego head, are not respected in the scene, talk shit about other riders and are not nice to your fans, donât know how to market yourself and your sponsors. When you organize your things yourself, help with events on the side, do your contracts, learn how bike companies work etc... you are prepared for the time after being a full time bike pro and can use the things that you learned in the «normal world». Companies donât have time to spend at babysitting the rider. Could you imagine what could be your life without a bike? What would be your job if you werenât became a pro rider? It would not be a job where you just sit in front of a computer or deal with unimportant things. I would maybe be a body worker or a yoga teacher. Jobs where you help people, get feedback, do what you are interested in and feel joy in giving. Do you think that things are easier for young pro riders now? No and yes. When we started we started with one hand and one foot tricks⊠now Kids watch internet videos and start with a tailwhip but dont even clear the table. The foam pit helps a lot with new tricks but when new riders do bigger tricks already without mastering a manual I think they need to get bike control first! For me in MTB it was easier I would say because I was there when MTB freeriding was just developing, now for new riders to make a name for themselvess and stand out they have to work much harder. What were the biggest changes in life turning pro ? I was really happy after growing up and looking up to riders asking them for stickers and autographs that then it was my turn in that position! Itâs great to follow your instincts and do what you want to do and make a living with it! For me the hardest thing was not to loose the fun of riding my bike! After I had that World Champion Title on my back, I felt pressure. Dealing with many Injuries and seeing friends get hurt badly was also very tough. Now you are a team manager for Scott and your own Company Atmosfair Clothing! that's great! Tell me about that and what further plans do you have? It feels good to be in that position. I totally understand how it is to be a rider obviously and now can help those young bloods with tips and help organizing their careers. It is a lot for a young guy to be at a top level, have a video part, ride all those events, deal with money and contracts, deal with injuries and fear, jealousy from other riders etc⊠I know from experience that this can be a lot of pressure. So Iâm the Team Manager for the Scott Voltage Team and I have a BMX Team and a MTB team with my own company Atmosfair Clothing. Could you imagine yourself at 50 or 60 on a bike? Off course! I will always love to ride my bike, and leave the car parked when possible but I wonât be jumping big doubles at 60. I can see myself still having fun on a pumptrack and showing my kids whats up !
issue #15 - 35 /100
Photosâ: Viktor Strasse
Can you please briefly sum up your season ? This was the second season where I canceled most competitions because I had to realize that with being 33 years old and having 15 years of competing I donât have the motivation anymore to compete against riders half my age with the newest tricks. But it was my body who said Stop! Without that I would have kept going because Iâm really competitive. In my career I had many big serious crashes that are stored in my body and my immune system developed many allergies and serious viruses, simply because my body always was on the limit and had to work hard. Whilst itâs not the normal 9 to 5 job but Iâm not done yet! I just donât want to ride that many events anymore⊠you will still see big stunts from me! Your sport has given you the chance to travel the world. Of all the places you have explored, which has been most memorable? What are your most beautiful memories on a bike? There are so many! It moved me when an agency called «make a wish foundation» contacted me because a sick kid had as his biggest dream as to spend a day with me riding. That was a great experience! I really like the sentence - my bike took me places school never could! Because it is so true. To name a few: Australia and Canada stand out... Panama was a fun event and interesting to see, but it does not have to be far just a good session with friends at a good spot where you just feel at one with your bike and everything flows. I do not see big mountains near the city .. how did you used to ride when you were young? When I was young I was just going to the 2 BMX race tracks in Berlin, but always looking for new lines, jumping the jumps backwards, doing transfers and building new things. And when I ride in Berlin now I ride with BMXers BMX Spots (Mellowpark) or at the gym trails, that Joscha Forstreuter, Lars, Philip and Carlo Dickmann build. But yeah I donât ride in the mountains a lot! I totally love it to ride places like Hafjell in Norway or Whistler. I remember my first time on a full suspended bike, I was like holly shit how can you jump this but then it felt natural very quickly. I want to ride more with my fully this year, I donât enjoy dirt Jump competitions anymore and want to ride more freeride.
issue #15 - 36 /100
Photoâ:Timo personnal collection
OkayTimo!Whatâsupthere?Whatdidyoudotoday? In the morning I like to start with some exercise or yoga. It just feels better not to go straight to the computer or something else that has to be done.So when the weather is shitty in Berlin, I donât ride that much in the off season but do exercise almost every day, like fitness,yoga, swimming. There is a dope pump track Joscha Forstreuter build near my house, so there we can ride also a bit in the winter. When Iâm home I spend my time with my wife and I have a lot of homework to do, communicating with my sponsors, etc. When Iâm home and the weather is right I ride trails spots around Berlin, but also ride my road bike and do lots of yoga! But it also involves eating well and have a healthy lifestyle in general. Recently you went to China to brake a record? The YouTube video of the Guinness Show (in the year 2000) with Jesus Fuentes and me somehow got watched 2.000000 times! So 8 years later a Chinese woman saw it and invited me to the record show in Beijing... I had to cancel it once because of my knee injury, but after many emails back and forth, I finally had my plane ticket in my hand! First they wanted to find somebody in China to ride against me but they couldnât find anybody;) So I choose my friend Joscha Forstreuter and also managed to get Viktor Strasse (Photographer) and Vincent Saccomani (Filmer) on the trip! When you spend 2 weeks closely with people itâs important you like them;) So I was stoked to just grab my buddies and go on a journey to China. It was a great experience seeing Beijing and Hong Kong, meeting many people on the way. It was a good reason to go on a trip. We could have jumped higher too but they where stoked that we broke the old record of Jesus Fuentes and mine so me and Joscha left it at that. We both broke the record at 5,20, so we both got a Gold Medal in 2008 in Beijing! That will look good on paper ;) 60 Million Chinese people saw the show on TV! Check out my China flipbook on my blog and the videos on my facebook Page. What was your dream when you were a kid? Did you succeed? Yes Iâm living my childhood Dream! I started on my local playground spot in Berlin Neukölln in 1983 after I saw older Kids do a wheely battle... and
step by step my dreams came true from my first wheely, to first trophy at a race, to a picture in a magazine, sponsors, to German Champion in BMX race, dirt and street! To being a big name in the bike industry. Winning and material things donât make you happy. There is more important things in life: Health, Family and Love. Iâm happy to learn new things about life and hope to be a good example with how I am. It amazes me how when you really want something in life and want it with your heart you can achieve whatever you want! So start making goals! Itâs all possible!
«Bad karma always comes backâ» Who helped you with your career , who would you like to thank? Well I wanna thank my parents of course for supporting me with my start in BMX Racing and driving with me to the races. I wanna thank Marko Mantey and the Air Team Crew, he used to train me in BMX Racing and later had an Agency where he organized BMX Shows and later the European King of Dirt and other things I was always involved and helped which taught me a lot. Living with TJ Lavin for a while in Vegas showed me whatâs possible and motivated me a lot. This year is my 10th anniversary of riding for Scott, Oakley and Sram ! So thanx to my Sponsors for the big support all those years ! Also TSG, Schwalbe, A Class, and KT Leasing my car sponsors
Photosâ: Viktor Strasse
Salut Timo, une petite prĂ©sentation? 34 ans, originaire de Berlin. Pas encore dâenfant mais tout juste mariĂ©! Niveau hobbies, les voyages et le yoga. Ma biĂšre favorite? En fait je bois trĂšs peu dâalcool, juste un bon vin de temps en temps. Ma bouffe favorite? Des trucs assez sains et naturels. Mon bouquin favori? Le dernier qui mâa vraiment plu câĂ©tait Shantaram de Gregory David Roberts. Ma bagnole favorite? Je suis assez content de mon Audi A6S6. Vas-y, jâai des trucs favoris en stock! (rires) Comment et quand as-tu commencĂ© Ă rouler? AprĂšs avoir regardĂ© le film E.T. en 1983, tous les gamins de mon quartier ont eu un BMX. Jâen voulais vraiment un et ce fut mon cadeau du noĂ«l suivant. Ma premiĂšre course eut lieu en 1984. JâĂ©tais pas trĂšs bon au dĂ©but mais tellement heureux dâavoir trouvĂ© une passion dans la vie que je me sentais bien. Jâai beaucoup appris de mes dĂ©faites et victoires tout en traĂźnant avec des riders plus ĂągĂ©s. Auparavant je nâavais jamais accrochĂ© Ă un autre sport de cette façon. JâĂ©tais pourtant trĂšs actif, sportif et jâavais pratiquĂ© des tas de disciplines. Le fait dâĂȘtre parti un an aux USA a-t-il Ă©tĂ© dĂ©cisif pour devenir pro? La principale raison pour laquelle jâai Ă©tĂ© aux States, câest que depuis mes 8 ans je lisais des magazines de BMX amĂ©ricains et que mon rĂȘve Ă©tait dâaller oĂč le 20 pouces avait commencĂ©. Et puis je venais de terminer lâĂ©cole et je ne savais pas trop ce que je voulais faire comme boulot... Je voulais juste rouler sur mon bike. Jâai eu lâidĂ©e dâĂ©crire Ă un magazine des USA et demander pour ĂȘtre hĂ©bergĂ© dans une famille dâaccueil. Jim Kleinhans de Las Vegas a Ă©tĂ© le seul Ă rĂ©pondre... Enfin, il y a eu aussi deux jeunes filles mais elles nâavaient pas demandĂ© Ă leurs parents (rires). Jim trouvait ça cool dâavoir le champion allemand de BMX pour son team. Il Ă©tait dĂ©tective privĂ© pour des compagnies dâassurance mais rĂȘvait dâĂȘtre manager dâun bon team de BMX. Il mâa aidĂ© pour la paperasse de mes Ă©tudes et mâa laissĂ© une chambre chez lui.
Tes premiers jours au nouveau monde se sont bien passĂ©s? Je connaissais quelques mots dâanglais mais jâĂ©tais assez timide. Heureusement quand tu as un centre dâintĂ©rĂȘt en commun avec de gens tu fais vite connaissance. CâĂ©tait bizarre de rencontrer «papa et maman des USA». Ils Ă©taient assez typiques, pour ne pas dire marginaux. La fille de 19 ans Ă©tait enceinte et se faisait tabasser par son mec. Ils avaient un chien complĂštement dingue aprĂšs quâils lâaient oubliĂ© quelques jours dans le garage. Il chiait au milieu du salon. CâĂ©tait pas si terrible que ça au final, ça restait des gens sympas mĂȘme si ça me changeait radicalement de ma vie berlinoise. Puis ils mâont aidĂ© Ă venir aux States et je ridais pour le team de Jim appelĂ© Herdas Killer Bees. Facile pour un jeune Allemand de se faire des amis? A travers le bike jâai eu rapidement des amis et la scĂšne BMX Race de Vegas Ă©tait cool. La ville Ă©tait Ă©trange Ă mes yeux et je me sentais perdu dans une universitĂ© de plus de 3000 Ă©tudiants. CâĂ©tait impersonnel et je nâaimais pas trop. Dâun autre cĂŽtĂ© les amĂ©ricains Ă©taient amicaux et câĂ©tait plus facile de discuter avec les inconnus quâen Allemagne. Leur culture Ă©tait nouvelle pour moi et quand je rentrais dans un magasin et que quelquâun me demandait comment ça allait lorsque jâentrais dans un magasin, je rĂ©pondais des trucs du genre «bof, jâai mal dormi cette nuit». Je pensais quâils voulaient vraiment savoir comment jâallais alors quâil fallait juste rĂ©pondre «trĂšs bien et vous?» (Rires) Et aprĂšs cette annĂ©e aux USA? Jâavais appris Ă©normĂ©ment en roulant lĂ -bas. Tellement de pistes et tellement de courses. Jâallais Ă lâunif Ă vĂ©lo parce que je nâaimais pas les bus scolaires. CâĂ©tait un bon entraĂźnement. Puis chaque jour jâavais cours de sport et dâhaltĂ©rophilie. Jâavais eu le choix entre des maths ou soulever des poids, jâai donc soulevĂ© des poids. (rires) AprĂšs les cours il nây avait pas grand chose Ă faire dans la ville du pĂȘchĂ© et dans le dĂ©sert qui lâentourait... Ă part rider. Las Vegas Ă©tait sympa niveau BMX, deux pistes de race et quelques spot de dirt oĂč je roulais avec TJ Lavin
et dâautres locaux. A lâĂ©poque le dirt nâĂ©tait pas encore une discipline en soi. CâĂ©tait plus un moyen de faire le show entre les courses pour des pilotes comme Brian Foster, Fuzzy Hall, Chris Moller, Robbie Morales. Mais bien sĂ»r les riders jumpaient pour le fun sur les trails. Voir Ă quel point Brian Foster avait du style et une maĂźtrise de son bike lors de ses dĂ©mos mâa vraiment ouvert les yeux. ConfrontĂ© Ă des racers tout en muscle, il pouvait les passer dans les sections rythmĂ©es et finalement gagner face Ă des gars au physique bien plus sportif. TJ Lavin et moi Ă©tions dans le mĂȘme team de race. Le team Killer Bees ne pouvait plus payer mes nombreux dĂ©placements et jâai donc switchĂ© pour les Herdas Hot Shots, un team dĂ©tenu par un patron dâun magasin dâĂ©lectronique un peu dingue. Il avait deux fils qui roulaient en BMX et avait les moyens de monter un team. Il avait rachetĂ© un vieil autocar et on a ainsi parcouru lâAmĂ©rique pour se rendre sur des courses. TJ nâĂ©tait pas super rapide mais excellent dans les sauts. Le voir rider de cette façon mâa montrĂ© ce quâil Ă©tait possible de faire et ça mâa motivĂ© Ă mort.On est aussi passĂ© par le cĂ©lĂšbre spot californien appelĂ© Sheep Hills. On a logĂ© dans une maison oĂč vivaient beaucoup de pros dont on Ă©tait fans. Pour des jeunes comme nous câĂ©tait gĂ©nial de cĂŽtoyer des gars quâon connaissait par les magazines depuis quâon Ă©tait gosses. Voir ce que TJ rĂ©alisa en BMX grĂące Ă la motivation que tout cela nous avait apportĂ©e est vraiment cool. Rouler sur tous ces trails, ces pistes Ă travers les USA mâa permis dâavoir une bonne maĂźtrise de mon bike et dâacquĂ©rir les bonnes techniques de course. De retour chez moi ce bagage mâa Ă©normĂ©ment aidĂ© lors des contests de dirt.En parlant de contests, quand et pourquoi tâes-tu plus focalisĂ© sur le freestyle? De retour des States, la scĂšne bmx race allemande mâa parue un peu ennuyeuse avec ces pistes, ces parents et ces juges assez coincĂ©s. En 96 je suis allĂ© aux BMX Worlds de Cologne et ce fut vraiment un tout bon moment. Le contest de dirt mâa permis dâavoir ma premiĂšre cover dans un magazine (Freedom BMX mag). Quand jâai vu ça chez
issue #15 - 37 /100
Photoâ:Timo personnal collection
