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If you were in Nelson for the final of the SI Cup, you may have noticed the four rather fast guys on short travel bikes doing sweeping runs - these guys have been out in NZ for the last couple of weeks filming for a new DVD travelling around with Justin Leov. The big cheese went down to Rotorua in January to hit the trails and catch up with the team.
I had decided that I was going to flag the South Island series this year and spend some time with the family. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them until just before Christmas, when Justin Leov gave me a call. He gave me the heads up that the Lapierre Saab Salomon team, were on their way to NZ to do some filming for 10 days. He was recruited to be the Tour guide for the group and show them around the country. On his team was Johnno from Christchurch who was going to travel around and help the group out. He suggested that I come down for the day to (Roto)Vegas and do a bit of interviewing as well as some riding.
I didn’t take me long to work out where the family holiday was going to be. I’m sure the missus knew that I had ulterior motives for going to Vegas when she saw the bikes on the back of the car. I had 3 of the best days riding I’ve ever had before they turned up (thanks to Jeff at Southstar Shuttles for running the service over the holiday period). I had a couple days rest before the tour party turned up and was absolutely amping to get out there on the trails with them.
 When they turned up at the car park we couldn’t believe how big the group was. There were the NZ guides Justin and Jono, 4 riders, 6 or 7 film/management crew (mostly French), and 2 Germans who had won a competition to travel with the team.
Gabby was showing us around on her home tracks. The group had privately hired out the Southstar Shuttle bus. They took a bit of time to get themselves sorted, but before not too long we were up the top of the hill and ready to throw the bikes down Little Red Riding Huck (I know it better as the Jump track). We thought that we would be riding loads of different trails, but the team and Justin were loving the track and just wanted to keep hitting it up….fine by me. They sessioned it all morning for the film crew, and a bit for the afternoon session.
After a few runs there in the afternoon we went and rode the Taniwha (DH track).
Although they were only on 160mm travel bikes, they didn’t find the track to be a problem, hitting everything on it with ease. Watching them ride was magic. Especially David and Danny, who along with Justin were cutting the track to pieces on their trail bikes. You couldn’t stop those 3 pushing back time and time again to hit the bottom section and the last double. They were supposed to head off early the next day for Wellington, but they decided the riding was so good there they would ride Vegas the next day.
I took the opportunity on the shuttle rides up to find out more about the riders and their plans for the upcoming season. With the exception of Danny, the riders were French or Spainish so you may want to read their parts with a foreign accent (southern European would be best). David Vasquez:
Born 10/02/1979 - 28
Barcelona, Spain
First World Cup – 1997
World Cup Wins – 4
Best W.C. results – 2nd Overall 1998, 3rd Overall 2000, 5th Overall 2003 and 2004
2007 Results
European Champion 2007,
Spanish National Champion 2007,
5th place UCI ranking 2007,
2nd place at the World Cup in Vigo 2007,
6th place at the World Cup in Schladming 2007.
9th Overall W.C 2007
David has signed a 2 year deal with the team and will focus on the DH as well as doing some marathon events. David is one of the most experienced riders on the World Cup having been around over 10 years. He’s still only 28 and can rip. Vazquez is the top rider on the newly formed Lapierre team this season.
NZRide.com: David, last year you won the European Champs in Greece. What was it like riding there?
Vasquez: It was very hot and dusty but a really cool race.
NZRide.com: For 2008 what are your goals?
Vasquez: For this year I would like to make the top 8 and especially the top 5 overall in the World Cup. If it looks like I am doing well at the beginning of the season and on track then I will do all the World Cups.
NZRide.com: Are there any tracks in particular that you are looking forward to this year?
Vasquez: Maribor has always been a favorite track for me, and the Andorra round. There has been racing there for the last 3 years, although the tracks will be a little different.
NZRide.com: Along with Steve Peat, you must be one of the most experienced riders on the World Cup circuit. What changes have you seen in that time?
Vasquez: From 1996 till 2001 were the good days of the World Cups. There was good outside sponsorship from companies like Grundig, and Diesel plus lots of car companies were involved with the teams. And there was television coverage. After 2001 there was no investment and the World Cups were coming down but now I think it is coming up again with some new teams and good outside sponsorship.
NZRide.com: Having been on the circuit as long as you have, who do you consider to be the best rider of all time?
Vasquez: I think that Sam Hill is unreal and probably the best rider that has come so far. Steve Peat is also there and from the past Nico. These would be the top 3 in my opinion but I think Sam would be fastest.
NZRide.com: What is the strongest part of your riding?
Vasquez: I think that for me, I can focus on all different types of tracks and do well on most of them.
NZRide.com: Is it harder racing now than say 5-10 years ago?
Vasquez: Yes I think so. The younger guys who are coming through now are really stepping it up and have the most amazing bike handling skills. So it is definitely getting harder to beat them – they all want to go fast.
David’s been consistent for a long time. If he finds some early season form, he will have a great shot at making the top 5 and gracing the podium regularly. Go Spain.
Greg Doucende:
Born 09/09/1982 -25
3rd place Mountain of Hell 2007,
3rd place Mégavalanche 2007,
2nd place Transvésubienne (a 7+ hour race) 2006,
3rd place Enduro Series 2005,
Top 5 Marathon DH European Cup,
Last year Greg rode for Q Bikes, on the same team as Mickael Pascal. Greg won’t be racing the World Cup down-hills, instead he concentrates on the Endurance or marathon DH events such as the Mega Avalanche. These events are growing massively every year with last year seeing over 1,000 entrants at the Mega Avalanche race in France.
