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Martha Hucker interviews Celine Gros

Celine Gros is having an awesome World Cup season in 2009, and has just had five consecutive WC podiums as well as taking the win at the ultra-competitive French National Championships. She also lives and rides at Morzine and this year is managing her own World Cup team. Naturally, Martha Hucker wanted to know a bit more about this super-chilled rider who always seems to have a big grin on the end of her race runs, so we caught up with Céline before she heads to Canberra for World Champs.

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Celine Gros looking fast and controlled in her race run.
Photo: Danice Uyesugi

Hi Céline! You had a difficult start to the season this year with a shoulder injury? What happened?
Well, last season, I had a very bad injury at the World Cup in Mont Sainte Anne after a very very bad crash. I had 8 fractures on my collarbone and had 2 operations… I was not sure if I could ride downhill this season. The winter was very hard for me because I couldn’t ride until April and I was in a hurry to know if I could ride without pain or not, try the new equipment, etc…

But you got back on your bike. Yusss! Has your 2009 season been better than you thought?
Exactly, the beginning of the season was hard for me because I didn’t ride for 8 months so I was pretty scared to got back on a bike. I didn’t know if I wouldl have pain, if i would have good feelings or not early in the season. So I had to train a lot in the South of France when I finished my job, on the 1st April. The goal for me was just to have good feelings, not to crash and try my new equipment. It was not easy because I had pain so I couldn’t try my equipment as I’d like. But after 2 or 3 weeks of downhill training, I started the season with the 2nd world cup in La Bresse. I was very surprised because my goal was to be on the top 10 and finished 6th, so it gave me a lot of motivation for the rest of the season!

At this time I am feeling better with my collarbone, you know, I crashed a lot of times at the first races because I couldn’t hold my bar very strong, I lost my bar with my hand many times but now I have less pain and I am stronger in my arms and my collarbone. I had very good results this season, so of course the 2009 season has been better than I thought and my French champion title helped me to be strong and motivated for the rest of the season. You know, my goal for me is just to have fun and I do not think about results, but if you have fun, it’s sure you have good result! And I have very good equipment this season, it helps me a lot.

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The elite women podium - French National Champs.
Photo: Rita Langley

You always seem so relaxed in interviews at the races. Are you really so calm
and happy when you are competing?
Thanks for telling me I seem relaxed! Well, This season, I have my own team, I ride just for fun, my 2nd rider is very cool, I think that’s why I am very relaxed! I am pretty calm because I have absolutely no pressure for this season, I am the manager, my sponsors are very professional and they have trusted me for many years. I have to do publicity for my sponsors, manage the team logistics, help my other rider to feel good on the team and on the bike, so I don’t have to just ride and do good results. I have many things to do and not to think only about the race and results make me calm and very relaxed ! I think I am more happier than last season to ride because after a big crash as last season, when you can start to ride again, you have to be HAPPY! You know, downhill has been a passion for me for many many years, it’s my whole life and I hope I won’t have to stop because of a big crash and injury. As long as I can ride and compete, I will be happy! but you have to know that even if I seem relaxed, I do stress a bit at the start of each race!

Tell us about Morzine. What’s it like living and training there?
I’ve lived in morzine since 1999. When I was young I lived closed to Dijon, there were no mountains to do mountain biking, but I rode bmx so that was not a problem for me. But when I stopped bmx and started downhill, my parents and I decided to move to a ski resort for training. That’s why we live now in Morzine, it’s so cool for downhill, there are a lot of tracks. I can ride all the summer, and during the winter I go skiing ( nordik ski, ski hiking and alpine ski ) every day after my job. It’s perfect for training, the only problem is I can’t ride during the winter. But I like to change sport during a part of the season. That’s very cool for me and I am sure to live and stay here for all my life!

What bike are you on this year?
I am racing for an Amercian company called Canfield Brothers. The frames are designed by 2 brothers, racing downhill, freeride, etc., and they have very good experience on the bike to know how to design a frame. They have been buiding frames for 10 years and I am very happy to ride for them! The frame is perfect for, very small and light, so I am feeling very good on it. I will continue to ride for them next season.

What’s the most fun thing about racing World Cups?
Well… maybe it’s to travel everywhere, to race on many different tracks. It’s not a very easy question! Everything is fun on the world cups! All the riders, the track, the results, the party!

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Celine Gros... clebrating..
Photo: Rita Langley

The French Elite Women seem to have taken over the podiums this year. Why do you think there are so many really good female French riders at the moment?
Exactly, French women are very fast this season, each of us has had at least 3 times on the podium. I don’t know exactly why, perhaps because each of us has good team, good bike. Perhaps also the young french woman riders are motivated to beat the elite ones!

Do you have any good advice you can give to new riders who want to ride fast
too?
Well, it’s not easy to reply but i can say that you have to know braking is very important to be fast on the track, you have to know exactly where and when to brake to be fast…downhill is a sport where you have to think a lot, and concentrate. It’s not really for crazy people, maybe it’s for crazy thinking people!

Are you looking forward to World Champs? What are your goals?
As I said, I do not really have a goal for the World championships, I am just riding for fun. At the beginning of the season, I was sure if I would go to the Worlds, so it’s a good opportunity for me now. It’s true that I finished on the podium at the 5 last World cups so if I finish in the top 5, I will be very happy. I will do all my best to succeed and have fun, and i will let you know after the race if I am happy or not with my result!

Anyone you’d like to thank?
Of course, I would like to thank all my sponsors, Morzine-Avoriaz, Conseil Général de Haute savoie, Canfield Brothers, and many others ones who have put their trust in me for many years, and given me motivation, and to all my friends, and my parents who were behind me when I was injured.

Wicked! Cheers Céline, good luck in Canberra, and we WILL be there to ask you how you feel about your results at the finish!

If you want to follow Céline’s racing and team Morzine-Avoriaz, their site is here. It’s in French, but if you don’t speak it you can put the site through Google Translate and you’ll get the idea… and plenty of translation quirks too!