le libraire jâĂ©tais super excitĂ© et ça mâa encore donnĂ© plus de courage pour persĂ©vĂ©rer. Et quand as-tu rĂ©alisĂ© que tu voulais en faire ton job? En Allemagne jâai travaillĂ© un peu comme facteur (sur un vĂ©lo bien sur!) ce qui mâa confrontĂ© Ă la vie professionnelle «normale». Ca mâa motivĂ© Ă gagner ma vie en faisant plutĂŽt mon hobby favori. Quand je suis devenu champion du monde de dirt, jâai su que ça pouvait vraiment ĂȘtre mon job. Au dĂ©part je ne gagnais pas grand chose en tant que BMXer pro mais heureusement jâai eu quelques contrats Ă la tĂ©lĂ©vision. Notamment six mois dans le plus grand feuilleton allemand de lâĂ©poque. Je jouais le rĂŽle dâun «mĂ©chant» dans un gang de riders. CâĂ©tait bien payĂ© pour faire des bunny up et des wheelings. Ensuite les choses ce sont enchaĂźnĂ©es lâune aprĂšs lâautre. Quels magazines lisais-tu quand tu Ă©tais gamin? A un moment jâai dĂ» lire au moins six magazines diffĂ©rents par mois! Je dĂ©pensais tout mon argent de poche lĂ -dedans. Il y avait deux mags allemands: BMX Speed et BMX Speed Spezial. Le copain amĂ©ricain de ma soeur me passait des BMX Plus et BMX Action. Jâadorais BMX Action car câĂ©tait le premier magazine qui montrait le 20 pouces de la bonne façon. Actuellement je lis les magazines anglais Dig BMX et Dirt. Jâaimais beaucoup Cream quand Manu Sanz Ă©tait aux commandes. Des amis Ă moi ont lancĂ© un magazine de bmx appelĂ© «Zwanzig Zoll» et je les ai aidĂ©s un peu au dĂ©but. En fait je prĂ©fĂšre avoir une revue dans mes mains mĂȘme si pour les news fraĂźches internet a changĂ© la donne. On passe dĂ©jĂ trop de temps devant les Ă©crans, alors câest bien mieux de lire une bonne interview ou un article avec un beau graphisme sur papier. Quand as-tu commencĂ© le mountain bike? Jâai eu un VTT assez tĂŽt et jâai mĂȘme fait une course de cross-country quand jâavais 15 ans, mais mon premier event de 4X et de saut en VTT câĂ©tait en 1996 Ă Riva del Garda. Un de mes sponsors, GT, aimait beaucoup que je roule en VTT lors de festivals de bike. A lâĂ©poque trĂšs peu
issue #15 - 38 /100
de mountainbikers Ă©taient bons en saut donc câĂ©tait facile de se faire remarquer et dâainsi rendre ses sponsors contents. Et tu continues Ă rouler en BMX? Je nâai pas roulĂ© en BMX depuis longtemps parce que ça me perturbait dâalterner mais je veux me remonter un 20 pouces pour rouler sur les trails et peut-ĂȘtre mĂȘme participer Ă une course pour le fun. Les blessures font parties de la vie dâun rider. Tu le prends comment? Il faut faire avec. Jâai eu des tas de crash et ça mâa appris Ă©normĂ©ment sur mon corps. Maintenant je sais me prĂ©parer et jâai de bons soigneurs naturels (OstĂ©opathe, homĂ©opathe,...). Je fais un max pour rester en forme et en bonne santĂ©. Le yoga est une part importante de ma vie depuis 6 ans car il mâaide Ă me sentir mieux en gĂ©nĂ©ral et mâa permis de soigner de vieilles blessures. Voir des amis Ă soi gravement blessĂ©s nâest vraiment pas facile. Jâen ai quatre qui sont en chaise roulante. Je souhaite que plus de riders comprennent quelles sont les consĂ©quences physiques de grosses chutes. Câest tellement important dâapprendre Ă Ă©couter son propre corps. Quand on veut pouvoir faire de la compĂ©tition de haut niveau pendant longtemps il faut sâentretenir, faire du stretching, savoir quoi faire aprĂšs une chute et connaĂźtre de bons soigneurs. Câest important dâĂ©couter ses tripes, connaĂźtre ses limites! Par exemple, quand on a roulĂ© une journĂ©e entiĂšre et que des potes nous poussent Ă tenter un nouveau trick ou quand lors dâun contest on tente quelque chose de nouveau sur un module foireux juste parce quâon est chauffĂ© Ă mort... dâexpĂ©rience je sais que câest lĂ quâon se blesse. Quand tu prends ton pied sur ton bike et que tu Ă©coutes ton corps, tout roule nickel. Quand on est blessĂ© il faut prendre tout le temps et les mesures nĂ©cessaires pour aller mieux. Ca va de la bonne alimentation Ă la natation en passant par les Ă©tirements.Il faut se rendre compte que rouler Ă haut niveau câest brutal. En moyenne 16 contests par an, tourner des vidĂ©os oĂč on se donne Ă 100%... dans ces conditions avoir quelques commotions et gros crash chaque annĂ©e
et une grosse blessure tous les 2 ans est plutĂŽt normal. Câest encore plus risquĂ© avec les nouveaux gros tricks comme les double flips ou triple whips et les Ă©normes drops sur la ligne dâarrivĂ©e comme au Crankworx oĂč, pour ĂȘtre sur le podium, il faut absolument rentrer un trick en se rĂ©ceptionnant 9 mĂštres plus bas. Je suis content que le casque intĂ©gral soit maintenant obligatoire sur les manches Gold et Diamond du FMB World Tour. Il faut ressentir la peur! Si on ne la sent pas câest quâon nâest pas conscient de ses propres limites. Il mâest arrivĂ© de ne plus la ressentir comme quand je passais entiĂšrement la box Ă Whistler. Avec le recul, câĂ©tait dingue car je roulais sous antidouleurs depuis 2 ans Ă cause de douleurs dans le dos quâaucun mĂ©decin ne pouvait guĂ©rir. JâĂ©tais Ă la limite! Juste aprĂšs, suite Ă la fin dâune relation longue de 6 ans, je suis parti voyager en emportant avec moi cette douleur dorsale. Un trip en Asie durant lequel jâai dĂ©couvert le yoga et des mĂ©decins traditionnesl qui mâont libĂ©rĂ© de ces problĂšmes de santĂ©. Si tu avais un fils, tu aimerais quâil suive la mĂȘme voie que toi? On peut poser la question diffĂ©remment! Veux-tu que ton fils ait une fracture du crane, la rate explosĂ©e, un rein dĂ©chirĂ©, 3 fois une fracture du pied et la dĂ©chirure des ligaments, fracture de la clavicule et dâun doigt, ligaments croisĂ©s antĂ©rieurs du genou dĂ©chirĂ©s, chevilles et genoux foulĂ©s, douleurs dorsales et environs 50 commotions ou blessures Ă la tĂȘte??! Je pense que nâimporte quel pĂšre dirait non! Je voudrais juste que mon enfant passe du bon temps sans quâil nâait de pression pour dĂ©cider ce quâil voudrait faire de sa vie. Etre un rider pro est un super job mais avec des cĂŽtĂ©s nĂ©gatifs. En descente câest courant que les pilotes soient entourĂ©s de coach, quâils aient des massages tout le temps, par contre en freeride ou en dirt on est souvent seul face Ă la pression. Câest lourd Ă porter dâĂȘtre pro. Beaucoup nâont pas terminĂ© leur scolaritĂ© et ont toujours Ă lâesprit que leur carriĂšre peut sâarrĂȘter du jour au lendemain. On peut par exemple parler dâun grand nom du freeride qui
Photosâ: Viktor Strasse
avait un contrat en or avec une grande marque, il a achetĂ© une belle maison et une belle bagnole Ă crĂ©dit puis son sponsor a dĂ©cidĂ© de le jeter car câĂ©tait plus intĂ©ressant de mettre beaucoup dâargent dans une Ă©quipe cycliste de route quâun budget moindre dans le freeride. Maintenant ce rider a une grosse pression sur les Ă©paules et ne roule plus vraiment en se faisant plaisir comme avant mais plutĂŽt pour remporter des prize money. Comment faire pour ĂȘtre un bon pro? Aimer ce quâon fait! Respecter les autres, ne pas parler avec un ego dĂ©mesurĂ© juste parce quâon est pro. Puis comprendre quâil faut bosser, sâorganiser et communiquer... pas seulement rouler sur son bike.Je vois parfois des gars qui ne sont pas trĂšs cool mais qui roulent bien. Ca peut marcher pendant un court laps de temps mais le mauvais karma finit toujours par te rattraper! Je reçois des mails de kids dont les parents veulent Ă tout prix quâils finissent lâĂ©cole puis entament des Ă©tudes dont ils ne veulent pas. Ces jeunes nâont que le vĂ©lo dans la tĂȘte et me demandent comment jâai fait. Il y a mĂȘme une mĂšre qui sâest fĂąchĂ©e sur moi parce que jâavais mis sur mon site que jâai rĂ©ussi en dehors du systĂšme scolaire classique et que jâavais continuĂ© Ă apprendre. Elle disait quâen Ă©crivant ça jâencourageais les enfants Ă ne plus aller Ă lâĂ©cole. Je comprends son point de vue mais je nâai fait que raconter mon cas et je continue Ă penser que quand on veut profondĂ©ment quelque chose, les rĂȘves peuvent se rĂ©aliser. Le truc câest que beaucoup de riders roulent bien mais ne savent pas que câest juste la moitiĂ© du boulot. Quand on sâoccupe de sa propre organisation, quâon aide sur des events, quâon apprend comment fonctionnent les marques de vĂ©lo, en fait on se prĂ©pare alors Ă gĂ©rer son aprĂšs-carriĂšre. Les sponsors nâont pas de temps Ă perdre en babysitting de riders! Il faut se prendre en charge. Peux-tu imaginer ta vie sans le bike? Quâauraistu fais comme job? Surement pas un job oĂč on est assis devant un ordinateur ou Ă sâoccuper de choses futiles. Jâaurais sans doute Ă©tĂ© soigneur ou prof de yoga. Un boulot oĂč on aide les gens et oĂč lâon a du feedback.
Penses-tu que les choses sont plus faciles pour les jeunes pros dâaujourdâhui? Oui et non. Quand jâai commencĂ© câĂ©tait des tricks du genre one hand ou one foot, maintenant les kids matent les vidĂ©os sur le net et commencent par des tailwhips avant de maĂźtriser le tabletop. Le bac Ă mousse aide beaucoup pour les nouveaux mouvements mais faire des gros tricks avant de savoir faire un manual ce nâest pas bon. Je pense quâil faut dâabord apprendre Ă contrĂŽler son bike. Ce fĂ»t facile pour moi dans le VTT car le freeride Ă©tait Ă ses dĂ©buts. Maintenant pour se faire un nom et se dĂ©marquer il faut vraiment bosser plus dur. Quel a Ă©tĂ© le plus gros changement dans ta vie quand tu es passĂ© pro? Jâai Ă©tĂ© super heureux de voir quâaprĂšs avoir Ă©tĂ© fan de riders dont je voulais des stickers ou des autographes, câĂ©tait Ă mon tour dâĂȘtre Ă leur place. Câest gĂ©nial de suivre son instinct et faire ce quâon veut de sa vie! Pour moi le plus compliquĂ© a Ă©tĂ© de continuer Ă rouler en mâamusant parce quâaprĂšs le titre de champion du monde la pression fĂ»t Ă©norme. Sans oublier mes nombreuses blessures et le fait de voir des amis salement amochĂ©s.
quel point tout ça peut mettre la pression.Je suis donc le manager du team Scott Voltage, jâai un team de BMX et je gĂšre Atmosfair, ma compagnie de vĂȘtements. Tu te vois sur un bike Ă 50 ou 60 ans? Dâoffice! Jâaimerai toujours rouler et laisser la voiture au parking mais par contre pour les grosses doubles Ă 60 ans ce sera sans moi. Je me vois bien avec mes enfants sur un pumptrack pour leur montrer comment ça se passe! Peux-tu nous faire un rĂ©sumĂ© de ta saison? Câest la seconde saison oĂč jâai dĂ» annuler la plupart de mes participations aux compĂ©titions car je rĂ©alise que jâai 33 ans avec 15 ans de carriĂšre et que je nâai plus la motivation de me battre contre des riders qui ont la moitiĂ© de mon Ăąge. Mon corps aussi dit stop ! Sans cela je continuerais car je suis compĂ©titeur dans lâĂąme. Jâai eu beaucoup de grosses blessures puis mon systĂšme immunitaire a dĂ©veloppĂ© des allergies, tout ça parce que jâĂ©tais toujours Ă la limite et que jây allais fort. Câest pas un boulot avec des horaires de fonctionnaire quoi ! Je ne suis pas encore complĂštement foutu mais je ne veux plus rouler sur des contests. Vous me verrez encore envoyer du lourd quand mĂȘme !
«âMon vĂ©lo mâa emmenĂ© lĂ oĂč lâĂ©cole nâaurait pas pu !â»
Avec tous ces voyages, tu as bien un endroit qui tâa marquĂ©? Ton meilleur souvenir sur un bike câest quoi? Il y en a tant ! Quand lâassociation «Make a wish» mâa contactĂ© ça mâa chamboulĂ©. Un enfant gravement malade avait comme rĂȘve de passer une journĂ©e Ă rouler avec moi. CâĂ©tait vraiment une belle expĂ©rience !
Tu es maintenant team manager chez Scott et tu as ta propre marque de fringue! Câest gĂ©nial! Peuxtu nous expliquer comment ça se passe? Je me sens bien dans ces rĂŽles. Je connais parfaitement la vie dâun rider et je peux maintenant guider les nouveaux talents dans la façon dâaborder leur carriĂšre. Beaucoup de jeunes pilotes qui sont au top font des vidĂ©os, des sessions photo, participent Ă des compĂštes, doivent gĂ©rer argent et contrats, faire avec des blessures, des craintes et la jalousie des autres,... je sais personnellement Ă
Jâaime beaucoup la phrase: Mon vĂ©lo mâa emmenĂ© lĂ ou lâĂ©cole nâaurait pas pu ! Câest tellement vrai. Australie, Canada, Panama,... câĂ©tait trĂšs cool mais il ne faut pas forcĂ©ment aller si loin. Parfois une session avec ses potes oĂč tu ne fais quâun avec ton bike et oĂč tout te semble fluide câest le top. Il nây a pas de grosse montagne autour de ta ville. Tu roulais oĂč Ă tes dĂ©buts? Quand jâĂ©tais tout jeune jâallais principalement
issue #15 - 39 /100
Photoâ:Timo personnal collection
sur deux pistes de race de Berlin mais jâĂ©tais toujours Ă la recherche de nouveau spots ou je construisais des bosses dans les terrains vagues. Maintenant je roule avec des bmxers au spot Mellowpark ou au Gym trail de Berlin. Je ne roule pas souvent Ă la montagne mĂȘme si jâadore des endroits comme Hafjell en NorvĂšge ou W histler. Je me rappelle quand je suis montĂ© pour la premiĂšre fois sur un vĂ©lo tout suspendu, je me demandais comment jâallais pouvoir sauter avec ça mais au final câest venu naturellement. Je vais rouler plus en full maintenant que les contests de dirt ne mâintĂ©ressent plus et que je vais me consacrer au freeride.
«âLe mauvais karma finit toujours par te rattraper!â»
Ta journĂ©e type câest quoi? Jâaime commencer ma journĂ©e par des exercices de yoga plutĂŽt que de commencer directement Ă bosser. Quand la mĂ©tĂ©o est pourrie sur Berlin je ne roule pas beaucoup mais je fais du sport tous les jours, fitness, natation, etc. Il y a aussi un pumptrack gĂ©nial que Joscha Forstreuter a construit prĂšs de ma maison. On peut y rouler mĂȘme en hiver. A la maison, je passe du temps avec ma femme bien sĂ»r mais sinon jâai pas mal de boulot administratif Ă faire ou alors gĂ©rer ma communication sur le web et dans les mĂ©dias. Quand il fait beau je roule sur les trails autour de Berlin ou je fais un peu de route. Jâai un style de vie assez sain.
issue #15 - 40 /100
Photoâ: Viktor Strasse
Tu as Ă©tĂ© rĂ©cemment en Chine pour battre un record. Câest quoi lâhistoire? La vidĂ©o du show du Guinness book en 2000 avec Jesus Fuentes et moi a fait 2.000.000 de vues sur Youtube ! 8 ans plus tard une chinoise mâa invitĂ© pour un show du genre Ă PĂ©kin. Au dĂ©but elle voulait aussi trouver un r ider chinois pour se mesurer Ă moi mais elle nây est pas arrivĂ©e. Câest finalement mon pote Joscha Forstreuter qui mâa accompagnĂ© avec le photographe Viktor Strasse et le cameraman Vincent Saccomani. Quand tu vas passer deux semaines entiĂšres avec des gens câest important de les apprĂ©cier. CâĂ©tait une belle expĂ©rience ce trip en Chine. Lâoccasion de pleins de rencontres. On aurait pu sauter encore plus haut lors du show mais les chinois Ă©taient tellement contents quand on ait battu le prĂ©cĂ©dent record quâon nâa pas Ă©tĂ© plus loin. On a Ă©tĂ© Ă 5,20m et on est revenu avec 2 mĂ©dailles dâor. Ca donnait bien sur le papier ! 60 millions de chinois ont regardĂ© ce show Ă la tĂ©lĂ©vision. Vous pouvez voir le flipbook de ce voyage sur mon blog et les vidĂ©os sur ma page Facebook. Quel Ă©tait ton rĂȘve dâenfant? Lâas-tu rĂ©alisĂ©? Oui je suis encore en train de le vivre ! Tout a commencĂ© sur mon petit spot local en 1983 aprĂšs avoir vu des gamins plus ĂągĂ©s faire un duel de wheeling ! Petit Ă petit mon rĂȘve est devenu rĂ©alitĂ©: mon premier wheeling, mon premier trophĂ©e de race, ma premiĂšre photo dans un magazine, mon premier sponsor et puis mon titre de champion dâA llemagne de BMX race, dirt et street. Au final je suis reconnu dans toute lâindustrie du vĂ©lo. Gagner des choses matĂ©rielles ne rend pas forcĂ©ment heureux. Il y a des choses bien plus importantes : la santĂ©, la famille et lâamour. Je suis heureux dâapprendre des choses Ă propos de la vie et jâespĂšre ĂȘtre un bon exemple dans ce que je fais. Ca mâimpressionne toujours de voir que lorsque lâon souhaite quelque chose de tout son coeur on peut le rĂ©aliser. A lors mettez vous des objectifs ! Tout est possible !
Y-a-tâil des gens qui tâont aidĂ© tout au long de ta carriĂšre et que tu souhaites remercier? Evidemment mes parents qui mâont soutenu dĂšs mes dĂ©buts en bmx race et qui mâon conduit Ă toutes ces courses. Je veux remercier Marko Mantey et le Air Team Crew qui mâa entraĂźnĂ© en race puis qui a organisĂ© des dĂ©mos et des events comme lâEuropean King of Dirt. Il mâa toujours impliquĂ© dans tout ça et ça mâa appris beaucoup. Habiter avec TJ Lavin pendant un bon moment Ă Las Vegas mâa montrĂ© ce qui Ă©tait possible de faire et ça mâa motivĂ© Ă©normĂ©ment. Ca fait 10 ans que je roule pour Scott, Oakley et Sram ! Donc un tout grand merci Ă ces sponsors pour leur soutien durant toutes ces annĂ©es ! Sans oublier TSG, Schwalbe, A Class, et KT Leasing mon sponsor de vĂ©hicule.
