Martino Fruet (July 21, 1977) certainly among the strongest downhill skiers in the world. In 1999 finished 3rd in the under 23 world championship behind Marco Bui and Cadel Evans. In 2000 won the world cup test in Mexico. He was XC national champion in 2002, 3rd in 2006 and 2nd in 2011. And he's still on the competition fields today, putting flowers behind the kids.
Space for the video interview and, below, for face to face in text form.
Martino, what is your youth secret?
But it is certainly the word that fits in this aspect is multidiscipline: having changed so many disciplines helps because each discipline has its own environment. So being in other environments gives you something extra. And each discipline gives you something that can then be used in the other: even on a technical and athletic level. So in recent years having different goals in different disciplines has certainly given me an extra stimulus.
For example?
For example, I don't like the marathon department so much: long races and, by the way, a bit boring because the technique fails. I like coaching more than athletics and so if I had only done marathon I would have stopped earlier. Instead doing all these disciplines, including the e-bike, they keep me motivated.
But the first ones Cross Country they were practically marathons in terms of duration.
It's not so much for the duration but for the technology: I like the granfondo, if there is a decent route and an average duration. It's not that they don't like them. But I did, for example, a 100 km of strong and right now it doesn't tell me anything anymore. With the bikes we have now it's just athletics.
I remember the first Italian Junior Championship (Pila 1993): it was more than 2 hours and in fact I was the age of the pupil because there weren't any pupils yet.
WORLD CUP VICTORY IN 2000
But why didn't this technical predisposition of yours make you switch to enduro?
I arrived at the Italian Enduro 2015 between the two Lupato brothers and I well remember that Denny asked me: "but when are you going to switch to enduro?". And so we had a chat but the answer was: "I think that economically I'm better off in the cross-country”. I keep my discipline in my heart. And then I add the others. Had there been enduro at the beginning of my career, I probably would have become an enduro rider. Although I feel that the bike from cross country is the all-round bike: if you must have a bike, that bike is there Cross Country, especially with today's geometries and technologies.
As a personal bike what do you have besides the cross country?
Ah well, I hold Cross Country front, Cross Country Full, Enduro, e-bike, road, cyclocross 1, cyclocross 2, cyclocross2. However all the bikes, apart from the road, I use for racing. With the road I did a few races up to under 23, the first few years and that's it: I use it as preparation, nothing more.
Where is the focus this year where is it headed? Surely you will be present in Nals.
Yes, as long as they make it I'll be there, I'm at the 22nd participation in a row, I've never missed an edition.
What goals have you set yourself this year?
Goals at my age are always a big word. However I want to do well at the Internationals of Italy. And then I wanted to do a little more electric if I can, with a focus on Mont Blanc-style stage races which are interesting. And the e-EDR races, i.e. electric enduro, which I've never tried.
How do you judge yourself on a theoretical level on the world of MTB?
Theoretical well then I repeat, my memory lately isn't what it used to be, but I've lived so much of the history of mountain biking: I've been racing for thirty years, not just a few.
Good luck to Martino for this umpteenth season riding a Mountain Bike.
