World Champion this year for the second time in her career, Isabeau Courdurier tells us about her season, her impressive foot injury and the future of enduro.
It's hard for a pro MTB rider to miss the Roc d'Azur. The event is a must in the field and in addition to attracting thousands of participants, the event is also a reference for its huge exhibition of brands. The opportunity for the professionals of the discipline to meet at the end of the season, likeIsabeau CourdurierWe met on the stand of one of her sponsors. Based a hundred kilometers away, near Aix-en-Provence, the Private Sport Shop ambassador can breathe a sigh of relief after a season that saw her win a second world title after an intense duel with her compatriot Morgane Charre. She comes back for We Rock Sport on this eventful year and on the next season to come.
His second world title
"I'm obviously satisfied with my season, because it wasn't so easy with my foot injury (editor's note: see below). The level has risen enormously in enduro. Today, you have to be ultra regular to hope to win. It's impossible to miss out on a race, because you immediately pay for it in the rankings. This year, Morgane really pushed me all season long. In fact, she's been very consistent, setting the fastest stage times every time. This rivalry with her and the other women on the circuit pushes us all to the top. It's good because it helps the discipline to progress. It's the same thing in cross-country, the races are very close among the women and that pushes everyone to the top."
France's victory in the Nations Trophy
"I love this end-of-season event, which brings competitors together under the colors of their country and not those of their sponsors, as is usually the case the rest of the year. In enduro, we don't start at the same time, so there's not really any direct rivalry with the competitors. Even though we're rivals, everyone encourages each other. We push each other all year round, so when we're a team, we're even closer. We share the race, we try to find out how we're going to drive on each special stage, how we can build our strategy. Even though Morgane was my main competitor this year, I teamed up with her and Mélanie Pugin and we all gave it our all to win."
His foot injury during an e-bike race in Valberg
"It's obvious that this injury has marked my year. The branch went into the top of my foot and pierced it completely. It came out the other side. I was lucky in my misfortune that it didn't hit any bone or tendon. It just damaged some nerves. Right now, it's still a bit painful because my nerves are growing back, even though my foot is now fully functional. It's an injury that gives me cramps, especially when you're on your feet for long periods on a mountain bike. In the races following my injury, I had to deal with this pain. My greatest satisfaction this year was my fourth place in Whistler a month after my misadventure. I was really happy with that result. I had conditioned myself with my mental coach to the fact that I was going to be sore during the event, as I was far from having fully recovered. In the end, fourth place was way beyond my expectations."
The off-season and the next objectives
"During the off-season, I like to take a break from competition. I'll take two or three weeks off with just a bit of running and trail running. And then, I'll quickly attack my preparation because we start again early in March. Next season, there's also a big change with Discovery Sports becoming the new promoter and broadcaster of the MTB World Cups. For enduro, this will enable us to reach a wider audience. In fact, we're starting to hear about this discipline in more mainstream media, not just those specializing in mountain biking. For our part, we'll be able to benefit from the same coverage as downhill and cross-country mountain biking. This will enable us to capture a little more media attention. As for my sporting goals, with everything that's happened to me over the last two seasons, I've come to realize that the plan I had in mind at the start doesn't always turn out the way I planned. I just want to feel good physically and in my head. The goal is to be at 100% by the time I hit the stages."
The support of Private Sport Shop
"I do lots of different sports, and that's another reason why it's a real plus to be supported by Private Sport Shop. Apart from the fact that I practice just about every cycling discipline, I also go cross-country skiing, snowboarding or even surfing, as I was able to do before the Crans-Montana event in Switzerland on the Alaïa Bay artificial wave. Yes, I never really stop."