NZRide.com: So you will be concentrating on the Marathon down hills. How many events will you competing in this season?
Doucende: Between May and September there is between 10-15 Marathons that I will compete at.
NZRide.com: What background have you come from and why choose the Marathon Dh?
Doucende: When I was younger I competed in XC for 5 years. I made the French under 17 team. But I found that XC had too much training. I was quite good at DH so the 2 combined made be choose the marathon DH.
NZRide.com: Where are the races this year?
Doucende: This year I will travel to, Andorra, Great Britain, Italy, Sweden and of course France.
NZRide.com: Are there long enough hills in GB to hold Endurance DH?
Doucende: Yes, sometimes they aren’t as big as Europe. When they don’t have the really big hills they use a different concept. You might have to ride the track 10 times. Sometimes you have transport or a chairlift to take you back to the top and sometimes you may have to ride to the top in a certain time limit.
NZRide.com: What sort of training do you do?
Doucende: I usually train about 15 hours a week. It fits in nicely to my studies in Sports science.
NZRide.com: Finally, what are your goals this season?
Doucende: Of course, I want to win. 
Danny Hart:
Born 20/09/1991
Redcar, Middlesborough,UK
A young and talented rider (1st year junior) who will be testing his skills
against the world’s best after winning all national titles in his native UK in the Youth category. Certain English journalists have already called him the next Sam Hill…
Scottish National Champion for the last 2 years,
1st place overall ranking of the SDA Races (England’s National Cup),
1st place overall ranking of the NPS Winter Race (Scotland’s National Cup).
NZRide.com: Have you heard of NZRide?
Hart: Yeah, definitely. I check it out all the time. I read the Bryceland interview that you did last year. (Good Start)
NZRide.com: How did you get on to what looks like a very pro team.
Hart: I was picked up through the Maxxis Cups. I won the last round in France in the Cadets class.
NZRide.com: What races will you be hitting up this year
Hart: All the Euro World Cups, Saab Salamon Mega Series, NPS – England, and the Maxxis Cups.
NZRide.com: What goals have you set yourself this year?
Hart: I definitely want to make the GB team for the World Champs. To win the NPS series and make the top 5 in the juniors at the World Cups.
NZRide.com: Is Josh Bryceland still a junior?
Hart: Yeah he is. It will be difficult to beat him.
NZRide.com: How much and what sort of training do you do?
Hart: Usually about 5 hours a week. go to the gym 2 times a week, ride moto and ride the skate park.
NZRide.com: Clips or Flats?
Hart: Clips
NZRide.com: Strongest part of your riding?
Hart: Probably technical and I love jumping.
NZRide.com: What’s the story with your deal with the team?
Hart: I have signed a 3 year contract with the team. They get me to all the races and sort everything out for me.
NZRide.com: What bikes do you get for the year?
Hart: I get 2 DH bikes, 2 Enduro bikes like the Spicy we are riding over here and an XC bike.
NZRide.com: Finally, what’s the story with the neck-brace.
Hart: It’s a Fro System. I wear it for safety. My coach advised me that it would be a good idea. In the UK they are just starting to come in properly now and more and more people are wearing or thinking about wearing them.
//DANNY: SEEN HERE WEARING THE FRO SYSTEM NECK BRACE
Danny was definitely ruling the Vegas trails on his 6 inch travel trail bike. He was hitting the step down at the top of the Taniwha and had no problems clearing the double at the bottom of the track. A few days after Vegas he swept on the Nelson course and posted some pretty respectable times on his trail bike. Definitely a rider to watch out for in the future (could be sooner rather than later too…). 
//JUSTIN LEOV PEDALS INTO THE STEP DOWN ON THE TANIWHA DH
Cyril Lagneau
31
Marseilles, France
Team Manger
Cyril was instrumental in setting up the team. His company, Pure Agency run the team. If you only started riding in the last few years you might not know his name, but Lagneau was top 15 World Cup rider for 10 years between 1994 and 2004. He had some pretty solid results too.
World Cups – 5th Les Gets 98, 4th Maribor 2001, 6th overall 2003
French Champion 2004
NZRide.com: You have raced the World Cup circuit for a long time and you finished in 2004, what have you been doing since then?
Lagneau: For the last 2 years I am managing the Q Bikes team and now I have set up the Lapierre Saab Salamon team.
NZRide.com: What did it involve setting up the team.
Lagneau: I had to get the sponsors for money and product. I also decide on the riders for the team and work out the schedule for them. Book the accommodation and make sure that the riders train.
NZRide.com: Lapierre Saab and Salamon are the main sponsors. How long have they committed to?
Lagneau: The team will run for 3 years. That is the contract that we have agreed to.
NZRide.com: Was it hard to get sponsors.
Lagneau: Yes very hard. Most of the companies are interested in sponsoring the bigger sports like Formunla 1, Football and Road Cycling.
NZRide.com: You are the team manager, but you look like you are ready to race. Will you be racing for the team?
Lagneau: I will be doing the Marathon Downhills but are too old to race the Down hills. You need to do too much training.
NZRide.com: Good luck with the team
Lagneau: Thank you. 
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