Photo: Jason Sellers BMX | FIXED GEAR | URBAN BIKES SUPPLIER
W W W.T R A F F I C - D I S T R I B U T I O N . C O M
PhotoĂą€‰: BFF London 2008 Press screening
issue #15 - 42 /100
Photo Credit: Paul Calver
Illustration: Food
Think about films of cyclists and the first things that tend to come to mind are images of stuntmen acing tricky manoeuvres, BMXers burning up the dirt, or kamikaze couriers. However, thereâs much more to the bicycle on the silver screen than the sort of high-octane footage thatâs only of interest to hardcore cycling fans. Thatâs what the Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) sets out to demonstrate. The BFF, which is touring all of the European capitals as well as the USA, enjoys cult status in the international cycling community, bringing together riders of all types, as well as fans of films, shorts and documentaries, to enjoy a programme where the bicycle is very much the star.
Quand on pense film et vĂ©lo, on a vite en tĂȘte des images de cascadeurs sur vĂ©lo tout mou, de bmxers tricotants, ou des messengers kamikazes. Un film âdeâ ou âavec desâ vĂ©los peut ĂȘtre tout autre chose quâune histoire de sensations fortes rĂ©servĂ©es aux fan de la bicyclette . Câest ce que le Bicycle Film Festival vous exposera en passant pas toutes les capitales europĂ©ennes et les Etats-Unis. Veritable culte dans le milieu du deux roues, le BFF rĂ©unira les riders de tous les genres ainsi que les amateurs du 7eme art, des courts mĂ©trages, des essais⊠Et mettra le deux -roues en tĂȘte dâaffiche.
issue #15 - 43 /100
Photoâ: Ben Wilsonâs Swarovski Bike @ The Barbican Centre, BFF London
issue #15 - 44 /100
bike, art and screening bicycle film festival Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com Jonathan Borms BFF, Chris Thormann, Selim Korycki
For all the people who don't know the concept of the Bicycle Film Festival, could you explain it? The BFF started 11 years ago, when Brendt Barbur, the festival founding director, was hit by a bus while riding his bike in New York City. He wanted to turn his negative experience into a positive one, and created the Bicycle Film Festival. now launching it's 11th season, the BFF goes to over 25 cities around the world. It is a festival that celebrates cycling through art, music, fashion, parties, and of course film. We incorporate all types of cycling into the festival and feel that the BFF has been a huge catalyst for urban cycling around the world. It is also a chance to bring all types of cyclists together, on a common ground. What is your main visitors ? Bikers, art lovers ? The festival's core audience over the years is cyclists, but more and more we have seen a huge growth of arts and cultural attendees, artists, designers, and more. The BFF has been very successful in attracting a wide and varied audience, from all demographics, and we are excited to watch the audience trend continue. We have done events in London to continue to encourage audience growth, including family events, and women's specific events. Do you organise other events beside the bff ? My main work for the year is for the BFF, and the events that are part of the festival, including the Art Show, Roller Race, Parties, bike rides, and concerts. Outside of the BFF I have worked for a variety of other companies putting on cycling events. Most of my other experience is in the road cycling side of things, and I use that experience to benefit the BFF, and bring the expertise to the event. Do you see a any trend into the movies ? Is there an evolution year by year ? Every year we receive more and more submissions, which is a great thing! The only trend in the movies is that the quality is getting better and better. Its great to see so many people out there making films about cycling. There is a big change in the mobilty in Europe. More and more people are looking for something more ecological and more easy to use in cities which are blocked by cars. Do you feel it through the BFF ?
Yes, over the past 5 years that I have been organising the BFF in London, I have seen the number of cyclists grow exponentially. I think it is a wonderful thing to see so many more people using bikes. In London, the road systems are not entirely sympathetic to cyclists, but we are receiving more support now from the government bodies who work in transportation. Last year London launched their hire bike scheme, and every day I see so many of the bikes in use. Many more people are using cycling as their main form of transport, which is only a positive thing. For the BFF, as the number of cyclists grow, we see the desire for the festival to be in more cities and accommodate a larger audience growing in accordance.
«âthe quality is getting better and betterâ» How many events does the BFF organise in a year ? Do you work by season or do you organise events during the whole year ? We do one BFF per city per year. My main responsibility is the London BFF. This year we also did a BFF in Liverpool, and hope to be able to bring the BFF each year to one UK city outside of London. I also help co-ordinate the other festivals in Europe, and Austin Texas! Last year I helped organise 6 festivals, and had the amazing opportunity to get to participate in the BFF in New York, Vienna, London, Paris, Athens, and Austin. It is a wonderful way to see new cities, as it is an instant access into the wonderful cycling communities in all of the places. Laura, you are a girl working into the underground art & bike culture. Is it easy for you to get consideration in this male dominant niche ? Being a woman working in cycling has had it's perks and downfalls. It isn't always easy to work especially in the sporting side of cycling, which is very heavily male dominated, there have been times where I have felt like the minority voice. Yet I think that being a woman working in cycling has also given me the advantage of standing out amongst the crowd, and the oppor-
issue #15 - 45 /100
Photoâ: Behind the scenes shot of BFF 2010 Film Line of Sight
Photo Credit: Chris Thormann
tunities that has afforded me far surpass any downfalls. I think the more important thing, in any industry, regardless of gender, is to be confident and 100% passionate about the work you are doing, and you will have the greatest results.
audience because we have a wide range of active communities in the city. The rich road cycling legacy in the UK is hugely supported at the festival, as it is the biggest bike polo scene in europe. We have had over 300 BMX'ers out for our street jams, and strong numbers of fixed gear riders for the alleycats and fixed trick competitions as well.
You receive artists' submissions all year long. Is there any girls behind the camera ? We have had many films made by women, and also feature women artists in the BFF JOY RIDE art show. A few of our female artists include Agathe Snow, Julia Chiang, and street artist Swoon. We have many films each year made by women for the festival as well, you will have to come to the 2011 festival to see them!
How do you see the future of the BFF ? I see the BFF continuing to grow more and more as years go on, and hopefully we will have the ability to reach out and encourage cycling in all corners of the world. Over the years we have seen more and more people approach the BFF when desiring to make a film around cycling for a multitude of purposes, and I also see the BFF's ability to be a production house grow. Overall, I think the BFF will continue to be one of the strongest global advocates for urban cycling, and continue to encourage many more people to ride a bike.
Are you riding too ? Yes, I ride my bike everywhere. At this point I own 4 bikes, a dutch town bike that is my beater, a Brompton Folder, which is a blessing for travelling with the bike, my fixed wheel bike, and my road bike. Each bike has its own purpose, now if only I had more storage for them in my flat... Which community is the most active into movies and visual research ? Mountain bike, bmx, track,⊠? We have a very even mix of attendees at the festival, and the audience actually varies city to city. In New York, where the festival was born, we have huge support from the very active messenger community there. In Austin, we had a huge turnout from the BMX scene. In London we have a really mixed crowds across the board, as we reach out to all the tribes, putting on events for all types of cyclists. London is interesting as far as issue #15 - 46 /100
And about the creativity around the movies ? The beauty of the open submissions of the BFF is that it encourages personal creativity when making the films. I hope that everyone that comes to the BFF is inspired to go out in the world and create their own masterpiece for the next year's festival. A last word ? Bicycle Film Festival London: October 5-9, 2011. www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/london
Photoâ: Film Still from Benny Zenga and Brian Vernorâs Feature for the BFF, Where are you Go.
Pourrais-tu expliquer le Bicycle Film Festival Ă tous les gens qui ne le connaissent pas? Le BBF a commencĂ© il y a onze ans, lorsque Brendt Barbur (le directeur et fondateur du festival) fut renversĂ© par une bus en roulant Ă NYC. Il a voulu tourner son expĂ©rience nĂ©gative positivement et a crĂ©Ă© le Bicycle Film Festival. A sa onziĂšme saison, le festival a lieu dans plus de 25 villes dans le monde entier. Câest un festival qui cĂ©lĂšbre le bike par lâart, la musique, la mode, les soirĂ©es et bien sĂ»r le cinema. Le festival inclut tous les types de cyclisme et on sent quâil a Ă©tĂ© un Ă©norme catalyseur pour le cyclisme urbain. Câest Ă©galement lâoccasion de rĂ©unir des genres de cyclistes ensemble par un point en commun. Quels sont vos principaux visiteurs? Bikers, art lovers? Au fil des ans, notre principale audience sont les cyclistes mais on voit le nombre de participants culturels, artistiques, etc augmenter de plus en plus. On a vraiment rĂ©ussi Ă attirer un public large et variĂ©, de tous les continents, et on est impatient de voir le tableau dâaudience continuer Ă grimper. Afin dâencourager cela, nous avons fait des events Ă Londres, notamment des Ă©vĂ©nements familiaux et dâautres centrĂ©s sur les femmes. Organises-tu des Ă©vĂ©nements en dehors du BFF? Ma principale activitĂ© cette annĂ©e est le BFF et les Ă©vĂ©nements qui en font partie dont le Art Show, la Roller Race, les soirĂ©es et les concerts. En dehors du BFF, jâai travaillĂ© pour diffĂ©rentes compagnies mettant en avant les events de bike. La majeure partie de mon expĂ©rience est dans le domaine du «road cycling» et jâutilise ces compĂ©tences au bĂ©nĂ©fice du festival.
Reconnais-tu certaines tendances dans les films? Y a-t-il une Ă©volution dâannĂ©e en annĂ©e? Nous recevons de plus en plus de propositions, ce qui est gĂ©nial! La seule tendance est que la qualitĂ© est de mieux en mieux. Câest excellent de voir tellement de gens qui font des films sur le cyclisme. Il y a un grand changement dans la mobilitĂ© en Europe: de plus en plus de gens recherchent quelque chose de plus Ă©cologique et plus facile Ă utiliser dans les villes embouteillĂ©es. Peux-tu le ressentir dans le BFF? Oui, depuis cinq ans que jâorganise le BFF Ă Londres, jâai vu le nombre de cyclistes augmenter de maniĂšre exponentielle. Je crois que câest une chose merveilleuse de voir de plus en plus de gens utiliser des vĂ©los. A Londres, le systĂšme routier nâest pas complĂštement sympathique envers les cyclistes mais maintenant, nous recevons plus de soutien des administrations publiques en charge du transport. LâannĂ©e passĂ©e, Londres a lancĂ© son projet de location de vĂ©los et chaque jour, je vois tellement de ces vĂ©los en usage. Beaucoup de personne utilisent le cyclisme comme moyen de transport principal, ce qui ne peut ĂȘtre quâune chose positive. Pour le BFF, comme le nombre de bikers augmente, nous avons envie dâexporter le festival dans plus de villes et satisfaire une plus large audience qui sâagrandirait en consĂ©quence. Combien dâevents le BFF organise par an? Travaillez-vous par saisons ou y a-t-il des events organisĂ©s tout au long de lâannĂ©e? On fait un BFF par an et par ville. Ma principale responsabilitĂ© est celui de Londres. Cette annĂ©e, nous en avons aussi fait un Ă Liverpool et nous espĂ©rons
issue #15 - 47 /100
Photo : BFF uk Producer Laura Fletcher
Photo Credit: Selim korycki
ĂȘtre capables dâamener le festival en dehors de Londres, dans une autre ville du Royaume-Uni, une fois par an. Jâaide aussi Ă coordonner les autres festivals en Europe et Ă Austin (Texas)! LâannĂ©e passĂ©e, jâai aidĂ© Ă organiser six festivals et eu lâincroyable opportunitĂ© de participer aux BFF de New York, Vienne, Londres, Paris, AthĂšnes et Austin. Câest une maniĂšre extraordinaire de dĂ©couvrir des nouvelles villes car câest un accĂšs instantanĂ© dans de merveilleuses communautĂ©s de bike de partout. Laura, tu es une fille qui travaille dans lâart underground et la culture bike. Est-ce facile pour toi dâĂȘtre considĂ©rĂ©e dans cet univers dominĂ© par les mecs? Etre une femme travaillant dans le cyclisme a ses avantages et ses inconvĂ©nients. Ce nâest pas toujours facile dây travailler, spĂ©cialement dans le cĂŽtĂ© sportif du cyclisme qui est trĂšs fort dominĂ© par les hommes. Il y a eu des moments oĂč je me suis sentie comme la minoritĂ©. Mais je pense quâĂȘtre une femme dans ce milieu mâa aussi donnĂ© lâavantage de me dĂ©tacher de la foule et les avantages des opportunitĂ©s qui mâont Ă©tĂ© donnĂ©es dĂ©passent de loin les inconvĂ©nients. Je crois que la chose la plus importante, dans nâimporte quel business, quâimporte dâĂȘtre homme ou femme, est dâĂȘtre confiant et 100% passionnĂ© par le travail que tu fais et tu auras de super rĂ©sultats. Tu reçois des participations dâartistes toute lâannĂ©e. Y a-t-il des nanas derriĂšre la camera? Nous avons eu pleins de films faits par des femmes et incluons aussi des femmes artistes dans la performance du BFF JOY RIDE. Pour en citer quelques unes: Agathe Snow, Julia Chiang et la street artiste Swoon. Nous avons chaque annĂ©e des films faits par des femmes et vous devez venir au festival pour les voir! Est-ce que tu roules aussi? Oui, je roule Ă vĂ©lo partout. Je possĂšde Ă prĂ©sent quatre bikes: un vĂ©lo hollandais de ville qui est mon beater, un Brompton Folder qui est une bĂ©nĂ©diction pour voyager Ă vĂ©lo, un fixie et mon road bike. Chaque vĂ©lo a son propre usage, si seulement jâavais plus de rangement pour eux dans mon flat...
issue #15 - 48 /100
Photo : BFF London Tricks Comp Photo Credit: Selim korycki
Quelle communautĂ© est la plus active dans le cinema et la recherche visuelle? Mountain bike, bmx, track, ... ? Nous avons un mix de participants trĂšs variĂ©s au festival et le public varie de ville en ville. A New York, oĂč le festival est nĂ©, nous avons un Ă©norme support des messengers, trĂšs actifs lĂ -bas. A Austin, nous avons une grande participation de la scĂšne BMX. A Londres, les spectateurs sont vraiment mĂ©langĂ©s comme nous touchons toutes les niches en mettant en avant des events pour tous les types de cyclistes. Londres est intĂ©ressante du point de vue du public car il y a une large catĂ©gorie de communautĂ©s actives dans la ville. Le riche hĂ©ritage de road cyclisme au Royaume-Uni est extrĂȘmement supportĂ© au festival, comme câest la plus grande scĂšne de bike polo en Europe. Nous avons eu plus de troiscent bmxers pour nos street jams et un grand nombre de riders de fixie pour les alleycats et les compĂ©titions de fixed tricks Ă©galement. Comment vois-tu le futur du BFF? Je vois le BFF grandir dâannĂ©e en annĂ©e et si tout va bien, nous aurons la possibilitĂ© de toucher et dâencourager le cyclisme dans tous les recoins du monde. Par le passĂ©, nous avons vu de plus en plus de gens approcher le festival lorsquâils dĂ©siraient faire un film sur le cyclisme pour une multitude de buts diffĂ©rents et je vois Ă©galement la possibilitĂ© quâa le BFF de devenir une maison de production. Globalement, je pense que le BFF continuera dâĂȘtre lâun des plus forts avocats du cyclisme urbain et continuera Ă encourager bien plus de gens Ă rouler Ă vĂ©lo. Et Ă propos de la crĂ©ativitĂ© des films? La beautĂ© des participations ouvertes du BFF est que cela encourage la crĂ©ativitĂ© personnelle lors de la crĂ©ation de films. JâespĂšre que tous ceux qui viennent au BFF sont inspirĂ©s Ă explorer le monde et Ă crĂ©er leur propre chef-dâoeuvre pour le festival de lâannĂ©e prochaine. Un dernier mot? Bicycle Film Festival London: du 5 au 9 octobre 2011 ! www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/london
STRENGTH NG IN NGTH NUMBERS... Photo: www. horwoodphotography.co.uk www.cosmicbikepolo.wordpress.com
PLAY SAFE, USE CHUKKERS
VELOCITY CHUKKER RIMS, AVAILABLE IN 48, 36 & 32 HOLES AVAILABLE THROUGH BLB BIGMAMA, EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS OF VELOCITY RIMS PROUD SPONSORS OF COSMIC POLO TEAM, LONDONâS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS For trade enquiries email: orders@blbbigmama.co.uk or call: +44 (0)203 022 3002 For all other enquiries email: info@bricklanebikes.co.uk
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: Julien Camellini
Nissan downhill CUP 2011 Maçanet de Cabrenys & Huy
issue #15 - 50 /100
issue #15 - 51 /100
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: ClĂ©ment Andrieu
issue #15 - 52 /100
nissan european downhill cup
viva españaâ! maçanet de cabrenys, spain / 09 & 10.04.2011 Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.x-free.net Christophe Bortels Christophe Bortels
the little village Maçanet de Cabr en ys hosted the fi r st round of the Nissan European Downhill Cup. Spanish r ider Bernat Guardia Pascual took the win. A small paved road, narrow and winding, climbing the hill. A ravine on one side, huge rocks on the other. Then, after a few hundred meters, no more asphalt, just earth and pot holes, and more and more turns. And it keeps on going up. From time to time, a little âNissan Downhill Cupâ sign lets us know that we are still on the right road... Finally, after a good 20 minutes of chaotic climbing and one last struggle with the clutch and the accelerator, we arrive at a wide open grassy area. The weather is mild, itâs peaceful, the scenery is stunning, and we are overtaken by the sweet sensation of being at the very end of the earth. Yet we are not far from civilization at all: we are overlooking the small Spanish village of Maçanet de Cabrenys, at the foot of the Pyrenees and only a few tens of kilometres from Perpignan. This open space is none other than the finish area and the paddocks for the first round of the Nissan European Downhill Cup, which was run at the beginning of April. After touring Italy, France and Belgium in 2010, the second edition of the Nissan European Downhill Cup was actually launched in Spain this year with a race run in conjunction with the third
stage of the Spanish Open, which took place under a blazing sun and temperatures verging on 30 degrees. Out of 250 riders who heeded the call, the majority were Spanish, naturally, but there were also French, Belgians, Swiss, English, Germans and Italians, among whom were some of the greatest names in this sport, such as CĂ©dric Gracia, Julien Camellini, Nico Vink, Fabien Pedemanaud and Floriane Pugin. Along the 2250 m of downhill dropping three hundred metres â most of which was through undergrowth -, riders had to cope with a series of obstacles on a natural and magnificent track: alternating slow/fast sections, many very technical rocky, and often very steep, passageways, follow-throughs and a quick, aerial finish, made even trickier by the omnipresent dust. After a qualifying round run on Sunday
«âthe sweet sensation of being at the very end of the earthâ» morning, dominated by Spaniard Bernat Guardia Pascual, a rider found regularly on the World Cup circuit, one hundred sixty-seven competitors set off in the afternoon final. Having come in a disappointing forty-second in the qualifying round after a big crash on one of the many rocky sections, CĂ©dric Gracia was able to turn it around in the
final, tearing down the track in 2 :28.557 and putting himself into the hot seat for a while. With many tough riders unable to dethrone him, it seemed as if a French victory was possible, but the tenacity of the top Spanish riders, used to riding on this kind of rocky track and in these difficult hot and dusty conditions, was not taken into account. The suspense held until the end: it was not until Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo, one of the last competitors to launch himself into the final, that CĂ©dric Graciaâs time was finally beaten, by a time of 2 :27.067. But the Spaniard was only able to revel in his performance for a brief instant, because setting off immediately after him was the last major competitor: Bernat Guardia Pascual. Beating his qualifying time by nearly a second, the Spaniard also earned the final victory! In fourth place was another Spaniard, Ivan Oulego Moreno, right behind Frenchman Julien Camellini, fifth in this final. Among the women, the race was dominated by the Scott-11 team, Frenchwoman Floriane Pugin picked up the win ahead of her teammate, Emilie Siegenthaler from Switzerland. Vicky Hernandez from Spain completed the podium. Finally, we finish off with good news: the organizers of this European cup have confirmed that the Nissan European Downhill Cup will return to Spain in 2012. OlĂ©!
