Cross country super talent: Interview with up-and-coming star Martin Vidaurre
Sissi Pärsch
· 05.08.2024
His mouth is full, his laughter broad. Martin Vidaurre sits in a café in Valais after a training session and devours one almond croissant after another. His dark blonde mop of hair sticks out wildly in all directions. Even though he could easily pass for Swiss or German on the outside, his gestures, facial expressions and flow of speech speak South American volumes.
BIKE: Martin, you have the bike gene in you, but also German DNA ...
Martin Vidaurre: Exactly, my grandad is German, my mum was born in Chile. But we spoke German with her at home and I went to a German school. In 2017, I came to Europe for the first time for a few months and my coach and I chose Freiburg as our base camp. Simply because we knew that there was a strong mountain bike scene in Freiburg. And we had contact with the Lexware team, which I then rode for from 2018. I had a good time there over the years, learnt a lot and still have many friends from Freiburg.
More competition themes?!
Your parents were mountain bikers, your sister Catalina competes in the World Cup - you are a sports family...
As a very young child, I witnessed my father racing bikes and motorsport and grew up in this environment. I tried different things, but the bike was always there, it just clicked. Of course, it's great when you have a family that understands and supports you. My father is still racing and Catalina is in a really good mood right now. She's studying in Chile and still commutes home from the races in Europe. She's taking it a bit slower, but she's really enjoying it.
What should we definitely know about Chile, also as a mountain bike country?
Chile is a narrow country with stark mountains and a really stark sea. A lot of things are centred on Santiago, where I grew up. Mountain biking is developing enormously at the moment. From Santiago, you can ride up to 2,700 metres in 30 or 40 minutes and ride great trails. We also have bike parks. And after biking, you can go surfing by the sea ...
Martin Vidaurre: I'm much, much more Chilean than German. How can you have dinner at 7 pm?
Are you more chilled out Chilean or more German discipline?
I am much, much more Chilean than German. For example, I can't have dinner at 7pm! How can you have dinner at 7 pm? Getting used to it was really hard. But I also have discipline in me. If I have to do the work, then I have no problem giving it my all and then some. Nevertheless, I need to have fun.
So you're less well-paced than a Tom Pidcock?
No, I don't always just cycle. That's too small a world for me. I don't want to live so that I can win a World Cup. As a Chilean, you don't really think about becoming a professional athlete. There are very few of them here. We haven't had a single Olympic medal in the last 20 years - in any discipline.
But like Pidcock, you moved to Andorra ...
Yes, and I live in his former flat (laughs).
Really?
Yes, Andorra is still very fresh for me. It's great because of the altitude. But altitude also means: lots of cows and lots of horses, fewer friends and fewer women. That's okay. I have a double life: In Chile, I enjoy the time with all the people around me. It's more relaxed, there's always something to do. In Europe, my focus on training is more intense.
The feedback from the cross-country scene is unanimous: Vidaurre is good for the World Cup circuit - with his zest for life, positive energy and talent as an entertainer. The Chilean loves to entertain the audience. Thomas Frischknecht once described Vidaurre as a "rock star". The Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team Manager would have loved to have him on his team. But Specialized brought the U23 world champion onto its factory team in 2023.
You also have to train hard for the elite. It is said that Specialized offered a mid-six-figure sum for you. Doesn't the chilled Chilean feel any pressure?
I know exactly what I want. And I know that I have to train really well. It's a tough sport at elite level, even tougher than I thought it would be. But I don't want to win everything tomorrow. I need my time. It's always been like that. It's always taken me time to reach my level and it's no different now. There is pressure, but I know what I can achieve.
And with the sum it seems as if Specialized really wanted you ...
To be honest, I have no idea why the sum is so high (laughs). But it's not just about me. Not me and not Specialized either. You know, I'm a family man and I want to promote cycling in my home country, in Chile, in South America. That's why it was important to me that I didn't just have a perfect bike, a strong team and a deal. I wanted a package. And I think they saw the potential. My dad has a bike shop and he needs a brand with which we can build a large community in Chile. And we can do that with Specialized.
You dominated the U23s, set records, won the overall World Cup twice and became world champion. What is your interim conclusion now in the 2024 elite season?
Tough! 2024 is also the Olympic season, which is always special. I was really good at the start in Brazil and that was a big relief. I really wanted to show that I can race well. And I realised for myself that with the right form and good legs I can ride at the front. Third in the short track - oh, short track is so intense, so brutal. And then I finished fifth in the XCO race and a few days later seventh in Araxá. But it got more brutal in Europe. I can see what lies ahead of me.
Martin Vidaurre's role model? Nino Schurter!
Is it mainly about gaining experience, especially for an impulsive guy like you?
In any case. If I feel good, I want to be at the front, then I want to attack. But there are so many strong riders and everything is close together. If you have a rather bad day, you can suddenly be riding around 40th place. And that makes it mentally difficult for me. I actually already have a strong head, but I also know myself: if I'm riding at the front in the leading group, I'm in battle mode. When I'm further back, I'm constantly asking myself: Why are we only doing this here? That makes motivation harder.
Who was your great role model?
Oh, Nino Schurter already.
And is your big goal to beat him?
No! The big aim is more to get on well with him, chat to him and have fun. I'm competitive, sure, but not in that way. It's not important to me to knock him off his throne to show that I'm the best.
And how do you feel about your team colleagues Victor Koretzky and Christopher Blevins?
Victor is a good mate, but he's also French (laughs). I can really learn a lot from him. He knows his stuff extremely well and has a lot of experience. I'm sure I'll benefit from that. And Chris, what can I say, he's a terrible bloke.
Vidaurre laughs, gesticulates and finally turns the screen. Blevins waves into the camera. The two pro riders must have eaten half the café together ...
No, Chris is a great teammate. He's an open guy, we often train together and have a lot of fun. But he's not particularly good at surfing.
Have you set yourself any goals for the future?
I know exactly what I want, but I don't have any specific goals. But I have to train really well, it's a tough sport. I do everything I can to raise my level bit by bit, to understand my body better and to work together with my team in the best possible way. It's a lot of detailed work. I'm also doing it all for Chile. I'm so lucky to have been born there because the energy and support is enormous. I want to win an Olympic medal for my country one day - that's a goal. And I'll find my way, I'm sure of that.
