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Manon Carpenter: The Gold That Got Away

Posted September 7 2010
Photography: Luke Webber

History is repeating itself. A British Junior downhiller rolls with the best on the Mountain Bike World Cup Circuit in her rookie year, scoring top ten results and gaining a protected World Cup plate. Six years ago it was Rachel Atherton - today it's Manon Carpenter - and despite a crash at Windham counting her out of the World Championships, she's still ahead of the game, as Luke Webber explains.

Manon Carpenter is in luck - and if you think I'm talking rubbish following her crash in Windham, days before the 2010 World Championships - then you're forgetting a few crucial facts.

Because Manon's already ahead of the game; that is, if you're using Rachel Atherton as a yardstick.

It's a fair comparison to make. Before Atherton progressed to serial World Cup winner, Britain's first women's mountain bike World Champion didn't take the Junior title until her second year in the category. So in that respect, the pressure is off for Manon, who has until 2011 to capture the rainbow jersey.

Not to mention the fact she wrapped up the Junior World Cup Series on her first attempt and with it eleventh in the senior standings.

BEFORE WINDHAM
A season which started with the aspiration to qualify for one of the two opening World Cups progressed to regular Junior podium appearances and three top ten senior placings - all of which came from an argument with her dad.

"It almost feels right to be at World Cups now, but back in April when I started I remember arguing with my dad. He was sure I could be top fifteen, whereas my plan was just to qualify - I suppose he proved me wrong now.

"At the start of the year I promised if I didn't make the cut at the first two I wasn't going to any more, because I'd get annoyed. My biggest worry was that I'd feel out of my depth especially with lots of fast riders coming down behind you in practice - I didn't want to be blocking the track. I was quite surprised with Maribor though, at how easy it was to ride the track slowly. Obviously as you added speed it got harder, but I didn't struggle too much and I could feel comfortable.

"Even so, I was surprised at how well I have done. This year has been good to compare myself to the other girls, although there aren't so many Juniors, there's plenty of competition in the senior field."

That "plenty of competition" included names like Tracy Moseley, Sabrina Jonnier and Emmiline Ragot, amongst which Manon remained unfazed, levelling that as a first year Junior - and often the only Junior qualifier - the pressure was off in the finals.

Riding pressure free has resulted in a steady progression throughout 2010, starting with fourteenth in Maribor, eighth in Fort William and Leogang, before the ride of the year, sixth in Champery.

Renowned as the toughest track in the World, Manon performed in the worst imaginable conditions and is already looking forward to racing there when the World Championships visit in 2011.

"I am definitely looking forward to Worlds next year at Champery because it is a track where I don't really lose out on the physical side even though it is a hard track. I'd heard a lot of stories about the place, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. There were a few bits I had to force myself to get down, but to be honest I found Val di Sole harder especially in the wet."

Unfortunately, right now that's the only World Championships Manon can look forward to, because just as everyone was expecting the highest of highs, a crash in the final practice session before the final race run of the World Cup Series resulted in the lowest of lows - and a broken humerus on Windham Mountain.

Dreams of comparing times against the best in the World, at mountain biking's biggest annual event, will remain just that in 2010, but from a year which started only with the hope of qualification, and quickly progressed to one of the greatest ever for a first year Junior, Manon can recover from injury with the knowledge that the World Cup Series is a place that is starting to feel like normality.

Get well soon Manon, and see you in Pietermaritzburg for round one of the 2011 World Cup!