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By Fred Dreier
Photo: Fred Dreier
You may have thought that Julien Absalon had won every important cross-country mountain bike race on the planet. The Frenchman owns four elite world titles, three World Cup titles, a swarm of World Cup wins and Olympic gold. And to top that off, he won our VeloNewsInternational Cyclist of the Year prize last year as well.
But Absalon, now 27, has never won mountain biking’s storied Houffalize round of the UCI World Cup. He has been second once and fourth three times. This Sunday, he’ll get another shot. Is he up to the challenge?
VeloNews sat down with the champ to find out.
VeloNews: Explain the significance of the Houffalize World Cup to your career.
Julien Absalon: It is a famous race. It is the most famous World Cup. Houffalize is mythic. It is like a classic race on the road, and I have never won it. I did second last year, and third in 2004. I need to win it one time! I hope this year. I definitely have to win Houffalize before I stop my career. I would like to be on the podium on Sunday, that would be good. I will be happy to win of course because I want to win. But maybe it is too early in the season for me, so if I am on the podium I will be happy.
VN: Why do you think this victory has escaped you so far?
JA:Last year it was also the first World Cup of the year. It’s the beginning of the season and I was happy to do second because my goal was the world championships and I arrived not at 100 percent to Houffalize. I think this year we are all at the same condition, because everyone wants to be riding good in preparation for the Olympics. But maybe the Swiss guys will be faster because they are fighting for Olympic selection. This race is very important for them. Florian Volgel won the first Swisspower cups and looks very strong.
VN: I take it you don’t have to worry about Olympic selection this year. Are you already on the team?
Photo: Fred Dreier
JA:Ah yes, you could say that. For France we are three men for the three spots. Normally it is Jean Christoph Peraud, Cedric Ravanel and me. That is why we are more relaxed than the Swiss guys at this race. They have five or six strong guys fighting for three spots. It is better for us because we need to keep more energy for the end of the season. If we are 100 percent in Houffalize now, it is difficult to keep the form to the Olympics. Maybe it is good for us because the Swiss guys are really strong right now. They are fighting hard now and maybe in four months they will be tired.
VN:If you are not 100 percent, where are you?
JA:Ah, maybe 85 percent or 90 percent. This is only my first big international race. I did a race in Spain in March and won it, after that we did a popular race in Marseilles and was third, then a French cup in the south of France and won it. I also did a road race. I would like to arrive for good shape for the world championships in June, and this race is like a big training ride for me.
VN:I have just spent a few weeks in Belgium, and everyone is completely crazy about Tom Boonen. Some people also know the mountain bikers, such as Roel Paulissen and Filip Mierhaeghe, but definitely not like Boonen. In France, how is your popularity compared to road riders?
JA: Well, I have won the Vélo d’Or award. It is a trophy for the best French bike rider of the year, and French journalists of the press, like L’Equipe and Eurosport vote on who should get it. I won it in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. And this winter I finished in the sixth position in the French Athlete of the year award, which is presented by l’Equipe. Tony Parker [of the San Antonio Spurs] won it this year and I finished in the sixth position.
I was really excited because it is my first year in the running, because normally it is all soccer players and runners and never a cyclist or mountain biker. I am excited because in 2004 when I won the Vélo d’Or I was pushing to get mountain bike at the same level of popularity as the road. Before, mountain bike was like ‘eh, it’s ok but not as good as the road.’ Some journalists said that now I have won it in mountain bike I can pass on to the higher level on the road. I said ‘No, I am a mountain biker. I am qualified and I want to push my sport.’ When I won my first Vélo d’Or I said this is good, mountain bike is becoming more popular. And it is. I have seen it.
The history of the road is very big. More than 100 years in fact and in mountain bike we have 20 years.
