In February we announced the withdrawal of the Australian legend Jared Graves, now let's read this interesting interview.
After competing for several years in both the Downhill World Cup (DH) and in the four cross (4X), Graves jumped at the opportunity to race in enduro at the highest level at the end of 2012. Since then he has racked up podiums. , won the championship title in 2014 and has been a mentor to some of the best riders currently on the scene.
Let's see what your opinion is on the EWS and much more
What prompted you to compete with EWS for the first time?
Graves: It was a pretty easy choice for me. Enduro is what I wanted to run since my adolescence; but it didn't exist yet.My background is with BMX, then XC and road, before getting into DH and then back into BMX and 4X. I've always liked all disciplines for different reasons, and to be successful in Enduro you have to be a well-rounded rider, so it was very interesting for me.
How did you approach training for a completely new discipline? What did you expect from this sport?
Graves: The same way I've always done it. For enduro it meant doing 150km of physical loosening on the road with resistance intervals one day, then the more difficult descents available the next day, the motivation to do the work was rarely an issue for me to the point that I hated the days of rest.
I didn't expect anything in particular from this sport, I just expected you to do the work and show up ready for whatever race was in store for me.
365 - Were Those Expectations Fulfilled?
Graves: I have to say that in 2013 the format was absolutely spot on. Difficult but not too much, a good mix, you needed a well thought out approach to race day. It was very funny. In the following years he went more towards the multi-lap DH.
The enduro obviously suited you: you finished 3rd at the first EWS ever in Punta Ala, 2013. Is it the driving style for you, the mental approach or something else?
Graves: I just knew that in 2013 I really wanted to get out of swing, so I studied all the previous races and what the requirements were, so I trained to be ready. I think I figured that out long before the season started, like with the pace during a phase. You really have to relax in some areas and then hammer in others. For example, give up three seconds in one section during recovery to gain five seconds in another section. So be smart and patient and stick to this during one phase, instead of overdoing it from the start and exploding in the middle. So it was a mix of mental training and skill. I think I've done it well since that first race.
Your first win came a few rounds later, in Whistler. How did you feel?
Graves: It was a huge relief, I rode round two in France after day one, but Nico Vouilloz got the better of me on day two to sneak ahead a few seconds, I should have won Winter Park but a broken derailleur in the second phase cost me a few minutes. So winning Whistler was a huge relief, probably one of the best racing memories of my career. My wife was there with me and we had a great time celebrating that night, before returning to Yeti headquarters in Colorado the next day where we celebrated again.
When did you decide to completely shift your attention to enduro racing?
Graves: In 2012 I had stopped racing in 4X to focus on DH, but I couldn't focus on this discipline. I've always been good at driving blindly and doing the same ride over and over limited me, so I tried a few enduro races and it was love at first sight. As soon as it was announced that the EWS would become a real thing, I knew that was what I wanted to do.
In 2014 you dominated the series with three wins and two second places and were crowned overall champion. Tell us about that season and the feeling of winning the absolute championship ..
Graves: Well, I felt like 2013 was going well and I was happy with it; but I was still learning as the season went on. I felt like there was still room for improvement. I was able to combine everything I had built before the 2013 season with what I had learned during the season. So I was very confident for the start of 2014. Anything other than winning the title would be a disappointment, which also had its downsides. Running to win is very stressful.
What was it like watching the sport grow and having young people like Richie Rude enter the scene?
Graves: After seeing the progression of the DH and 4X World Cup, it was always expected that at some point the youngsters would emerge. Richie has always been a pure talent, the things I've seen him do on the mtb are incredible. It was always motivational to see what the boys were carrying.
Richie Rude won his first EWS in 2015. A year later, you won your last EWS, in Aspen. What was it like competing against the new generation of enduro racers?
Graves: Just like in the last question, I always liked seeing how young people were pushing the sport because it pushed me to work harder to progress. This has always been the most rewarding part of the competitive process. When I was a young guy and had a certain amount of hype around me, I didn't really understand it at the time, I was just doing what I loved and trying to go fast. But as you get a little older and see what the young guys are bringing, you understand more of what you brought to racing too when you were a kid.
You've been very open on social media about life while undergoing brain tumor treatment. You also said you don't look back on those days with regret. Can you explain a bit what you mean by this and how your outlook on life and your priorities have evolved?
