Exceptional athlete Tracy Moseley is one of the most influential figures in cycling. In addition to racing, the 44-year-old Englishwoman is involved in product development, athlete management and research projects. She has never closed her mind to innovation. We wanted to find out from her whether the rumours are true and whether E-Enduro will replace classic Enduro racing.
EMTB: Tracy, the Enduro World Series (EWS) gained UCI World Cup status in 2023 and the Enduro World Cup (EDR) was created. Rumours are now circulating that there is only interest in the continuation of the EDR-E format. Is e-racing displacing enduro racing?
Tracy MoseleyDefinitely not, no. I've been on the Advisory Board of the EWS-E race series, now the EDR-E, for four years. At the end of 2023, the industry, organisers and athletes from both disciplines met for the first time. There is great interest in maintaining both disciplines and growing them together.
There will be some changes to the race format in 2024 and hopefully the EDR-E route will also become more exciting.
Nevertheless, some drivers are worried that they will no longer find a team - except in the e-area...
So much is changing in the cycling industry in all areas, and racing is no exception. We are in a process of change, at the beginning of a whole new era. For me, this is an incredibly exciting time - if you don't close yourself off, bring curiosity with you and have the desire to try something new. In 2024, there will be some changes to the race format and hopefully the EDR-E route will also become more exciting. And in 2023, the EDR and EDR-E took place on the same day, which will no longer be the case in 2024. Why? So that athletes have the option to ride both races.
Is that realistic? Is it that easy for an enduro racer to achieve a top position on an e-mountainbike?
No, these are definitely two disciplines. You need specialised skills, a lot of experience, a lot of training. It's also totally okay if you stay specialised. But there are certainly athletes who want to develop and test themselves. And instead of six World Cup races a year, you could do twelve. That would certainly appeal to some riders. Double the racing experience, double the media attention, more chances of winning prize money, satisfied sponsors.
Of course the industry has a say, but it always has.
Does the industry ultimately determine the development of racing?
Of course it has a say, but it has always done so. Simply because technical developments are leading the way. This is certainly even more the case in e-racing. For a brand like Bosch, racing is a kind of Formula 1 - an innovation and test laboratory for what could be possible. Spectators and buyers also play a role. Which format is exciting for you and which bike are you interested in? If the E-MTB is so popular, racing should change with it.
What does your dream e-racing format look like?
(Laughs) Unrealistic. I love multi-day adventures. But that can't be conveyed in the media. What I would hate to see would be e-racing reduced to show elements, for example with power climbs reminiscent of moto enduro. But who knows, with technical developments it may also be possible to hold 100 kilometre races with 12 stages in one day...
The bike is so much more than just a piece of sports equipment - it can be the catalyst for a positive transformation of our society.
Your involvement in biking is very diverse. Where are you heading in the future?
I would like to promote the bicycle to society as a whole. It is so much more than just a piece of sports equipment - it can be the catalyst for a positive transformation of our society. And we all know that this is not only essential in terms of health and climate. The bike has so many facets, sport is just one of them. Especially with the eBike, which is an absolute multi-tool.
You also had a part in the documentary "hasing the Sun", which celebrates the versatility of the bicycle.
Exactly. Chase the Sun is a cool event format that developed by chance. On the longest day of the year, it runs from sunrise to sunset from east to west across England and now also through Ireland and Italy. Chasing the Sun is a documentary film by the team that shows the power that the bicycle can develop - in very different ways. They accompanied me on a ride with my young son Toby and my father. Thanks to e-MTBs, we can share experiences across generations that would otherwise not be possible.
One of my goals is to get more children on bikes - but I've realised that you first have to get the parents on bikes.
Is world champion Tracy Moseley rediscovering the bike?
Somehow, yes. Being a mum has made it an everyday vehicle. I take my son to school, go shopping on it and try to do as little as possible by car. One of my goals is to get more children on bikes - but I've realised that you first have to get parents on bikes. And that requires better infrastructure. Something may be slowly happening in the city, but nothing is happening in the countryside. We still have to cycle on the roads. So I'm not running out of projects and ideas - from e-racing to cycle paths...
About Tracy Moseley
Tracy Moseley got into mountain biking through her brother Ed, who raced cross-country in the early 90s. Tracy's first race took place on her family's farm in 1992. She got into downhill in 1994 and became British junior champion in 1995. Her first international race was the 1995 World Championships, where she finished 8th in the juniors. In 1997, she became national elite champion in England for the first time. In 2001, she won her first World Cup downhill race. Since then, the Englishwoman has regularly achieved top placings in the Downhill World Cup. In 2006, she won the overall Downhill World Cup for the first time, becoming DH World Champion and, from 2013, Enduro World Champion three times in a row. She ended her career in 2016 at the age of 37. For the time being. After the birth of her son Toby, she entered the world of e-racing. Today, the 44-year-old is one of the advocates for e-MTB sport. Her work tool is a Trek Rail with Bosch CX Race.