issue #15 - 53 /100
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: CĂ©dric Gracia
Le petit village espagnol de Maçanet de cabrenys a accueilli au dĂ©but du mois dâavril la premiĂšre manche de la Nissan European Downhill Cup, remportĂ©e par Bernat Guardia Pascual. Une petite route asphaltĂ©e, Ă©troite et sinueuse qui grimpe dans la colline. Ravin dâun cĂŽtĂ©, Ă©normes rochers de lâautre. Puis, aprĂšs quelques centaines de mĂštres, plus dâasphalte, juste de la terre et des nids de poule, et encore des virages, toujours des virages. Et ça monte, encore et encore. De temps Ă autre, un petit panneau « Nissan Downhill Cup » nous confirme pourtant que nous sommes toujours sur le bon chemin⊠Puis enfin, aprĂšs 20 bonnes minutes de montĂ©e chaotique et une derniĂšre lutte avec lâembrayage et lâaccĂ©lĂ©rateur, nous dĂ©barquons dans un large espace dĂ©gagĂ© et herbeux. Il fait doux, il fait calme, le paysage est somptueux, une douce sensation de bout du monde nous envahit. Pourtant nous ne sommes pas trĂšs loin de la civilisation : on surplombe le petit village espagnol de Maçanet de Cabrenys, au pied des PyrĂ©nĂ©es et Ă quelques dizaines de kilomĂštres Ă peine de Perpignan. Et cet espace dĂ©gagĂ© nâest autre que lâaire dâarrivĂ©e et les paddocks de la premiĂšre manche de la Nissan European Downhill Cup qui sâest courue au dĂ©but du mois dâavril. AprĂšs avoir parcouru lâItalie, la France et la Belgique en 2010, la deuxiĂšme Ă©dition de la Nissan European Downhill Cup a en effet dĂ©marrĂ© cette annĂ©e en Espagne par une Ă©preuve qui faisait
issue #15 - 54 /100
Photosâ: Christophe Bortels
course commune avec la troisiĂšme Ă©tape de lâOpen dâEspagne, et qui sâest dĂ©roulĂ©e sous un soleil de plomb et des tempĂ©ratures frĂŽlant les 30 degrĂ©s. Parmi les 250 pilotes ayant rĂ©pondu Ă lâappel, on comptait bien sĂ»r une majoritĂ© dâEspagnols, mais aussi des Français, Belges, SuĂ©dois, Anglais, Allermands ou Italiens, parmi lesquels quelques grands noms de la discipline tels que CĂ©dric Gracia, Julien Camellini, Nico Vink, Fabien Pedemanaud ou encore Floriane Pugin. Au fil des 2250 m de descente pour trois cents mĂštres de dĂ©nivelĂ© - dont la majoritĂ© en sous-bois â, les pilotes ont dĂ» faire face Ă une succession de difficultĂ©s sur une piste naturelle et magnifique : une alternance sections lentes/ sections rapides, de nombreux passages rocheux trĂšs techniques et souvent fort pentus, des portions de relances, et un final rapide et aĂ©rien, le tout rendu encore plus piĂ©geux par la poussiĂšre omniprĂ©sente. AprĂšs une manche de qualification courue le dimanche matin et dominĂ©e par lâEspagnol Bernat Guardia Pascual, pilote que lâon retrouve rĂ©guliĂšrement en Coupe du Monde, cent-soixante-sept concurrents ont pris le dĂ©part de la finale lâaprĂšs-midi. Auteur dâun dĂ©cevant quarante-deuxiĂšme temps en qualifs suite Ă un gros crash dans une des nombreuses sections rocheuses, CĂ©dric Gracia a rectifiĂ© le tir en finale, dĂ©valant la piste en 2:28.557 et sâinstallant du mĂȘme coup dans le hot seat pour un bon moment. De nombreux pilotes coriaces nâayant pas rĂ©ussi Ă le dĂ©trĂŽner, on commençait Ă croire en la possible victoire du Français, mais câĂ©tait sans compter sur la tĂ©nacitĂ© des top pilotes espagnols habituĂ©s Ă rouler sur ce type de piste rocailleuse et dans ces conditions difficiles de chaleur et de poussiĂšre. Le suspense sâest maintenu jusquâau
bout : il aura fallu attendre Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo, lâun des derniers concurrents Ă sâĂ©lancer dans cette finale, pour voir le chrono de CĂ©dric Gracia enfin battu, avec un temps de 2 :27.067. Mais lâEspagnol nâa pu savourer quâun court instant sa performance, car aussitĂŽt aprĂšs lui sâĂ©lançait un dernier concurrent de taille: Bernat Guardia Pascual. AmĂ©liorant de prĂšs dâune seconde son chrono des qualifications, LâEspagnol allait du mĂȘme coup dĂ©crocher la victoire finale ! A la quatriĂšme place, on retrouve un autre espagnol, Ivan Oulego Moreno, juste devant le français Julien Camellini, cinquiĂšme de cette finale. Chez les femmes, la course a Ă©tĂ© dominĂ©e par le team Scott-11, la française Floriane Pugin dĂ©crochant la victoire devant sa coĂ©quipiĂšre, la suissesse Emilie Siegenthaler. LâEspagnole Vicky Hernandez complĂšte le podium. Enfin, terminons par une bonne nouvelle : les organisateurs de cette coupe dâEurope nous lâont confirmĂ©, la Nissan European Downhill Cup reviendra en Espagne en 2012. OlĂ© !
Resultsâ: 1. Bernat Guardia Pascual 2:26.933 2. Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo 2:27.067 3. CĂ©dric Gracia 2:28.557 4. Ivan Oulego Moreno 2:28.712 5. Julien Camellini 2:29.084 6. Edgar Carballo Gonzalez 2:29.619 7. Florent Payet 2:29.825 8. Alexander Kangas 2:29.935 9. Pasqual Canals Flix 2:30.424 10. Cesar Rojo 2:31.031
nissan downhill cup
here huy go huy, belgium / 16 & 17.04.2011 Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.x-free.net Christophe Bortels Christophe Bortels & Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
A week after the kick off of the Nissan European Downhill Cup 2011 in Spain, it was Huy, fi r st rou n d of the Nissa n Downhill Cup, which had the honour of opening the Belgian racing season. W h i l s t t h e 2010 e d i t ion w a s r u n i n Ju l y, i n a h e a t w a v e, t h i s t i m e w e e x p e r ie n c e d a l e s s s t i f l i n g w e e k e n d w i t h m i l d , s u nn y w e a t h e r j u s t t h e s a m e . T h e Hu y t r a c k , f a m o u s l y s h or t b u t v e r y t e c h n ic a l , h a d b e e n on c e a g a i n r e d e s i g n e d for t h e o c c a s i o n a n d m a d e e v e n m o r e d i ff i c u l t . S t e e p s l o p e, d e l i c a t e b a n k s, e lus i v e s t on e s, s l ip p e r y r o o t s a n d du s t g a lore: pit f a l l s were i n abu nd a nc e, t he t r a c k c h a n g e d a b r up t l y a l o n g t h e p a s s a g e s a n d t h e r e w e r e nu m e r o u s f a l l s , p a r t ic u l a rl y i n t he m id d le of t he d e s c e n t wh e r e t h e r e i s a r u n o f c on s id e r a ble s i z e o p e n i n g on a r e a l l y s t e e p s t r a i g h t aw a y a nd ba n ks that a re reeeeeea l ly trick y t o n e g o t i a t e... A s uper-s pe c t a c u l a r c ou rse, a lon g wh ic h a l a rge a nd ent hu si a s tic crowd were gat her e d. For t he 2011 se a son, t he r u n n i n g o f t h e r a c e s r e m a i n s u n c h a n g e d (t w o
qu a l i f y i n g he ats a nd a g ra nd f i n a l for t he f a s tes t t h i r t y r iders f rom t he qu a l i f iers), but t i me s a r e no w r e se t t o z er o for t he g ra nd f i n a l. S o r iders c a n no lon ger rel y on a good t i me m a de i n one of t he qu a l if y i n g he ats t o en s u re t hei r f i n a l res u lts, on l y t he g ra nd f i n a l c ou nts! T e n s i on w a s a t i t s p e a k j u s t b e for e t h e g r a nd f i n a l , i n wh ic h t he r e w e r e a t le a s t f i f teen forei g ners (D utch, G erm a n s, F r e n c h a n d L u x e m b o u rg e r s) o u t o f t h i r t y r i d e r s. A t t h e e n d o f a b e au t i f u l f i n a l h e a t , i t w a s t h e i n e v i t a b l e Ni c o V i n k â who had a l read y f low n th roug h the two q u a l i f y i n g h e a t s w i t h t i m e s o f 1:0 6. 2 2 a n d 1:0 4 .56 -, w h o, t h a n k s t o a s m o o t h a n d e f f i c i e n t r u n , s nu c k i n w i t h a t i m e o f 1:0 4.81, c l i n c h i n g t h e v i c t or y for B e lg i u m ! Ne a rl y t w o a n d t h r e e s e c o n d s , r e s p e c t i v e l y, b e h i n d h i m â s i g n i f i c a n t d i f fe r e n c e s on a c o u r s e s o s h or t! -, w e r e t w o F r e nc h m e n: S i mon C a r don (1:0 6.6 0) a n d Ni c ol a s P a r y (1:0 8.0 6). T he rei g n i n g Bel g i a n ch a mpion, Bert r a n d G i l l e s, f i n i s h e d fo u r t h a n d y o u n g Ni c ol a s M a t h i e u , f i f t h , b o t h i n t h e s a m e s e c o n d a s P a r y. L a s t y e a r âs w i n n e r, K r i s tof L en ssen s, c a me i n si x t h. âIt w a s nâ t a n e a s y w i n , I h a d t o p u s h m y s e l f a bi t!â c on fe s s e d Nic o V i n k a f t e r h i s v ic -
t o r y. â T h e l e v e l o f B e l g i a n r a c i n g h a s g on e up a l o t , a n d t h a tâs a g o o d t h i n g . T h a t for c e s y o u t o g i v e i t y o u r a l l . A n d the new system of resetti ng the ti mes to zero for the g ra nd f i n a l a dds e ven m o r e s u s p e n s e !â T h e r e w i l l m o s t c e r t a i n l y b e s u s p e n s e i n Na mu r a t t h e e n d o f M a y for t h e c om i n g a n d a l r e a d y m e mor a b l e t r ipl e e v e n t: t h e s e c on d r o u n d o f t h e B e l g i a n C up, w h i c h w i l l a l s o a c t a s the second rou nd of the Nissa n Eu rop e a n D o w n h i l l C up, n o t t o m e n t i on t h e E u r o p e a n K i n g o f S lo p e s t yl e, t h e s e c on d s t a g e o f t h e Wa l l R i d e T o u r, on t h e e s pl a n a d e o f t h e C i t a d e l !
Resultsâ: 1. Nico Vink 1:04.81 2. Simon Cardon 1:06.60 3. Nicolas Pary 1:08.06 4. Bertrand Gilles 1:08.24 5. Nicolas Mathieu 1:08.44 6. Kristof Lenssens 1.08.69 7. Jonas Winnelinckx 1.09.74 8. Jacques Bouvet 1:09.80 9. LĂ©o Combee 1:10.04 10. Jony Van Meirvenne 1:10.89
issue #15 - 55 /100
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm - riderâ: Andreas Chronz
Une semaine aprĂšs le lancement de la Nissan European Downhill Cup 2011 en Espagne, câest Huy, premiĂšre manche de la Nissan Downhill Cup, qui a eu lâhonneur dâouvrir la saison des courses belges. Si lâĂ©dition 2010 sâĂ©tait courue en juillet et sous une chaleur accablante, on a cette fois vĂ©cu un week-end moins Ă©touffant mais dans la douceur et sous le soleil malgrĂ© tout. La piste de Huy, rĂ©putĂ©e courte mais trĂšs technique, avait pour lâoccasion Ă©tĂ© Ă nouveau remaniĂ©e et rendue plus difficile encore. Pente raide, dĂ©vers dĂ©licats, pierres fuyantes, racines glissantes et poussiĂšre Ă foison : les piĂšges ne manquaient pas, la piste se modifiait fortement au fil des passages et les chutes ont Ă©tĂ© trĂšs nombreuses, notamment en milieu de descente oĂč on retrouvait une marche de dimension trĂšs respectable lançant dans un droite bien pentu et en dĂ©vers trÚÚÚÚs dĂ©licat Ă nĂ©gocier... Une piste ultra-spectaculaire donc, sur le bord de laquelle se pressait un public nombreux et enthousiaste. Pour cette saison 2011, le dĂ©roulement des courses demeure inchangĂ©
issue #15 - 56 /100
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: Nico Vink
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm - riderâ: Bob Garnie
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: Johnny Magis
(deux manches qualificatives et une super-finale rĂ©unissant les trente pilotes les plus rapides des qualifs), mais les chronos sont Ă prĂ©sent remis Ă zĂ©ro pour la super-finale. Il nâest donc plus question de se reposer sur un bon temps rĂ©alisĂ© lors dâune des manches de qualifications pour assurer son rĂ©sultat final, seule la super-finale compteâ!
1:04.56 -, qui grĂące Ă un run fluide et efficace dont il a le secret allait signer un temps de 1:04.81, synonyme de victoire pour le Belge ! DerriĂšre lui et Ă respectivement prĂšs de deux et trois secondes - des Ă©carts importants sur une piste si courte ! -, on retrouve deux français : Simon Cardon (1:06.60) et Nicolas Pary (1:08.06). Le champion de Belgique en titre Bertrand Gilles termine quatriĂšme et le jeune Nicolas Mathieu cinquiĂšme, tous deux dans la mĂȘme seconde que Pary. Kristof Lenssens, vainqueur lâannĂ©e derniĂšre, dĂ©croche quant Ă lui la sixiĂšme place. âCa nâa pas vraiment Ă©tĂ© une victoire facile, jâai dĂ» un peu pousser !â confiait Nico Vink aprĂšs sa victoire. âLe niveau a beaucoup augmentĂ© sur les courses belges, et câest une bonne chose. Ca oblige Ă se donner Ă fond. Et le nouveau systĂšme de remise Ă zĂ©ro des chronos pour la super-finale rajoute encore du suspense !â Du suspense, on en retrouvera certainement Ă Namur Ă la fin du mois de mai pour un triple Ă©vĂšnement qui sâannonce dâores et dĂ©jĂ mĂ©morable : la deuxiĂšme manche de la Coupe de Belgique, qui fera aussi office de deuxiĂšme Ă©preuve de la Nissan European Downhill Cup, sans oublier lâEuropean King of Slopestyle, la seconde Ă©tape du Wall Ride Tour, sur lâesplanade de la Citadelle !