Graves: When something like this happens to you, you can't help but think about what you have done with your time and what you would have liked to have done differently. It was patently obvious that this was a life lesson, which in the long run would only be positive; provided I hadn't crossed over to the other side. The main thing is that cycling is beautiful; but it is far from a super important part of life. If you think what you are doing with racing is really important, you are wrong. I realized that the important things were to push yourself to achieve the goals and try to be a positive influence for others. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had and for what I have achieved. I realized that I have always loved running for myself and that you should do something because you want to do it. If you love it, do it, nothing else matters. My cancer just got me thinking a little deeper and I understand why I love cycling.
How does it feel to get back to doing what you love? Has your motivation to ride bicycles changed?
Graves: As long as I can drive I'm happy. My motivation has always changed for better or for worse. In the beginning it was just for love and to get paid for what I loved, which was also rewarding; but then it comes full circle just to do what you love to do again.
What prompted you to switch from EWS to EWS-E?
Graves: I wouldn't say it was a switch. I was supposed to run a lot more EWS in 2021, but covid-related travel restrictions prevented me from racing the first few rounds, then a few weeks before flying from the US to Europe for the latter part of the season, I took a huge flight , which prevented me from racing with Loudenvielle and only racing EWS-E in Crans-Montana. I hadn't driven on dirt for over a month before that race. I was doing what I could to keep fit, but the muscles around my collarbone and shoulder were holding me back. I just never really mentioned it because I didn't want to make a fuss.
What are your thoughts on the current EWS trend?
Graves: I think we're seeing young riders coming who were born with enduro, not DH or XC crossover. Cyclists these days are a bit spoiled compared to a generation ago, thanks to the amount of quality trails available in bike parks and on trails in general, which is developing bikers faster.
As for the EWS, I can't help but think it went a little too far from what it was originally supposed to be, which was a race format of what normal daytime driving entails. There are now too many fresh, purpose-built tracks. It's all part of it, but it seems like it has become the most important part of it. I understand it's difficult when you want to keep a level playing field with local knowledge and people who already know the tracks and whatnot. It has gotten so heavy downhill, to the point that runners complain when a stage is physical.
To me, it became obvious in 2018 when I would come home from a race and my bike would feel absolutely terrible on anything other than a full blown DH track. Somewhere along the line, DH tires have become a standard issue and now DH tires with inserts because even DH tires alone aren't strong enough. Not everyone will agree with me on this, and the sport is evolving, but the fact that generally more meters in altitude are gained with the chairlifts and not pedaling shows that the races have moved far away from those that would normally be run on a daily basis. base. It's not always a bad thing, it just changed and changed quite far from how it was originally supposed to be.
What was it like being involved in the development of the Yeti 160E and seeing it go from initial design to the EWS-E starting line?
Graves: Well, I wasn't there in the very early stages, development started in 2017 when I was still with Specialized, so I've only really been involved in the last 15 months. My main part was the suspension test, as I had a prototype which was a regular pedal bike with the Sixfinity suspension used on the 160E. Mainly due to the fact that international e-bike shipping is complicated with batteries and everything in between. I was also driving a fair amount of Levo's that I still had from Specialized and giving feedback on what it did
How did you find the EWS-E 2021 season? Where do you see sport going?
Graves: To be honest, e-bike racing is not for me. I just couldn't get into it. There is too much technology involved and it takes away from the pure look of the mountain bike.
I love e-bikes for driving in general, they allow you to go out for long epic routes that I normally couldn't do; but at the moment the competitions are too much based on technology; specifically with regard to the engine. The sport undoubtedly has some big growth issues right now, and I think it will take some time to get it figured out.
Can you tell us about your decision to retire from professional racing?
Graves: In the end it was easy. Some main points were that I always wanted to push myself further and loved the whole “getting comfortable being uncomfortable; this thing has diminished enormously with Covid. For example, when I saw riders on Instagram doing cool things, it motivated me to push myself further. I loved it! I loved banging, as stupid as it sounds: if I banged it meant I was pushing. Recently, he's become more of an “ughhhh” type, I don't want to relive it again ”.
After everything I'd been through, I was extremely motivated and worked hard for 2020. I was riding faster than ever, confident and fit; but three days before I was supposed to fly for the first rounds in South America was when Covid struck and the world went into lockdown. After that I never had the same motivation.
Finally, who would win in a race between a 2014 Jared Graves and a 2022 Richie Rude?
Graves: I'm not going to be that guy who says times have changed, so it's hard to say. A fit Richie Rude is better than a fit Jared Graves. I'd say I know more, but he's faster.
source: Enduro Word Series
