Interview with Fionn Griffiths World Cup DH & 4X Racer taking time out of her busy schedule after her 4th place finish at the Lisbon Downtown event.
1. How do you feel about your performance at the Lisbon Downtown? "I was fairly happy with my performance. I was having a really good race run and I had been riding well all weekend so it was unfortunate that my front end slid out in my race run. Just trying to keep the bike upright in Lisbon is a challenge in itself. The street are all marble and cobblestone so it is super slippy on every turn and every stair set. I wouldn't have ridden any differently. You can't afford to ease up anywhere on that track or else you lose too much time. They put more jumps in this year, which for me is great! I hit them all first run before any of the other girls had a chance to psyche me out :)"
2. How do you prepare for a race? "I have been playing with a few new pre race ideas including pre race meditation, full scale warm ups on a wind trainer and sprint drills. In Vigo none of this was working for me though. It just seemed to leave me too much opportunity to think about things and get nervous before the race. So after a nervous qualifying run which resulted in 2 crashes, I decided to try some new stuff and turn up last minute to the start gate. It seemed to work well for me there. So I am still working on this stuff!"
3. What's your training schedule? "That is top secret! I have hired a new trainer - Elke Brutsaert - and she has a whole pile of exercises to keep me entertained in the off season! Mainly loads of explosive plyometric drills and plenty of time on the road/street bikes. We have been focussing on core a fair bit as well.
4. What kind of bike do you ride? "I race a Norco Team DH and a Norco 4XXXX. If you haven't tried them out, you should! They are pretty cool. I worked closely with Norco the last couple of years to get the two bikes to where they are at and I love every second I spend riding them!"
5. Who are your sponsors? "Norco Performance Bikes, Kenda Tires, Zeal Optics, Shimano, Fly Racing (Kit), Foes/Curnutt Suspension, THE Helmets, MRP, Hope Brakes/Hubs, DT Swiss rims, Rich Art Concepts (Custom Helmet Design)."
6. How many countries has your pro riding career brought you to? "Ummm...I have not been keeping count! That is a really good question. This year alone I will visit about 15 different countries! I have been to some pretty cool ones racing though - Brazil, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Australia."
7. What was the first race you ever won? "I actually won the 1st race I ever entered. It was a Midland Super Series at Hawkston Park in Shropshire,UK. Winning that was what really pushed me to keep racing."
8. How old were you when you first started riding? Racing? "I always kind of kicked around on my bike and rode a bit, but I didn't start racing or anything until I was about 16. "
9. Do you have BMX riding/racing in your background? "No BMX. Straight into the MTB for me. I do own a BMX now though and enjoy riding it when I get the opportunity."
10. What's your worst injury? "I have had a few, but breaking my ankle 7 times in a year and a half was the one that hindered my race career the most. I'm glad to have that behind me."
11. Your words of wisdom to other women and girls getting into the sport? "Don't be put off by anyone who is negative towards you out riding. Just keep doing what you are doing at your own pace. You are just as capable of reaching your own personal goals as anyone else. You will know when YOU are ready to go faster and step up to the next level."
12. What setbacks have you experienced? "Just the obvious ones that many of the people, especially female riders, encounter: financial setbacks, sponsorship setbacks and of course, injuries."
13. How has riding evolved for girls since you've been on the scene? How do you see it evolving into the future? "When I first started there were really only one of two chicks that could race on a high level. A few girls occassionally had good results, but in comparision to racing now, it was not nearly as competitive. I would say that now at a World Cup event any of the top 10 ladies has a good chance of winning. We are pushing one another to be faster and we are doing just that! It used to be that I could crash, get up and still finish in the top 10 but a crash now puts any girl out of the top 10!"
14. Will you be competing in Canada this year? Crankworx? "Not sure yet about Crankworx. It conflicts with European Championships. We'll see. I will be racing the Mont Ste Anne World Cup though which is the place I won my first ever World Cup."