«âSeule la super-finale compteâ!â» La tension Ă©tait dĂšs lors Ă son comble juste avant cette super-finale, dans laquelle on retrouvait pas moins dâune quinzaine dâĂ©trangers (NĂ©erlandais, Allemands, Français et Luxembourgeois) sur trente pilotes. Et au terme dâune trĂšs belle manche finale, câest lâincontournable Nico Vink - qui avait dĂ©jĂ survolĂ© les deux manches de qualifications avec des chronos de 1:06.22 puis
new collaboration stem Tokyo Fixed Gear ( London ) X nitto
issue #15 - 58 /100
Photo : Max Lewis
NITTO Although they receive scant media coverage, you undoubtedly know all the velodrome races. In Japan itâs quite another story⊠The velodromes are as full as for a Barcelona vs. Juventus football match, the riders are considered semi-gods, and people have been ïŹocking to participate in races with the same enthusiasm for over 60 years now. Whoever says bike says constructor, and those who want do not become official supplier of the âKEIRINâ races. A brief encounter with the emperor of handlebars compliant with the Japanese Biking Association (NJS) regulations, Nitto!
Bien quâextrĂȘmenent peu mĂ©diatisĂ©es, vous connaissez sans doute tous les courses en vĂ©lodrome. Au Japon, câest une toute autre histoire⊠Les stades sont remplis comme un match Barcelone X Juventus, les riders sont considĂ©rĂ©s comme des demis-dieux et on se presse depuis plus de soixante ans avec le mĂȘme enthousiasme pour assister aux courses. Qui dit vĂ©lo, dit constructeur et ne devient pas fournisseur officiel de « KEIRIN « qui veut. Petite rencontre avec lâ empereur du guidon conforme aux normes NJS, Nitto!
issue #15 - 59 /100
PhotosĂą€‰: Max Lewis
issue #15 - 60 /100
the empire of the rising handlebar
quick interview with president Akira Yoshikawa Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www16.ocn.ne.jp/~nitto210/ Jonathan Borms Max Lewis
Nitto are famous worldwide for their NJS components, how did you start to work for the Japanese track racing league? The Keirin, professional track race was started in Japan in 1948 and the Japanese government asked Nitto to produce handle bars for the official race bikes. So professional Japanese track racers have been using Nitto handle bars from the very beginning. Your company has existed more than 60 years, have you see an evolution of the Keirin products? Is there any new research on the NJS equipment or is it a case of the tried and tested classic designs remain the best? The current material and shape of Nitto handlebars are the best for professional track riders who ride bikes very hard. Nitto has not changed the material and the shape for 30 years. What is most important for your industry? The most important thing is to produce bicycle parts all over the world. Since a couple of years (and many many more in US) the track bike became a real (street) culture. How has this impacted your production? Our production of track parts has increased.
Nitto is famous for their standards⊠A lot of chrome, polished alu, sometimes a little bit of color. Do you coloborate sometimes with other brands to produce limited edition components? Yes, we have already coloborated with some other brands. Nitto is the master of track components, do you wish to become the same for professional road bikeequipment? 90% of our handle bars for road bikes are designed for Japanese riders. We are trying to make new designs for European and American people and introduce these products at Eurobike. Do you have a lot of controls to keep your NJS label? Yes, we have a lot of controls. Japan has experienced a lot of sad events over the last months⊠Has this affected your production ? It is getting harder to receive raw materials on time. How do you see Nitto in 10 years? We will continue to produce handle bars for a safe and fun ride.
Can you feel a difference between the japanese / european / us customers' wishes and orders? Now we receive many orders from USA and Europe for old style handle bar which were popular in Japan long time ago. The trend of handle bars and requests from cutomers are similar among Japan, Europe and USA. issue #15 - 61 /100
New bullhorns RB010AA designed by Tokyo Fixed Gear ( London ) produced by Nitto
Nit to est mondialement connu pour ses composants NJS, comment avez-vous commencĂ© Ă travailler pour la piste japonnaise ? L e Keir in, le vĂ©lo de piste professionnel, a commencĂ© au Japon en 1948 et le gouvernement a demandĂ© Ă Nit to de produire des g uidons pour les courses. Ce qui fa it que les compĂ©titeurs pro en piste utilisent nos g uidons depuis le dĂ©but. Votre compagnie est sur le marchĂ© depuis plus de 60 ans, avez-vous v u une Ă©volution dans les produits pour le Keirin ? Il y a-til une recherche dans les produits NJS ou les classiques restent les meilleurs ? L e matĂ©r iel et le shape actuels de nos g uidons sont les meilleurs pour les r iders pro qui roulent avec puissance. Nit to nây a r ien changĂ© depuis 30 ans.
issue #15 - 62 /100
Photoâ: Max Lewis
Quel est le moment le plus impor tant de votre industrie ? Câest de produire des composants pour le monde entier.
du its pou r les r ider s japona is. Nous essayons de dĂ©velopper un nouveau desig n pour lâEurope et les Etats-Unis, a insi que de les prĂ©senter Ă lâEurobike.
Pouvez-vous sentir une diffĂ©rence entre les souha it s et les com ma ndes pour le Japon, lâEurope et les Etats-Unis ? Ma i ntena nt nous recevon s beaucoup de demandes des USA et de lâEurope pour des g uidons au look rĂ©tro qui sont populaires au Japon depuis un bon moment dĂ©jĂ . L a tendance et les commandes des clients sont similaires du Japon aux Etats-Unis ou lâEurope.
Le Japon a connu des moments tristes ces derniers mois⊠Cela change -t-il quelques chose à votre production ? Cela dev ient difficile de recevoir le matériel à temps.
Nitto est les maßtre des composants pour le Keirin, désireriez-vous le devenir aussi pour le matériel pro dans le vélo de route ? 90% de nos g uidons pour la route sont pro -
Comment voyez-vous Nitto dans 10 ans ? Nous continuerons de produire des g uidons pour un r ide f un et en sécur ité.
S1 HAND BUILT FROM COLUMBUS SPIRIT TUBING & WITH KASEI BLADED FORKS
ÂŁ750
HAND CRAFTED TRACK & ROAD W W W. T O K YO F I X E D G E A R . C O M
Photo : nicolas niederprç«Żm
issue #15 - 64 /100
issue #15 - 65 /100
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
issue #15 - 66 /100
one fucking gear singlespeed european champs - Maredsous / 29.04-01.05.2011 Webâ: ssec2011.blogspot.com Writerâ: Geoffroy Libert Photographyâ: Geoffroy Libert & Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Single-speed is all about simplicity. Itâs about stripping the mechanics of the bicycle down to the bare essentials, but itâs also about aesthetic purity. Singlespeed bikes are simple and straightforward. And that philosophy was very much in evidence at this yearâs European SingleSpeed Championships (SSEC), which took place in the shadows of Maredsous Abbey, in Belgiumâs Namur region. There was no standing on ceremony here. Instead, just a very warm welcome from the Belgian Brewers, a.k.a. the team of Bruno Duquesne from the Belgian Single-Speed Forum. With beer in one hand, and competitor number clasped in the other, we set off to pitch our tent and unpack our bike. The atmosphere at the campsite was relaxed, friendly and cosmopolitan, thanks to the large number of different nationalities in the mix (with the English contingent making up the majority â about a third of the 300 participants). Most were there for bit of cycling and a lot of everything else â drink, food, rain, sunshine and plenty of surprises. After checking that the one and only gear on our bike was in good working order, it was off for the first ride of the weekend. I should make it clear at this point that, though these are the European Championships, the concept of competition is pretty fluid â especially in case of the Americans, for whom it was clearly very much about how many different varieties of beer they could put away! For the race the following day there were no classifications, it was all about who was first over the line. But before then there was a ride through the mountains, navigating past the odd cow (oh yes!) en route, and through the MolignĂ©e valley, on tracks that were very well marked out, challenging and wide enough to ride two abreast and chat to new friends from across Europe along
the way. We have to say that, when it comes to cool, the riders at the SSEC, not to mention their machines, are right up there. In the evening, there was more chat, this time over a beer and a grilled steak, and then it was back in the saddle for the Night Ride. Lights on, we set off into the Maredsous countryside for a surreal nocturnal spin along single tracks, the conversation flowing in a mix of different languages. Has to beat walking! After more beers and more grub it was time to hit the sack for a short nightâs sleep and sweet dreams about the next dayâs competition. We awoke on the Saturday, amid the early morning dew, to see the campsite populated by a bizarre collection of naked women, beasts with horns and various sadomasochistic types in skin-tight attire (and weâre not talking about professional cycling gear!); there was even one bloke in nothing but a pair of womenâs knickers. This was it, the riders were ready to roll... and there were even a few who werenât wearing costumes! It all felt a bit like the start of the Le Mans 24-Hour race. At the sound of the bagpipes (which served instead of a starting pistol) the top riders zoomed off to attack a course that was challenging, technical, steep and fast. Anyone thinking this was going to be a mere jaunt was badly mistaken. The race involved six circuits of the 7.5km course, taking in a 250m height gain! All that in just one gear! But you wonât hear us complaining: make no mistake, single-speed cycling â especially with rigid forks - is a whole load of fun! It requires a mixture of technique, flexibility and strength. The other thing about single-speed is that it makes you feel like a little kid again... though without having to go in for your tea when your mum calls you! Talking of food, the weekend was a veritable orgy of beer, cheese, chips with mayo and smoked ham. The organisers went to town to ensure that all of the participants were well catered for and provided with a nutritious, healthy and above all tasty assortment of edibles⊠God bless them! But I digressâŠ
The race itself took place in magnificent sunshine and in a spirit of mutual encouragement, with the stronger riders waiting for the weaker ones in their group and offering words of support. Then there were those who simply chose to stay put at the camping site, sit back in their deckchairs and enjoy the event from a different angle. It was all a million miles away from the XC competitions. Instead of shaved legs and carbon frames it was all beards and magnificent handmade steel frames, many of them 29 inch numbers. At the finish line, the three category winners, Frenchman Julian Conan, Scottish lass Gemma Frier and youngster Noa Selosse of Belgium were cheered by a crowd of fellow competitors who were just happy to be part of things. After the race had finished (in its own peculiar style), it was on with the rest of the programme, kicking off with the much anticipated speed bicycle throwing contest (!), which was won by a local! The best beard contest and the frame-sawing competition were other highlights. And there were plenty of fantastic frames to be won in the various events. After that, we all sat down for a big meal together, and whiled away the evening drinking and listening to the live music, the prelude to a final ride in the countryside on the Sunday, which was punctuated with plenty of local beer and melted cheese. Then it was away with the tents as we bid farewell to our fellow campers. It wasnât easy saying goodbye to such a unique, cool and open bunch of people. We discovered that single speed is not just a style of riding, itâs a unique state of mind. We consoled ourselves with the thought that weâd be heading for the South West of France next year as current holders of the geared MTB throwing trophy. Tradition has it that the winner provides a bike (derailleur-free, of course) as the prize for the next SSEC. So if you happen to have a spare one kicking about at home, feel free to send it to us here at Landscape towers⊠Iâve had to be creative with this phrase. There is no way you could translate the French literally and make it sound anything except very creepy! His nationality is missing from the source text.
issue #15 - 67 /100
PhotosĂą€‰: Geoffroy Libert
issue #15 - 68 /100
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Rouler en singlespeed, câest se fondre dans un esprit tout en simplicitĂ©. SimplicitĂ© mĂ©canique â back to the roots ! â, mais Ă©galement puretĂ© esthĂ©tique. Des bikes simples et Ă©vidents. Câest aussi retrouver une ambiance tout aussi simple et Ă©vidente une fois arrivĂ© aux Championnats dâEurope de Singlespeed (SSEC), qui se tenaient cette annĂ©e au pied de lâabbaye de Maredsous, province de Namur, Belgique. Ici, pas de grand tralala, mais un accueil chaleureux par les Belgian Brewers, aka lâĂ©quipe de Bruno Duquesne du forum singlespeed-belgique. Un verre dans une main et notre dossard dans lâautre, il ne nous reste plus quâĂ planter notre tente et sortir le vĂ©lo du coffre. LâatmosphĂšre dans le camping est douce et conviviale, hĂ©tĂ©roclite grĂące aux nombreuses nationalitĂ©s prĂ©sentes (dont une tripotĂ©e dâAnglais : une centaine sur 300 participants) et franchement amicale. Ăa cause vĂ©lo (un peu), de tout (beaucoup), de bibine, de bouffe, de pluie, et du beau temps, divine surprise. AprĂšs avoir vĂ©rifiĂ© le bon fonctionnement de lâunique vitesse de notre bĂ©cane, nous voilĂ partis pour le premier ride du week-end. Ah oui, jâai oubliĂ© de vous prĂ©ciser que si nous sommes bien Ă des Championnats, ici, la notion de performance est toute relative, sauf pour les amĂ©ricains qui manifestement lâont associĂ©e au nombre de biĂšres spĂ©ciales
ingurgitĂ©es ! Lors de la Race du lendemain, il nây aura tout simplement pas de classement, juste un premier arrivĂ©. En attendant on roule par monts et par veaux (si si) autour de la vallĂ©e de la MolignĂ©e, sur des parcours admirablement tracĂ©s, ludiques et suffisamment larges que pour taper la discute avec de nouveaux amis de lâEurope entiĂšre. Il faut dire que la coolitude des riders et leurs vĂ©los si originaux ou rares invitent Ă faire connaissance. On en reparlera le soir autour dâune biĂšre et dâune viande grillĂ©e, en attendant la Night Ride. A peine arrivĂ©s, nous montons un Ă©clairage potable et nous voilĂ repartis dans les campagnes de Maredsous pour une virĂ©e de nuit surrĂ©aliste, entre causeries dans toutes les langues et singletracks Ă la lueur des phares. Le pied, quoi ! Quelques chopes et une frite plus tard, il est temps dâaller au dodo en vue de la course, on ne sait jamais que des envies de compĂ©titions nous prennent pendant notre (court) sommeil.
Samedi matin. Dans la rosĂ©e du camping, ça se prĂ©pare ferme. Un attroupement de femmes Ă poil(s), de bĂȘtes Ă cornes, de sadomasos en tenue moulante (non non pas des cyclistes professionnels !) ou mĂȘme un gars en slip : les participants sont prĂȘts, il y en a mĂȘme qui ne sont pas dĂ©guisĂ©s ! DĂ©part façon 24 heures du Mans, au son de la cornemuse, et dĂ©jĂ les meilleurs sont partis sur ce circuit Ă la fois ludique, technique, pentu (dans les deux sens) et rapide. Pour ceux qui pensaient que ce ne serait quâune promenade, il faut quand mĂȘme se taper 6 tours (pour les premiers) de 7,5km de long et 250m de dĂ©nivelĂ© positif, ça calme ! Avec une seule vitesse ! Autant lâexpliquer tout de suite Ă ceux qui nous prennent pour des cinglĂ©s : rouler en single, en rigide la plupart du temps, est vraiment super fun ! Câest un mĂ©lange de technique, de souplesse, et de force. Câest aussi, comme quand nous roulions sur nos vĂ©los torpĂ©do sans vitesse, retrouver ses sensations dâenfant. Sans pour autant se nourrir au sein (quoique ⊠) : la nourriture ce week-end sâapparentait plutĂŽt Ă une orgie de biĂšre(s), de fromages de toute sortes, de frites mayonnaise et de jambon fumĂ©, lâorganisation ayant mis les petits plats dans les grands pour garantir Ă tous les participants une alimentation, saine, diĂ©tĂ©tique, et surtout, gouteuse Ă souhait⊠God bless them ! Mais je mâĂ©gareâŠ
issue #15 - 69 /100
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Photoâ: Geoffroy Libert
Les tours sâenchaĂźnent et chacun sâencourage sous un magnifique soleil. Dans les groupes, les plus forts attendent les plus faibles en encourageant les autres. Certains se sont arrĂȘtĂ©s sur des transats au camping histoire de profiter de la course dâune autre maniĂšre. Nous sommes bien loin des compĂ©titions de XC. Ici les jambes rasĂ©es laissent la place Ă de grosses barbes hirsutes, et les cadres en carbone Ă de magnifiques rĂ©alisations artisanales en acier, dont beaucoup de 29 pouces. A lâarrivĂ©e, les vainqueurs, le français Julian Conan, lâĂ©cossaise Gemma Frier et la jeune Noa Selosse, sont applaudis par une haie de concurrents heureux dâĂȘtre lĂ .
