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Martha Hucker interview with Tracy Moseley

Tracy Moseley is one of the fastest women in the world on a DH bike, and has been racing world cups since way back in the day… if you didn’t already know that you can read all about her on her website.

Martha Hucker caught up with her to find out how her new deal with Trek is going, and what her plans are for 2009.

 

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Tracy Moseley on her Kona.
Photo: Descent World 2008

Hi Tracy! Congrats on your new ride with Trek. How’s the bike going, and have you met your new teammates yet?

 

Hello, thanks, I’m loving the new bike. It’s given me a new motivation to get out and ride dh as much as possible. I haven’t met my new teammates in an official team capacity yet, but I know them both from racing on the circuit and they are both really nice guys, so I am looking forward to getting to know them better and trying to follow them down every course !!

After so many years with Kona, it’s a big change for you this year. Are you doing anything else different to prepare for the 2009 season?

Yeah it’s quite a big change but it’s been going well, I still have a great relationship with the guys at Kona and I am getting to know my new team and company slowly. We had a race last week which was my first official outing on my bike with some support from Trek which was great. I haven’t done much different apart from trying to ride downhill as much as possible this winter.


You are often described as being completely professional in your approach to riding. How do you stay so focused through all the chaos that goes on with racing World Cups?

I guess i have been racing for a few years now, so i have seen and experienced most things on the race scene. I am just driven to always do my very best and at that includes your entire preparation, so for me I have to be pretty organised and professional in my approach to be successful.

What did you think of the courses in 2008, have they changed a lot since you started racing Worlds? And what makes a track fun for you as a rider?

There was quite a good mix of tracks in 2008, it was good to have more rounds, and in 2009 it will be great to go back to 8 rounds of the world cup. It makes it a better series and enables us to take in more variety of tracks. The tracks have definitely gotten faster in the last few years and compared to 1998 a lot less technical….that was a crazy year of technical tracks….although they probably wouldn’t seem so bad now on our bikes these days!

Tell us a story! What’s the awesomest/craziest/worst luck/funnest race or event you’ve done, and what happened?

I think one of my most memorable races was in Les Gets France in 97 or 98. We set off up the hill in a thunderstorm and pouring rain and every time the lightning struck the chairlift would stop! It was quite a scary trip up, but then i think the downhill was just as terrifying! I remember passing my friend Lisa who had set off 30 sec in front of me, i passed her as she was getting up off the floor, i then went and crashed a bit further on, she then passed me, that continued for the rest of the track. I just remember being so tired trying to ride in the mud that i just wanted to curl up and sleep on the side of the track for a while. I think it was the same year that Anne-Caroline crashed, rolled down a hill, retrieved her bike and still won by about 30 secs!! A crazy race.

What advice would you give to women riders thinking about giving DH racing a go?

Just get out there and get stuck in, enjoy the challenge, learn from everything you do and try and keep up with the boys as you will only get faster !

Do you ever get frustrated with attitudes towards women riders? And do you think it’s changed since you started racing?

I have always had a good reception from everyone in the industry, I don’t think that we get a raw deal. If you are trying your hardest and improving, and don’t ask for too much you will be respected and noticed. Let your riding do the talking..

So, no plans to head to the Southern Hemisphere again this summer before the first World Cup? Your experience of the epic Karapoti xc race last year isn’t tempting you back for another try? (Congrats on your time last year, by the way)

Not this year I am afraid, I’d love to come over again but I wanted to be around this winter to get the new bike / team etc all sorted and i also wanted spend some time working on my technical riding and riding in the wet, cold and mud can’t get much harder for riding, so that’s what I have been doing!

Anyone you’d like to thank…?

I’d like to thank everyone throughout my career that has enabled me to have some much success and enjoyment. Everyone in NZ that has made my countless trips a very special experience and made me always feel so welcome. My sponsors Volvo/Cannondale UK, Kona Bikes and now my thanks to Trek for giving another opportunity to continue doing what I love. My family and my brother especially for dragging me along to a few mtb races….look where it landed me ! Most recently my boyfriend for his willingness to travel and support me all over the world. Thank you.

Thanks heaps for your time Tracy, and all the best for 2009