Manon Carpenter Ep1: From World Champion to walking away... (the full story)

The Ride Companion

Former Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion Manon Carpenter joins the podcast! Manon Carpenter sits down with Olly and Davi for an in-depth conversation about her incredible racing career. Growing up in Wales, Manon reflects on her early years immersed in mountain biking, spurred on by her dad, Jason, who founded the Dragon Downhill Series. She shares memories of helping out at races and her journey from her first race to becoming a pro rider. Manon dives into her early successes, including her first national races, inspirations, landing her first sponsors, and the remarkable achievement of finishing second in her debut Elite World Cup. Manon also opens up about her decision to step away from downhill racing during the 2017 season. She candidly discusses the challenges she faced, including the evolving tracks, the pressure to perform, the balance of risk versus reward, and her personal battle with burnout. We hope you enjoy this episode and join us next week for part 2!

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