issue #15 - 70 /100
Une fois la Race terminĂ©e (Ă son aise), les activitĂ©s sâenchaĂźnent, Ă commencer par le trĂšs attendu lancer de vĂ©lo Ă vitesses, remportĂ© par un Belge ! Le concours de barbe ou le sciage de cadre sont autant de moments forts, avec Ă chaque fois de somptueux prix - des cadres! - Ă remporter. Il nous reste Ă prendre un grand repas tous ensemble, Ă passer la soirĂ©e en musique et en boissons, Ă profiter dâun derniĂšre ride dans les campagnes, bien arrosĂ©e Ă la biĂšre locale et au fromage fondu le dimanche, et nous replions nos tentes tout en saluant nos voisins en motorhome. Pas simple de quitter cette joyeuse troupe de riders pas comme les autres, tous dotĂ©s de cet
esprit cool et ouvert. Si on connaissait le singlespeed en tant que pratique cycliste, nous avons dĂ©couvert un Ă©tat dâesprit vraiment hors du commun. On se consolera en se disant que nous irons en dĂ©lĂ©gation lâan prochain dans le Sud-Ouest de la France en tant que dĂ©tenteurs du trophĂ©e du lancer de multi. La tradition veut que le vainqueur apporte un vĂ©lo (Ă dĂ©railleurs, pouah !) Ă la SSEC suivante. Si vous en avez un qui traĂźne chez vous, envoyez vos dons Ă la rĂ©dactionâŠ
photo©www.philippegarcia.net
high end mountain bike brake pads
CLASSIFICATION COMPOSITION
FR-DH SINTERED METAL
SUSTAINABILITY BRAKE POWER HEAT TANSFERT
performance & respect
AGGRESSIVE
0,70 0,65
Aggressive
0,60
0,55 0,50 0,45 0,40 0,35
0,00
10km/h- 0
BURLY
25km/h- 0
40km/h- 0
60km/h- 0
CERAMIC
www.brake-authority.com
Photoâ: Vincent Rocher - riderâ: Thomas Genon
issue #15 - 72 /100
A taste of Mountain Malmedy Bike Park - Belgium Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.bikepark-fermelibert.com Vincent Rocher Vincent Rocher, Christophe Bortels & Marie-Eve Rebts
Belgium is a surreal country for a number of reasons. Weâll skip the political aspect to concentrate on what concerns us directly: is it possible to speak of mountain biking in a country with no mountains? The answer is yes, of course! The flat countryâs gravity mountain biking scene is renowned for its dynamism: the downhill races organised by X-Free, young slopestyle hopeful Thomas Genon, the magazine youâre currently reading... In short, when it comes to bikes, itâs all happening in Belgium. However, until recently there was no spot uniting several disciplines with an adapted infrastructure. From now on however, you can count on the Bikepark de la Ferme Libert in Malmedy, the town in the east of the country not far from the Dutch, German and Luxembourg borders. Ferme Libert looks back on a lengthy history linked with the development of leisure activities. In the 1930s, the grandmother of Jean-David Thomas (bike park co-director) farmed this small estate on the edge of the Fagnes region. With development of hiking in this typical region, she set up a little restaurant and hotel. Twenty years later, her children built a ski piste in keeping with the boom in winter sports experienced at the time. Evolution has not stopped since and the original tractor-powered ski-tow was replaced with a more modern platter lift. The estate grew and since the 1970s, alternative sports have also found their place here. Grass skiing, hang gliding, paragliding, mountain biking... One can easily imagine the flamboyant fluorescent outfits puzzling the cows in the neighbouring meadows! In 2008, the city of Malmedy submitted a bid to host the Belgian championships in 4X, Downhill, Trial and XC for a period of three years. So the authorities requested permission to organise the 4X race on the ski piste. Phill Saxena, UCI specialist, plotted the long course of just over one kilometre in length. The preliminary sketches for the downhill course
came in 2009; this was then followed by a collaboration with X-free for organisation of a leg of the Nissan Downhill Cup. In 2010, two new descent courses were developed, as were five trial zones. A final feather in the Ferme Libertâs cap was still missing though: a dirt trail/slopestyle course. After a number of meetings, planning permission was finally granted to add some bumps. In the meantime, an exceptional start to the winter season has allowed this ultra low-altitude mini station to host snowscoot in cooperation with Landscape magazine. A promising experience, which will â in all likelihood â be repeated in the future. In spring 2011, it was an endurance/XC course of 4.5 kilometres in length that opened this time and, shortly after, work on the dirt zone began. Introduced by Thomas Genonâs father, Cyril Cabiac is in charge of developing and realising this section of the park. âI am blown away by what is happening here. It shows that with the will, passion and hardworking individuals like JeanDavid and his brother-in-law, it is possible to compete with what is being done in the French mountains,â Cyril raves. âThe quality of the reception is unparalleled and the cost of passes si g n i f ic a ntl y cheaper th at at the resorts.âAfter several months of studies and discussions, it took five days, 80 hours of mechanical digging, 1,500 mÂł of earth and several litres of sweat to carve a trail out of the earth that has already been approved by some top riders from the dirt bike scene. After compacting the humps and rises and laying a stabilising layer to harden the surface, the trail will even be opened to BMXs. We were able to test all of the parkâs features during a sunny weekend. Landscapeâs downhill team, Thomas Genon and trial rider Pierre-Charles Thomas put on a show for the camera. The verdict on the bike park is unanimous: it is definitely the place to explore if you havenât done so already!
issue #15 - 73 /100
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels
issue #15 - 74 /100
Photoâ: Vincent Rocher - riderâ: Thomas Genon
Créé il y a deux ans, le Bike park de la ferme libert poursuit son évolution. En inaugurant une piste de dirt/slopestyle, les propriétaires complÚtent leur offre pour faire de ce spot une référence dans le Benelux.
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels
Photoâ: Vincent Rocher - riderâ: GrĂ©goire Pazdziorko
L a Belg ique est un pays sur rĂ©a l iste Ă de nombreu x point de v ue. On passera le cĂŽtĂ© politique pour se concentrer sur ce qui nous concer ne direc tement : peut- on pa rler de vĂ©lo de montagne dans un pays sans montagne? Eh bien oui ! L a scĂšne V T T grav it y du plat pays est con nue pou r son dy namisme: les courses de DH orga nisĂ©es pa r X-Free, le jeune espoir du slopest yle Thomas Genon, ce maga zine que vous lisez... Bref, en Belgique ça bouge niveau gros vĂ©lo. Pourtant il manquait un spot rĂ©unissant plusieurs disciplines avec des infrastr uct ures adap tĂ©es. On peut dĂ©sormais compter sur le Bikepark de la Fer me Liber t Ă Malmedy, v ille de lâest du pays situĂ©e non loin des frontiĂšres hol la nda i ses, a l lema ndes et lu xembou rgeoises. L a Fer me Liber t, câest une long ue histoire liĂ©e au dĂ©veloppement des loisirs. Dans les annĂ©es 1930, la grand-mĂšre de Jean-Dav id Thomas (co-directeur du bikepark) exploite cet te petite fer me au bord des Fagnes. Avec le dĂ©veloppement des promenades dans cette rĂ©gion t y pique, elle dĂ©veloppe de la petite restauration et de lâhĂŽteller ie. 20 ans plus tard, ses enfants vont amĂ©nager une piste de sk i pour suiv re le boom que connaissent les spor ts dâhiver Ă lâĂ©poque. LâĂ©volution ne sâar rĂȘtera plus et le remonte-pente or iginel actionnĂ© par un tracteur cĂšdera la place Ă une version plus moder ne de tire-fesse. L e domaine sâagrandit et dĂšs les annĂ©es 70 les spor ts alter natifs y trouvent leur place. Sk i sur herbe, delta-plane, parapente, v t t... on imagine avec facilitĂ© les tenues f luo f lamboya ntes per t urba nt les vaches des prĂ©s voisi ns. En 20 08, la v i l le de Ma lmedy se por te candidate pour lâorganisation durant trois a nnĂ©es du cha mpionnat de Belg ique de 4 X , DH, Tr ia l et XC. L es autor itĂ©s de mandent alors lâautor isation dâorganiser la course de 4 X sur la piste de sk i. Phill Sa xena, spĂ©cialiste UCI, tracera le parcours long dâun peu plus dâun k i lomĂštre. Prem iĂšres esquisses de piste de DH en 2009 puis collaboration avec X-free pour lâorganisation dâune manche de la Nissan Dow nhill Cup. En 2010, câest deu x nouvelles pistes de descente qui verront le jour ainsi que cinq zones de trial. Mais il manquait une derniĂšre corde Ă lâarc de la Fer me Liber t: un trail dir t/slopest yle. AprĂšs de nombreuses rĂ©unions, un per mis dâurbanisme est enfin accordĂ© pour monter les bosses qui vont bien. Entre-temps, un dĂ©but dâhiver exceptionnel au ra per m is Ă cet te m i n i-stat ion dâu lt ra basse altitude dâaccueillir le snowscoot en col laborat ion avec L a ndsc ape mag. Une expĂ©rience promet teuse qui se renouvellera sa ns nu l doute. Au pr i ntemps 2011, câest cet te fois une trace enduro/ XC de 4,5 k ilo mĂštres qui sâouv re et peu de temps aprĂšs, câest le dĂ©but du cha ntier de la zone dir t. Mis en relation par le pĂšre de Thomas Genon, Cy r il Cabiac est chargĂ© de dĂ©velopper
et rĂ©a l iser cet te pa r t ie du pa rk. « Je suis blu f fĂ© pa r ce qu i est fa it ic i. Ca mont re quâavec de la volontĂ©, des passionnĂ©s et gros bosseurs comme Jea n-Dav id et son beaufrĂšre peuvent r iva liser avec ce qui se fa it dans les montagnes françaises» commente Cyril. « La qualitĂ© de lâaccueil est inĂ©galable et le pr i x des pass net tement plus bas que dans les stations. » AprĂšs quelques mois dâĂ©tudes et de discussions, i l aura fa l lu 5 jour s, 80 heures de pelleteuse, 150 0 m3 de ter res et quelques litres de sueur pour faire sor tir de ter re un t ra i l dĂ©jĂ va l idĂ© pa r des top r ider s de la scĂšne d i r t V T T. A prĂšs le ta ssement des bosses et relevĂ©s et la pose dâun stabilisĂ© pour en durcir la sur face, le trail sera mĂȘme ouver t au BM X. On a pu tester le park sous toutes ses coutures lors dâun week-end ensoleillĂ©, le team de DH Landscape, Thomas Genon, et le rider trial Pierre- Charles Thomas ont fait le show devant nos objectifs. L e bikepark fait lâunan i m itĂ© et câest dĂ©f i n it ivement lâendroit Ă dĂ©couv r ir si ce nâest pas dĂ©jĂ fait !
BIKE PARK FERME LIBERT MALMEDY - Downhill - Dirt - Enduro - Trial - XC www.bikepark-fermelibert.com Facebook : Bikepark ferme libert official Adresse: Route de la Ferme Libert,33 4960 Malmedy Belgium TĂ©lĂ©phone / Phone: +32475439997 Housing / Logements/ Lodging: www.fermelibert.be & www.geron.be CommoditĂ©s / Facilities: Restaurant, Camping, Auberge de jeunesse / Youth hostel Location vĂ©lo et protections Bike & protections rental Opening hours: Holiday, Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m to 6 p.m Heu res dâouvertu re: sa med i, d i ma nche et jou rs fĂ©riĂ©s de 11h00 Ă 18h00
issue #15 - 75 /100
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels
Photoâ: Marie-Eve Rebts
Photoâ: Christophe Bortels
Photoâ: Vincent Rocher
Photoâ: Vincent Rocher
issue #15 - 76 /100
308g Enormous DH/FR stopping power and modulation at a XC weight. At 308g (160mm rotor, front, post mount), The One is pure braking power. The oversized, 24mm, forged, 1-piece caliper delivers stopping performance when and where you need it. When you need DH/FR performance, you need The ONE. www.formula-brake.com
Third Place World Champion Down Hill, 2010
Lever contact point adjustment. (Feeling Control System)
CosmiC sports b.v. info@cosmicsports.com - www.cosmicsports.com
Tool free lever reach adjustment.
Rider: Isabelle Plante - Photo:NIcolas Niederprç«Żm
issue #15 - 78 /100
W O N S T O O C S RLD O W P 2011 U C issue #15 - 79 /100
PhotosĂą€‰: Vincent Rocher
issue #15 - 80 /100
snowscoot toujours prĂȘt Snowscoot world cup 2011, LEs mosses / 18-20.03.2011 Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.landscape-magazine.com Vincent Rocher Vincent Rocher & Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
The winter may seem like a distant memory, so to get yourself in the mood for our report on the 2011 Snowscoot World Cup we suggest you stick a bit of ice into your drink, turn the air conditioner up to maximum or put your head in the fridge, and let a blast of icy freshness take you back to March and the Swiss Alps, or more precisely, the Col de Mosses. It was here, in this small alpine town, that the worldâs best snowscoot riders gathered, against a backdrop of restaurants where raclette could be had from morning to night. Unfortunately, the snow had already gone. Bloody global warning! But it would take more than that, however, to dampen the spirits of Franck Petoud, the event organiser. Petourd was keen to ensure that the several days of the competition were a real celebration of this young sport that was invented just 20 years ago. In the face of difficult conditions, Petoud battled hard to make sure the various contests went ahead, which meant various changes to the locations and rejigging of the schedule, but despite a mountain of problems, his resolve never flagged. And in the end, riders who had come from all over the world paid tribute to his determination. âItâs a shame that the French Snowscoot Association withdrew from the event, but I can understand their reasons and the financial problems caused by the closure of the Mosses resort,â Bruce Rulfo, reigning world champion in two disciplines, told Landscape. âIâd have liked to see everyone help find a solution, as that would have meant I didnât have to take charge of the boarder-cross and Yann Grandjean wouldnât have had to take on responsibility for the dual. As for the rest of the events, itâs no different from motorcycle sports: you have to take the terrain as you find it and get the most out of it.â As youâll have realised by now everyone was desperate for snow. In the end they found it at Leysin and Champoussin, and it was there that the four events of this World Cup ended up being staged.âWeâd factored in a few days to adapt to
the altitude and to adjust our body clocks because of the time difference,â explains Vincent Brault, who had flown in a few days earlier from Quebec in Canada. âIâm proud to say I helped Franck create the Scooter-X run at the start of the week. We managed to make the most of what little snow there was left.â The atmosphere that surrounds this competition is really very relaxed, with no sign of tensions between the riders. We here at Landscape came away with nothing but good memories of our time spent immersed in the world of snowscoot. The dorms were transformed into workshops, as the riders prepared their gear for competition, waxing their edges in between the beds, doing improvised warm-up routines (the Czechs) and discussing how to push an overloaded van that has broken down across a snowcovered prairie, or what itâs like cop-iloting in the mountains on a dodgy old board with a pilot whose got a screw loose. Then it was an evening eating tartiflette and an orgy in the chalet of... oops! But Iâm getting a bit carried away here. Better stop before I say too much! Back to the competition...! The fairly short descent on the course left no room for errors. Freestyle, which took place in a mixture of sun and clouds, was in the news today. didnât attract all of the riders hoped for but that didnât stop those who were there from turning on the style... Then to finish off it was down to one of the local restaurants for a fondue. The cross scooter event lived up to expectations, producing some epic battles and a surprise winner. Rounding off the three days, the dual slalom climaxed with an incredible menâs final between France and Japan. âIt was hellishly tough and very technical,â said finalist Bruce Rulfo. âI loved the final against Yohei Miyakawa. The day before, I told him that I was dreaming of meeting him in the final. He finished second fastest in the qualifiers, and I was first, so we were last to race.â
For Canadian Vincent Brault, the dual also went very well: âLike the descent, this isnât my speciality. But after trying out a few little things that Yann âBoubouâ Grandjean, who is the real dual expert, I surprised myself by finishing fourth! That was my proudest moment of the trip.â Meanwhile, Braultâs fellow Canadian Isabelle Plante made a clean sweep of the womenâs titles. Quebec rules! What makes the atmosphere at a snowscoot event special is the broad mix of riders, not just geographically, but also in terms of their previous sporting backgrounds. Itâs a joy to be part of such an eclectic gathering, where everyone is very open about sharing their ideas and knowledge, whether itâs about riding techniques or the latest equipment. Hereâs hoping that snowscoot, 20 this year, enjoys a long and prosperous future. As snowscooters would say: Peace, unity and fun! DOWNHILL Men: 1. Bruce Rulfo (Fr) 2. JerĂŽme Dutel (Ch) 3. Pierrick Bapt (FR) Women: 1. Isabelle Plante (Canada) 2. Nathalie Reval (FR) 3. Julie Schiltz (FR) BOARDERCROSS Men: 1. Yvan Saladin (Ch) 2. Myakawa Yohei (Japan) 3. Benoit Gonod (Fr) 4. Bruce Rulfo (Fr)
DUAL SLALOM Men: 1. Bruce Rulfo (Fr) 2. Miyakawa Yohei (Japan) 3. JerĂŽme Dutel (Ch) 4. Vincent Brault (Canada) Women: 1. Isabelle Plante (Canada) 2. Julie Schiltz (Fr) 3. Miyakawa Maiko (Japan) 4. Nathalie Reval (Fr) FREESTYLE: 1. Jan Netrval (Cz.Rep) 2. Vincent Brault (Canada) 3. Sylvain Mortier (Ch)
Women: 1. Isabelle Plante (Canada) 2. Nathalie Reval (Fr) 3. Myakawa Maiko (Japan) 4. Julie Schiltz (Fr)
issue #15 - 81 /100
PhotoĂą€‰: Vincent Rocher
issue #15 - 82 /100
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Lâhiver semble dĂ©jĂ loin, mais ce reportage sur la coupe du monde de snowscoot 2011 vous nâavez quâĂ le prendre tel le glaçon dans votre apĂ©ro, tel la climâ poussĂ©e au max sous la canicule ou encore la tĂȘte dans le frigo par une Ă©touffante journĂ©e dâĂ©tĂ©. Un petit coup de frais qui nous ramĂšne dĂ©but mars dans les Alpes Suisses. LâĂ©lite du snowscoot sây Ă©tait donnĂ© rendez-vous, plus prĂ©cisĂ©ment au Col de Mosses, petite bourgade au relief rondouillard et aux restos typiques respirant la raclette du matin au soir. Malheureusement, la neige, elle, avait dĂ©jĂ fait ses valises. Fichu rĂ©chauffement climatique! Il en fallait pourtant plus pour refroidir (enfin on se comprend!) Franck Petoud, organisateur de lâĂ©vĂ©nement, qui voulait que ces quelques jours de compĂ©titions soient une vrai fĂȘte du sport quâil inventa 20 ans plus tĂŽt. Il sâest battu pour maintenir les Ă©preuves, certes dans des conditions difficiles avec des modifications de lieux et en bousculant lâagenda, mais sa volontĂ© nâa pas faibli malgrĂ© les montagnes de difficultĂ©s. Au final, les riders venus du monde entier ont saluĂ© son obstination. « Je trouve dommage que lâAssociation Française de Snowscoot se soit retirĂ©e de lâĂ©vĂšnement mais je comprends leur point de vue et le problĂšme budgĂ©taire qui Ă©tait engendrĂ© par la fermeture de la station des Mosses », nous confiait Bruce Rulfo, champion du monde dans deux disciplines cette annĂ©e. « Jâaurais aimĂ© que chacun puisse trouver une solution, ça mâaurait Ă©vitĂ© de devoir prendre en charge le boarder-cross et que Yann Grandjean prenne en charge le dual. Pour le reste, câest comme en moto, on fait avec le terrain tel quâil est et on en tire le maximum de plaisir. »
Vous lâaurez compris, la neige se faisait dĂ©sirer comme une femme par un sous-marinier. Câest donc Ă Leysin et Champoussin que les quatre Ă©preuves de cette world cup trouvĂšrent le manteau blanc nĂ©cessaire Ă leur bon dĂ©roulement. «Nous avions prĂ©vu quelques jours dâadaptation Ă lâaltitude et au dĂ©calage horaire » nous explique Vincent Brault dĂ©barquĂ© quelques jours plus tĂŽt du QuĂ©bec. «Jâai fiĂšrement contribuĂ© Ă la crĂ©ation de la piste de scooter-x en dĂ©but de semaine avec Franck. Nous y sommes arrivĂ©s avec le peu de neige quâil restait». Lâambiance sur cette compĂ©tition Ă©tait vraiment tranquille, pas de prise de tĂȘte entre riders. Cette plongĂ©e dans lâunivers du snowscoot, on en garde que des bons souvenirs chez Landscape. Les dortoirs transformĂ©s en atelier de prĂ©paration de matos, disqueuse et fartage entre les lits, lâĂ©chauffement improvisĂ© avec les riders tchĂšques ou comment pousser un van surchargĂ© en panne de batterie dans une prairie enneigĂ©e, les routes de montagne en mode copilote dans la caisse propulsion dâun pilote dĂ©jantĂ©, la soirĂ©e tartiflette, la partouze dans le chĂąlet de... oups! On sâemballe, on sâemballe, puis on va en dire trop! Revenons cĂŽtĂ© compĂštâ, la descente assez courte ne donnait pas droit Ă lâerreur. Le freestyle entre Ă©claircies et nuages nâa pas rassemblĂ© tous les riders attendus mais ça nâa pas empĂȘchĂ© ceux prĂ©sents dâenvoyer le pĂątĂ©... enfin la fondue pour rester local.
