Andi gets Cedric Gracia to slow down for long enough to spend five minutes answering the questions we ask everyone.
Words Andi Photography Forestal
Tell us who you are, what do you do and why we should go for a ride with you.
Well, I’m Cedric Gracia. I’m 41 years old. Since I’m born, I’m on the BMX. Switched the BMX with skiing at 12 and started mountain biking at 16. Basically all my life I’ve been an athlete and riding. Just a good way to get out my energy. I guess ADD helped me to be able to ride and make my parents happy, then when I go to bed I’m quiet. Why should you ride with me? Because I think I can teach you a couple of things, have fun and how to have a good time on a mountain and I will tell you tons of stories, part of my life racing and travelling the world.
Click the player below to listen to Cedric as he works through Andi’s list of quick-fire questions.
What has been your best memory or achievement?
Well, Rampage was really special for me in 2003, winning. Not expecting it, just going for a fun ride with friends and hang out. No timing, just showing what you could do and the fun and basically riding, jumping, hanging out in America with a big crowd. And it was just like a blast; I mean the competition aspect was basically on the side really. But at the end of the day when I came back in Europe, it looked like it was a big deal, a Frenchie winning in America. But achievement, I think I did pretty OK in result, even it’s for me, it’s just in the past, another kind of guy would look back too much in the past. I’m way more excited in what is coming – and something big is coming. I’m being involved in making the bike, the Forestal, and it being a big challenge and everyone thinks I’m crazy. But… I’m 41 years old [and] I have a lot more in the tank than people expect from me. Then, well, I’m just following my little road, not looking back.
If you could only ride one trail for the rest of your days, which is it?
We ride the top to the bottom from the top of Vallnord [in Andorra] all the way to the Riders’ Boutique because that’s a massive run. But all day is going to be difficult because after four times I did that full run, I’m pretty dead. But that would be something sick. That’s what I like from home, it’s just such a variety of different dirt and from trees, to up in space, to steep, to dusty, to routes, to jumps. That’s covering it all and that’s why I like that playground.
Cedric
What would you like to do better?
I don’t know. I like to take consideration what people tell me how I should be better. That’s why I listen to my friends and my dad because they have an objective eye on me. I don’t listen too much to other people, because other people sometimes are jealous, or people I don’t you know, really know. But yeah, I always take advice and I’ll try to improve every day. And I guess the age as well helps me to be a little bit smarter. And making mistakes, because I make mistakes like everyone, I guess, and I try to learn from them. That’s I guess how I do, but what I would do, yeah, I would just try to get better for the people around me and for what I do as well.
Which component do you break and/or swap the most?
Well I guess I don’t break too many things – I just abuse them because I ride a lot. I maintain my bike, but when you ride at bike parks every day, like up and down, up and down, up and down, yeah components are just getting used a lot. Then tyres, well when you ride all day obviously it’s just getting used and you need to change them. That’s basically what I change the most. Sometimes I change some brake pads as well, but not as much as you think. And cables, a lot, from gearing, when I do a lot of enduro and wash the bikes and everything like that, yeah, [my bikes are] just suffering a lot just because of riding. Like the more you ride, the more you have to change parts and it’s a part of it for sure. But yeah, I’m pretty pleased at what mountain bike components are made for because a lot of things stay a long time if they are done right.
You crash a bike and you can only salvage one thing from it. What would it be and why?
It’s difficult. [Laughter]. I would take my handlebar because at least I can pretend, if I close my eyes, I can still ride [laughs].
What is your tip to becoming a better mountain biker?
I guess, you know, it’s like everything, if you love something and you ride a lot and you pay attention – like you like a rider or something, the way he rides – you’re getting to start to analyse the way he does it.
For improving faster, it’s definitely worth riding with better guys, like [they’ll] show you the right line right away, show you a lot of stuff, then you learn instinctively. You shave a couple of years right there. If the guy is with you he can explain two or three things that he’s doing and why he’s doing it. That’s what I try to do when I ride with riders that are a little bit slower than me. I just tell them what to do and just turn down the speed a bit to make sure they can follow and get the same line and help them for jumps and stuff like that. And it’s cool at the end of the day when it’s stopped, you know, a big smile on their face, makes you happy.
What’s the innovation that made mountain biking better and why?
People are going to hate me, but I think kind of having an assisted bike. It’s good because my dad can go ride with me now. He can take his e-bike or whatever it is, assisted bike and go riding with me. I’m suffering with the muscular [normal bike] one and getting my work done, getting in shape, and dad is just pushing me on the side and talking. That hurt a little bit, but it’s awesome because we can share a lot more than before, he could never go with me, then that’s resuming my spending time with the old guy, having fun. It’s cool, it’s awesome.
What do you admire the most in the mountain biking world?
I guess the way everyone is even. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor whatever, as long as you ride and [are] having fun. Everyone is on the same level and this is super cool, you know. Everyone is having fun. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what nationality, what religion, rich, poor, whatever. All good, that’s what I like. It amazes me and it’s just a fair play sport and that for me is the most important.
What are you hoping to get up to in the next 12 months?
The next 12 months is going to be tough. Tough, but it’s going to be the result of hard work. It’s all going to show me how much work we’ve all being doing, how good we did and it’s going to be a straight in answer of all the questions I was asking myself. Then in the 12 months, yeah for sure, it’s going to be probably epic for me and probably determined a big result. I’m expecting a lot, whatever it is. But whatever it is, I’m ready. I’ve been working hard. I just hope what I did, I will make people happy. But we’ll see in 12 months.