conclure par une finale homme France/Japon dâanthologie. «CâĂ©tait dâenfer et trĂšs selectif» commente Bruce Rulfo. «Jâai adorĂ© ma finale contre Yohei Miyakawa. La veille, je lui avais dit que je rĂȘvais dâune finale contre lui. Il a sorti le second temps des qualifs, moi le premier, nous nous sommes donc retrouvĂ©s en fin de tableau. » Pour le canadien Vincent Brault, le dual sâest Ă©galement trĂšs bien passĂ©: «Tout comme la descente, ce nâest pas ma spĂ©cialitĂ©. AprĂšs avoir mis en Ćuvre les petits trucs confiĂ©s par lâexpert du genre Yann «Boubou» Grandjean, jâai Ă ma grande surprise terminĂ© 4e ! Ma plus grande fiertĂ© de ce trip. » Sa compatriote Isabelle Plante rafle elle tous les titres cĂŽtĂ© fĂ©minin. QuĂ©bec reprezent! Pour conclure, lâatmosphĂšre de cette scĂšne snowscoot est dĂ©terminĂ©e par les horizons trĂšs diffĂ©rents des riders, aussi bien gĂ©ographiquement que sur le plan des sports dont ils sont issus. Un cĂŽtĂ© Ă©clectique vraiment sympa oĂč tout semble encore trĂšs ouvert, que ce soit pour les techniques de pilotage ou pour lâĂ©volution du matĂ©riel. On souhaite longue vie au snowscoot qui souffle donc ses 20 bougies. Le mot de la fin pour tous les snowscooters... Peace, unity and having fun!
Le scooter cross a tenu ses promesses avec des fights Ă©piques et un vainqueur inattendu. Pour clĂŽturer ces trois jours, le dual slalom allait se
issue #15 - 83 /100
Photos: Vincent Rocher
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Photos: Vincent Rocher
Photos: Vincent Rocher
Photos: Vincent Rocher
From Quebec to Switzerland by Isabelle Plante A f ter hav ing put on some good performances du r i n g t he World C h a mpion sh ips i n Québec i n 2010, I decided to head for Sw itzerla nd to pa r ticipate i n the 2011 World Cup. I have been a snowscoot rider for a lmost ten yea rs now, a nd it is a lways g reat f u n to pit onesel f aga i nst the best i n the world a nd to be able to sha re the passion for a spor t, wh ich rema i ns l ittle k now n despite hav i ng ex isted for 20 yea rs. I n Q uébe c, a s i n a g r e at m a n y pl a c e s a rou nd the world, it is sti l l d i f f icu lt to access sk i stations w ith a snowscoot. Top performa nces du ri ng world competitions attract a l ittle more med ia attention a nd lend the sport g reater v isibi l ity. My trip to Sw itzerla nd was a fa ntastic experience. I ma naged to track dow n severa l i nv a luable backers (sponsors), wh ich enabled me to underta ke this trip. I know that I sti l l have some g reat yea rs of snowscoot ahead of me, but the competitions are start-
issue #15 - 84 /100
i ng to be ha rd on the bod y. At 40, it ta kes a week to recover from th ree days of competition! I dom i nated the th ree events I pa rticipated i n, but I must add that severa l top riders aga i nst whom I wou ld have l i ked to compete were not present. I very much hope there w i l l be a cha nce i n the f utu re. S w itzerla nd ex perienced the worst snow cond itions i n yea rs, a nd the cou rses had to be mod i f ied. Shorter a nd somewhat less spectacular, they allowed several g irls w ith less tech n ica l abi l ity to ma ke a ma rk. On the longer cou rses, m ista kes a re not forg iven, so it is important to take the corners wel l a nd to ma i nta i n control of the snowscoot. I thoroug h ly enjoyed my ti me over there; the mountains are spectacular, the scenery u n forgettable. We made a short stop-of f at C h Ăąte au dâA i g le on ou r w a y ba ck f rom Cha mpoussi n where the dua l sla lom was held, a nd some friends acted as ou r g u ides to Glacier 3000 the day before ou r retu rn
to Canada. I met some wonderful, generous people during my time in Sw itzerland; people so pa ssion ate, the y h av e snowscoot indelibly eng raved on their hearts. A s long as I have the f inancial and physical means, I w i l l conti nue to pa rticipate i n th is ty pe of i nternationa l competition â i f on ly to see a l l these wonderf u l people aga i n. I wou ld l i ke to tha n k Fra nck Petoud, the SIB ga ng, the Va l DâA rly ga ng, the Trottineige Rider ga ng, Ya n n, Bruce, Son ia a nd Eric for thei r generosity a nd thei r ti me. T ha n ks a lso to a l l you at L a ndsc ape for your ag reeable presence and the wonderful photo memories.
Photos: Vincent Rocher
Photoâ: Nicolas NiederprĂŒm
Du QuĂ©bec vers la Suisse par Isabelle Plante AprĂšs avoir connu de bonnes per formances lors des Championnats du monde au QuĂ©bec en 2010, jâa i dĂ©cidĂ© de mâenvoler pour la Suisse dans le but de par ticiper Ă la Coupe du Monde 2011. Je pratique le snowscoot depuis presque 10 ans et il est toujours plaisa nt de se mesurer au x mei l leures de ce monde et de pouvoir pa r tager la passion dâun spor t encore peu connu malgrĂ© ses 20 ans dâexistence. Au QuĂ©bec, comme Ă bien dâautres endroits dans le monde, il est encore difficile dâavoir accĂšs aux stations de ski avec un snowscoot. De bonnes per for mances lors des compĂ©tit ions mond ia les at t i rent un peu plus les mĂ©dias et cela donne une v isibilitĂ© au spor t. Mon voyage en Suisse a Ă©tĂ© une belle expĂ©r ience. Jâai rĂ©ussi Ă dĂ©nicher quelques prĂ©cieux commanditaires (sponsors) qui mâont per mis de fa ire ce voyage. Je sa is que je peu x encore fa ire quelques belles a nnĂ©es de snowscoot ma is les compĂ©titions com-
mencent Ă ĂȘtre dures pour le cor ps. Ă 40 ans, on en a pour une semaine Ă se remet tre de trois jours de compĂ©tition! Jâa i dominĂ© les trois Ă©preuves au xquelles jâa i pa r t icipĂ©, ma is je dois prĂ©ciser quâi l manquait quelques trĂšs bonnes coureuses avec qui jâaurais bien aimĂ© croiser le fer. Ce sera par tie remise, je lâespĂšre bien. L a Suisse a connu les pires conditions de neige jamais v ues depuis des annĂ©es et les pa rcours ont donc dĂ» ĂȘtre modi f iĂ©s. Plus cour ts et un peu moins spectaculaires, ils ont per mis Ă quelques filles un peu moins for tes techniquement de se dĂ©marquer. Sur des circuits plus cour ts lâerreur ne pardonne pas, a lors il faut bien saisir les v irages et garder le contrĂŽle du snowscoot.
au Canada. Pendant mon sĂ©jour en Suisse jâa i rencont rĂ© des gens sy mpat h iques et gĂ©nĂ©reu x, des gens qui ont le snowscoot gravĂ© sur le cĆur tellement ils en sont passionnĂ©s. Tant que jâaurai le pouvoir, financiĂšrement et physiquement, je par ticiperai Ă des compĂ©titions inter nationa les de ce genre. Ne serait-ce que pour revoir tout ce beau monde. Je remercie grandement Franck Petoud, la ga ng de la SI B, la ga ng de Va l DâA rly, la gang de Trot tineige R ider, Yann, Br uce, So n ia et Er ic pou r leu r gĂ©nĂ©rositĂ© et leu r temps. Merci Ă vous les gars de L andscape pour votre agrĂ©able prĂ©sence et les beau x souvenirs en images.
Jâai bien aimĂ© mon sĂ©jour lĂ bas, les montag nes sont spec tac u la i res et les dĂ©cor s i noubl iables. Nous avons fa it une pet ite ha lte au ChĂąteau dâA igle en revena nt de Champoussin, oĂč avait lieu le dual slalom, et des amis nous ont ser v i de g uides au Glacier 3000 la journĂ©e juste avant notre retour
issue #15 - 85 /100
Photosâ: Christophe Bortels - riderâ: Romain Baghe
Riderâ: Julien Absalon
Riderâ: Erwan Nokin - Assholesâ: Florent Malengreaux & Nicolas Galasyka
Riderâ: Tomas Slavik
houffa is alive houffalize bike festival / 28.04â-â01.05.2011 Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.houffalize-mtb.be Christophe Bortels Christophe Bortels
Houffalize may no longer be playing host the Belgian Cross-Country and 4X stages of the MTB World Cup, but its place on the cycling map remains very much intact. From 28 April to 1 May, this charming little town in the Ardennes was once again pulsating to the rhythm of mountain bikes, just as it has for the last 20 years. Now, though, it is doing so under a different banner: the Houffalize Bike Festival. The highlight of the event was a the Cross Country, which produced a terrific duel between Julien Absalon and Nino Schurter, in which the latter ended up victorious. There were loads of other demos and contests on offer too. The airbag freestyle was spectacular, even though the crowd was guilty of being a bit subdued. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Belgian Downhill and 4X Championships. There were problems with the scheduling and the security, not to mention some occasionally crazy interpretations of the UCI rules, most notably the decision to com-
issue #15 - 86 /100
pletely remove the Juniors category from the programme. Meanwhile, the Downhill course fell well short of the standards expected for a Belgian Championship, prompting a fair few grievances and provoking angry responses from a lot of the riders. More than ever before, the downhill disciplines are being made to feel like the poor relations of the Belgian bike scene... Despite all this, we did get to see Nico Vink claim a memorable double as he took the Belgian 4X and the Downhill titles won by Bertrand Gilles in 2010. Houffalize a perdu les manches belges de Coupe du Monde de cross-country et de 4X, mais Houffalize nâest pas mort. Du 28 avril au 1er mai, la charmante petite citĂ© ardennaise a Ă nouveau vĂ©cu au rythme du vĂ©lo tout-terrain comme câest le cas depuis 20 ans maintenant, mais sous un nouveau nom : lâHouffalize Bike Festival. LâĂ©vĂšnement accueillait notamment un XCO qui nous
a offert un beau duel entre Julien Absalon et Nino Schurter, finalement remportĂ© par ce dernier. Mais dâautres animations et disciplines Ă©taient aussi au programme. Si le freestyle airbag nous a notamment offert du beau spectacle malgrĂ© un public un peu timide, on ne peut pas en dire autant des championnats de Belgique de descente et de 4X. ProblĂšmes dâhoraires et de sĂ©curitĂ©, adaptation parfois fantaisiste du rĂšglement UCI - avec notamment la suppression pure et simple de la catĂ©gorie Juniors ! -, piste de descente indigne dâun championnat de Belgique : les griefs ont Ă©tĂ© nombreux et on suscitĂ© la colĂšre de pas mal de pilotes. Les disciplines gravity se sentent plus que jamais les parents pauvres du vĂ©lo en Belgique... On retiendra malgrĂ© tout le double titre de champion de Belgique en 4X et descente pour Nico Vink, qui succĂšde ainsi Ă Bertrand Gilles, lui aussi vainqueur dans les deux disciplines en 2010.
issue #15 - 88 /100
Emmental road trip a swiss made trip Webâ: Writerâ: Photographyâ:
www.landscape-magazine.com Grégory Masson Grégory Masson
Who hasnât dreamt of taking a Road Trip? The kind of trip that develops over time, the one you long for. You start to think about it more and more as the day of departure approaches. So much so that you canât sleep once your bags are packed. Of course, there will always be an essential item forgotten, your indispensable charger, a key tool, a note scribbled on an absolutely necessary piece of paper or the vital quantity of underwear! But now the time has come and the sweet scent of holidays has already filled your nostrils. This time it will be the Franco-Swiss mountains, where cows stare out over the most beautiful landscape in the world and peacefully coexist with a rare species, byciclus swissus. On the road again! PART I: Marvellous Mervelier! Tuesday, June 22, the adventure begins. The bike carrier is already broken.....! No problem, donât stress, relax! It takes more than that to stop the brave riders. Departure finally took place with the Jacky mobile skimming the ground. We did say that we should take just the minimum, for fuckâs sake! It would take us a good 7 hours from our f lat country to reach this tiny v illage nestled among the mountains, which can only be reached over winding roads. Welcome to Swiiiitzerland! Mervelier, a charming little town located in the heart of a valley of medium terrain. Our hosts for this stage are uncommonly kind. As soon as we arrived, they were ready to party with us.
O ne n i g ht l a t er, w e he a de d t o t he Bi ke Pa rk. O n t he w a y we me t Nic o, one of t he loc a l s, who i s qu ick t o c ome w it h u s. He s u g ges t a l itt le si n g le t ra c k t h rou g h t he wood s to s t a r t t he d a y of f r i g ht. T he tone i s se t at t he f i rs t tu r n! Here, youâre gonn a do some re a l bi k i n g, sl ipper y, mudd y a nd root-f i l le d! S eb, m y fel low ro a d t r ip per, wou ld e v en ge t a good t a s t e of S w i ss s t one! Wit h t he booboos t a ken c a re of, it i s f i n a l l y t i me t o f i nd, or rat her, ex plore t he bi ke p a rk, be c au se you h av e t o se e it t o b el ie v e it! Itâs a p a r a d i s e for t h r i l ls e ek i n g bi kers...a nd itâs r i g ht t her e i n f r ont of u s! E v er y c ent i me t r e h a s b e en u s e d w i s el y t o pr o v ide a n e xc e p t ion a l c ou rse. T hereâs some t h i n g for e v er yone, e v en beg i n ners, a nd t he ju mps t a s t e a lmos t more l i ke m aple s y r up t h a n Em men-
t a l. T he lo c a l s s h r e d t he p a rk, w e a r e gobsm a cke d! It w a snât t oo cle v er, but t he ple a s u re w a s t here! A nd t he 7 doubles i n a row, t h atâs where we re a l l y got of f. Ju l ien Kottel at, t he ow ner of M a g m a Bi ke, is probabl y the coolest g u y i n the cou ntr y. He t a kes u s t o Gu i I I, a hu ge si n g le t ra ck, the h i g hest i n the reg ion. We fol low (weâl l t r y a n y t h i n g!). F uck, we forgot t he c a mer a . T he sc ener y i s s p e c t a c u l a r. A fe w p e d a l s t r oke s l a t er, t he mo s t b e aut i f u l v ie w c ome s i n si g ht. Itâs f a nt a s t ic. Itâs of t he jaw- d roppi n g k i nd. T here we a re, a l i g ht w i nd blo w i n g a nd k i lome t r e s of open t er ra i n. We hu r tle dow n the slopi ng f ields before enteri ng the forest, itâs enormous! Paths strew n w ith rocks, roots a nd the k i nd of tech n ica l passages we d rea m about. We were a l read y blow n away but Ju l ien wa nted to show us the a reaâs true potentia l. It sta rts w ith more tha n 2 k m of slope consisting entirely of gravel and stones. The only thing to do is release the brakes and slalom like on the ski slopes. True freeriding! To end the day, the locals invited us to a small barbecue at the Bike Park, which is just overlooking the village between two wooded areas, because itâs not just a riding spot but also a peaceful place with only one thing on its agenda: Living large! At that point, the trip was already a success!
issue #15 - 89 /100
PART II: Saint-Luc, typically Swiss! Perched 1650 metres above sea level, Saint-Luc is not the easiest resort to get to and with good reason! This resort remains traditional unlike some large ski resorts with their hotel complexes. The largest building is not over three stories high and its narrow streets make it a charming place for us to stay. But where the difference becomes significant is in the quality of the hospitality, the landscape and the track! We start the day off directly with the cable car, only open in summer. Julien, our tour guide, is responsible for the plans and construction of the Bike Park! It has everything, whether wooden ramps or the very strenuous DH track. The hallmark of Magma Bike is present. We hit the slope at record speed. To our delight, this mountainside has been used to its fullest! Christophe Sptiz, marketing manager for the resortâs mechanical lifts, tells us that other courses are planned for this season, in order to offer even more. Julien then decided to take us outside the borders of Saint-Luc down to the town of Sierre and then back up by bus! Valais is full of singletracks that will blow your mind. Enduroriding friends, to your handlebars, itâs the ideal place to take off and explore with a map. Kilometres upon kilometres downhill through forests and open passages. After a well-deserved rest on the cars from Valais, our evening was spent at the hostel where we stayed with our friends from Mervelier and the French border
issue #15 - 90 /100
area who had come to spend the weekend. The best night in a typical mountain chalet with a lot of friendly rites of passage! The next day, there was no time to waste. Julien promised to make us climb to the summit despite last nightâs party. The view is incredible, we find ourselves at 3000m, where there is still snow on the ground. Itâs then the start for a full on downhill. On the menu: Snow, thick scree and bushes. Itâs the perfect place to work on technique. After ending in a pine forest, we encountered a small freshwater spring. Smiles fill our faces. We donât want to leave but the next stage of the trip awaits. PART III: Valloire, versatility. Return to a more well-known station that is still enjoyable because of its small size. It is located in a valley, letting you get around easily with quick access to the trails. Our accommodation is situated on the riverbank, slightly away from downtown. Papouf, the resortâs marketing manager, welcomes us as we are meeting up with our guide. We met Gino from the Bike Patrol. We started off with a good local meal before exploring the territory. The advantage of Valloire is its wide variety of trails. Something to satisfy all types of riders. Each track is different. From very quick, long and open to single wooded passages strewn with roots, not to mention some more technical, rocky tracks. And of course, the various jumps and bridges hidden in the forest have their appeal. Icing on the cake, the lift is very
quick, so you can make the most out of your stay! Gino took advantage of our trip to give us a taste of his life on the bike patrol. His job consists of riding all day to keep the areas safe and monitor them. Where do we sign up? In the evening, he invites us to partake in a real fondue. One that weâll never forget. We end the evening with some ice hockey practice. It seems that here on the mountain, they dope themselves with cheese. Before returning to our little country, Gino suggested he show us the Enduro Series courses. Each year, Valloire offers new tracks to make into trails for the following year. We can assure you that the High Race is one of the best enduro races! Here, nothing is flat! Scree, roots and speed on singles that only fit the width of a tire! We picked up speed over roads and through forest until a flat tire among cows! Itâs already time to leave the mountains after a magical week. If only we could take a bit back with us. We end up knackered but satisfied with having discovered unforgettable regions, landscapes and people. Far from the stress of everyday life, you realize that you have to enjoy life and live your dreams! THE TRIP IN FIGURES: More than 10000 metres of slopes, 2223 kilometres, 23 hrs. 9 min. of travel, 6 days of fun, 5 falls, 4 tanks of fuel, 3 different places, 2 punctured inner tubes, 1 great memory.
Qui nâa jamais rĂȘvĂ© de faire un Road Trip? Le genre de trip qui mĂ»rit lentement, qui se fait dĂ©sirer. On y pense de plus en plus au fur et Ă mesure que le jour du dĂ©part approche. Au point de ne plus trouver le sommeil une fois les valises bouclĂ©es. On aura certainement toujours oubliĂ© un truc essentiel, le chargeur indispensable, lâoutil primordial, une note griffonnĂ©e sur un papier absolument nĂ©cessaire ou encore le nombre de slips vital ! Mais voilĂ quand câest lâheure câest lâheure et le doux parfum des vacances remplit dĂ©jĂ vos narines. Pour le coup ce sera les montagnes Franco-suisses, lĂ ou les vaches contemplent le plus beau paysage du monde tout en cohabitant parfaitement avec une espĂšce rare, le bicyclus swissus. On the road again!
a plein les yeux! On faisait pas trop les malins mais le plaisir Ă©tait lĂ ! Et les sept doubles successives, on y a vraiment pris notre pied.
PART I : Alice au Pays des Merveliers !
On se lance dans les champs pentus Ă toute vitesse avant dâentrer dans le bois, câest Ă©norme! Des chemins parsemĂ©s de pierres, racines et passages techniques comme dans nos rĂȘves. On Ă©tait dĂ©jĂ sur le cul mais Julien voulait nous montrer le vrai potentiel du coin. Câest parti pour un dĂ©vers de plus de 2km composĂ© uniquement de graviers et de pierres. La seule chose Ă faire est de lĂącher les freins et de slalomer comme sur les pistes de skis. Du vrai freeride!
Mardi 22 juin, lâaventure commence. Le portevĂ©lo casse dĂ©jĂ les couâŠ..! Normal, no stress, on se dĂ©tend! Il en faut plus pour arrĂȘter de valeureux riders. Le dĂ©part a finalement lieu avec la jacky mobile Ă ras du sol. On avait pourtant dit quâon devait prendre le minimum, bordel! Il nous faudra 7 bonnes heures depuis notre plat pays pour atteindre ce petit village se nichant en plein milieu des montagnes et accessible uniquement par des routes sinueuses. Bienvenue en Suuuiisse! Mervelier, charmante petite bourgade situĂ©e au cĆur dâune vallĂ©e au relief moyen. Nos hĂŽtes de lâĂ©tape sont dâune sympathie rare. A peine arrivĂ©s, on nous propose dĂ©jĂ de faire la fĂȘte.
Une nuit plus tard, nous voilĂ partis en direction du Bike Park. En chemin on retrouve Nico, un des locaux qui sâempresse de venir avec nous. Il nous propose un petit singletrack Ă travers bois pour bien dĂ©buter la journĂ©e. DĂ©s le premier virage, le ton est donnĂ©! Ici, on va faire du vrai vĂ©lo en mode glissades boueuses et racines! Seb, mon partenaire de road-trip, goĂ»tera mĂȘme le bon gout de la pierre helvĂ©tique! Les bobos soignĂ©s, il est enfin temps de dĂ©couvrir, ou plutĂŽt de voyager au bike park, car il faut le voir pour le croire! Câest le paradis du biker en manque de sensations fortes... Câest lĂ devant nos yeux! Chaque centimĂštre a Ă©tĂ© savamment utilisĂ© pour offrir un parcours exceptionnel. Il y en a pour tous, mĂȘme pour les dĂ©butants et les sauts ont presque plus le goĂ»t du sirop dâĂ©rable que de lâemmental. Les locaux shreddent le park, on en
Julien Kottelat, patron de MagmaBike, est probablement le gars le plus cool du pays. Il nous emmena sur le Gui II, un immense singletrack, le plus haut de la rĂ©gion. On suit (on essaie quoi!). Fuck, on a oubliĂ© lâappareil photo. Le paysage est magnifique. Quelques coups de pĂ©dales plus tard, la plus belle vue sâoffre Ă nous. Câest splendide. Le genre Ă te faire tomber la mĂąchoire. Il y a nous, le lĂ©ger souffle du vent et des kilomĂštres imprenables de reliefs.
Pour terminer la journĂ©e , les locaux nous invitent Ă un petit Barbecue au Bike Park qui donne juste sur le village entre deux parties boisĂ©es, car ce nâest pas quâun spot de ride mais Ă©galement un lieu tranquille avec un seul mot dâordre: le plaisir de vivre! A ce moment lĂ , le trip est dĂ©jĂ rĂ©ussi!
issue #15 - 91 /100
PART II : Saint-Luc, typiquement suisse ! PerchĂ© Ă 1650 mĂštres dâaltitude, Saint-Luc nâest pas la station la plus facile dâaccĂšs, et pour cause! Cette station reste traditionnelle, loin des grandes stations dâhiver avec ses complexes hĂŽteliers. Le plus grand bĂątiment ne dĂ©passe pas les trois Ă©tages et ses petites ruelles font le charme de notre lieu de sĂ©jour. Mais lĂ oĂč la diffĂ©rence prend toute son importance, câest au niveau de la qualitĂ© de lâaccueil, du paysage et de la piste! On dĂ©marre directement la journĂ©e par le funiculaire, unique remontĂ©e durant lâĂ©tĂ©. Julien, notre guide de route est Ă lâorigine des plans et de la construction du Bike Park! Il y a de tout, que ce soit des modules en bois ou de la piste de DH bien cassante. La signature Magma Bike est bien prĂ©sente. On se prend du dĂ©nivelĂ© Ă une vitesse record. Ce flanc de montagne est exploitĂ© jusquâau bout pour notre plus grand plaisir! Christophe Sptiz, responsable marketing des remontĂ©es mĂ©caniques de la station, nous explique que dâautres pistes sont en projet dĂšs cette saison, histoire de proposer une offre encore plus large. Julien dĂ©cide alors dans nous emmener hors des frontiĂšres de Saint-Luc pour descendre sur la ville de Sierre puis remonter en bus! Le Valais regorge de singletracks Ă en faire perdre la tĂȘte. Amis enduristes, Ă vos guidons, câest lâendroit idĂ©al pour partir rouler et explorer avec une carte. Des kilomĂštres sans sâarrĂȘter de descendre Ă travers les bois agrĂ©mentĂ©s de passages dĂ©couverts. AprĂšs un repos bien mĂ©ritĂ© dans les cars du Valais, notre soirĂ©e se passe Ă lâauberge oĂč nous logeons en compagnie de nos amis de Merveliers et de frontaliers français venus passer le week-end. SoirĂ©e au top dans un
issue #15 - 92 /100
chalet typique de la montagne Ă coup de bizutage au petit lait! Le lendemain matin, pas de temps Ă perdre. Julien a promis de nous faire grimper au sommet malgrĂ© la soirĂ©e de la veille. La vue est sublime, on se retrouve Ă 3000m, lĂ ou la neige sâaccroche encore. Câest donc parti pour une descente bien complĂšte. Au menu: neige, caillasse bien Ă©paisse et buissons. Pour travailler la technique, câest lâendroit parfait. AprĂšs un final dans une sapiniĂšre, nous attend une petite source dâeau fraĂźche. Le sourire sâinscrit sur nos visages. Pas envie de repartir, pourtant la prochaine Ă©tape du trip nous attend. PART III : Valloire, la polyvalence. Retour vers une station plus connue mais nĂ©anmoins agrĂ©able de par sa petite taille. Elle est situĂ©e dans une vallĂ©e qui permet de se dĂ©placer facilement tout en accĂ©dant rapidement aux pistes. Notre lieu de rĂ©sidence se trouve en bord de riviĂšre, lĂ©gĂšrement reculĂ© du centre ville. Câest Papouf, directeur marketing de la station, qui nous accueille le temps que notre guide du sĂ©jour nous rejoigne. On fait la connaissance de Gino, lâun des Bike-patrol. On commence avec un bon repas du coin avant de dĂ©couvrir le domaine. Lâavantage de Valloire, câest un choix variĂ© de pistes. De quoi rassasier tous les types de riders. Chaque trace est diffĂ©rente. De la trĂšs rapide, large et dĂ©gagĂ©e, au passage dans des singles boisĂ©s et parsemĂ©s de racines, sans nĂ©gliger des traces plus techniques et rocailleuses. Et bien sĂ»r les diffĂ©rents sauts et passerelles se cachant dans la forĂȘt ne manquent pas Ă lâappel. Cerise sur le gĂąteau, la remontĂ©e est trĂšs rapide, histoire de profiter au mieux de
son sĂ©jour! Gino profite de notre passage pour nous faire goĂ»ter Ă sa vie de bike patrol. Son job consiste Ă rouler toute la journĂ©e pour sĂ©curiser et surveiller les lieux. OĂč est-ce quâon signe?! Le soir venu, il nous invite pour partager une vraie fondue. Celle quâon nâoublie pas. On termine la soirĂ©e Ă lâentraĂźnement de hockey sur glace. A croire quâen montagne, ils se dopent au fromage !Avant de repartir vers notre petit pays, Gino propose de nous faire dĂ©couvrir les parcours des Enduros Series. Chaque annĂ©e, Valloire propose de nouvelles traces pour en faire des pistes lâannĂ©e suivante. La High Race fait parti des plus belles courses dâenduro, on vous le confirme! Ici, rien nâest plat! Cailloux, racines et vitesse sur des singles oĂč seul la largeur des pneus trouve sa place! On prend de la speed Ă travers chemins et bois jusquâĂ la crevaison au milieu des vaches! Il est dĂ©jĂ lâheure de quitter la montagne aprĂšs une semaine magique. Si seulement on pouvait en ramener un bout chez nous. On termine sur les rotules mais avec la satisfaction dâavoir dĂ©couvert des rĂ©gions, des paysages et des personnes inoubliables. Loin du stress de la vie quotidienne, on prend conscience quâil faut profiter de la vie et rĂ©aliser ses rĂȘves! LE TRIP EN CHIFFRES Plus de 10.000 mĂštres de dĂ©nivelĂ©, 2223 kilomĂštres, 23h09 de route, 6 jours de plaisir, 5 chutes, 4 pleins dâessence, 3 lieux diffĂ©rents, 2 chambres Ă air crevĂ©es, 1 souvenir mĂ©morable.
Fabien Barel Espagne Sant Andreu de la Barca
photoĂĆ www.philippegarcia.net
photo : sebastien bouÄĆ
natural linen fiber ltd edition
rider: John Alm Hogmì±n - Vienna Air King - Photo: Norbert Szasz
PORTFOLIO
issue #15 - 94 /100
issue #15 - 95 /100
rider: Andreu Lacondeguy Vienna Air King - photo: Ale Di Lullo
issue #15 - 96 /100
rider: Sam Pilgrim - photo: Ale Di Lullo
issue #15 - 97 /100
the FMB World Tour was established in 2010 by the Freeride Mouutain Bike Assoiciation www.fmbworldtour.com
DIAMOND EVENTS
RED BULL JOYRIDE AT KOKANEE CRANKWORX
JUL 23 WHISTLER (CAN) RED BULL DISTRICT RIDE SEP 09-10 NUREMBERG (GER)
GOLD EVENTS
26TRIX JUN 16-18 LEOGANG (AUT) CLAYMORE CHALLENGE JUN 25 HIGHLAND MTBPARK (USA) CHATEL MOUNTAIN STYLE JUL 01-03 CHATEL (FRA)
CRANKWORX COLORADO JUL 30 WINTER PARK RESORT(USA) BEARCLAW INVITATIONAL AUG 06 MT. WASHINGTON (CAN)
FISE SLOPESTYLE JUN 03-05 MONTPELLIER (FRA) JUMP SHIP JUN 10-12 VICTORIA (CAN) DAKINE AIR STRIKE at DAKINE FREERIDE FESTIVAL JUL 09 SAALBACH (AUT) GO BIG OR GO HOME at BIKE EXPO JUL 21-24 MUNICH (GER) GOATSTYLE AUG 11-13 SILVER STAR RES. (CAN) SKS SLOPESTYLE at IXS DIRTMASTERS JUN 02-05 WINTERBERG (GER)
SILVER EVENTS
VIENNA AIR KING APR 02-03 VIENNA (AUT) RIVELLA ROCKET AIR APR 08-09 THUN (SUI) RANCHSTYLE MAY 06-08 GRAND JUNCTION COLORADO (USA)
mag.com
wallride
BRONZE EVENTS
BALATON BIKEFEST JUN 22-26 BALATONFĂRED (HUN) NATURAL GAMES JUN 23-25 MILLAU (FRA) DIRT TOWN JELENIA GORA JUN 25 JELENIA GORA (POL) URBAN BIKE CHALLENGE JUN 30 WESTENDORF (AUT)
INTERNET
BRABANT
!
LE SHOP DES PASSIONNĂS
www.larouelibre.be rue de Herve 83 Ă Battice
322 chaussée de Louvain -1300 Wavre tel: 010/24.13.96 - info@movingstore.be www.movingstore.be
NAMUR
464 CHAUSSĂE DE MARCHE - 5101 ERPENT 9A RUE DE BRAIBANT - 5590 SOVET âą TEL: 081/312181
BRUXELLES