Jérôme Clementz is a man who needs little introduction, his distinctive flowing style and crushing speed make him instantly recognisable to those watching behind the tape. Always a threat to the top step of the podium the Cannondale Factory Racing rider has suffered a couple of tough seasons punctuated by injury and illness, but he has never lost the drive and passion that took him to victory in the 2013 Enduro World Series. With more riders coming through the ranks we caught up with Jérôme to find out what his plans are for 2016 and how he keeps motivated at the highest level of the sport.
ENDURO: How is your winter going so far, has there been lots of travel or have you taken some time out?
Jérôme: So far the winter has been great. It took a long time to arrive so it meant I could enjoy some extra time on the bike in November and December. After Finale, I took some time at home to have a break, spend some time with my family and friends (check out our Jérôme Clementz Homestory). I did get to travel to a four-day XC race in Mauritius Island and stayed on after for a well needed holiday, but since then I have stayed at home. It has been a great winter for riding, up to New Year the riding conditions at home were amazing so I just kept riding my bike and having fun in the leaves.
ENDURO: As an elite racer, what does your winter look like?
Jérôme: It depends on how much you want to put in really. Usually, I have a break to recover from the season, trying to think of something else so I can release the pressure and relax. I try to stop riding my bike for a while, especially when the weather is not great at home. Soon I find that my body and mind want to train again. It’s a good opportunity to work on other skills and develop strength that I don’t really build on the bike. I like to mix it up too by running, swimming, climbing, skiing or going to the gym. When January arrives I try to mix in some bike, so I don’t lose my eye. Depending on the weather I may travel to warmer places for some base training or to work on my technique. Malaga, Finale Ligure, Nice, Tenerife are places I like to go.
ENDURO: You are a big skier right? does ski touring or cross country skiing play a part in your winter preparation?
Jérôme: As soon as there’s snow I try to ski. I was a cross country skier before MTB so it’s something I always enjoy, it’s the same for downhill skiing. It helps me to work on different strengths and explosivity, building strong upper body and endurance. Downhill skiing allows me to build my speed and helps me feel lines. Of course, it’s good for motivation to switch over and enjoy other stuff, it makes me even more happy on my bike.
ENDURO: Which will be your first race of 2016?
Jérôme: I’ll be racing Andes-Pacifico in the second week of February. It’s more an adventure than a race for me. It’s good training as we can experience five days in a racing environment. I use this to get used to racing again, to train my mind and also improve my reflexes in a stage.
ENDURO: For sure the Andes Pacifico is a tough one, will you be running your own race series this year?
Jérôme: We still organize the Cannondale Enduro Series powered by SRAM, it will be four events this year. I’m not racing as I design the course and the stages are kept secret for the racers. Fortunately, Pauline (Jerome’s partner) manages the series, I try and help when my schedule allows and I’ll try to attend at Round #02, but unfortunately, will not be there for all of them.
ENDURO: As a professional athlete, do you work with a lot of people during the winter?
Jérôme: If you want to push your body to the limit and get better every year, you need the help of a specialist and people who know what they are talking about. I’ve had the same coach for four years now and he plans all my training to develop fitness and skills. This year I start working also with Greg Doucende, a former enduro rider and Ph.D. Sports Scientist at a University, he’s in charge of the Gym and strength development. Of course, I also have Pierre “Kyou” Lehry, my Physio, who follows me all year long. I go to the osteopath when I need to fix my body. Luckily Pauline is interested in nutrition in general, so she cooks good and healthy meal for me which is a great help! We had the chance spend a weekend with the Cannondale Overmountain Team
ENDURO: Wow, so a big team. How important is mental training for you? With top racers being so close now, motivation and focus must be more important than ever?
Jérôme: Yes, mental training is the key. Most of the rider are super fit and super fast, so when it comes to those important seconds or even tenths the mind plays a big role. For me there are two sides to mental preparation, the first is staying in focus, smart and motivated, which means doing the right thing at the right time. Being prepared in this way means that you can give your best at every moment, giving everything you have until the finish line and importantly be able to calm down when necessary. It’s not always easy to keep this state of mind all year long, so you need to pace yourself and plan your season with some time off.
The second is to trust yourself. If you think you’re good enough, you have done the right training and that you can win it’s the best way to get the first spot. It doesn’t matter what the others do, you just have to do your thing well. Then if you’re not at 100% for any reason (sickness, injury, technical problems), you minimize your weakness. When you’re strong in your head, everything is easier, you don’t have so many questions in your head and this is the best way to go fast. On the opposite side of the coin, if you don’t have faith in yourself, you start asking yourself a lot of questions. What should you change? What’s your problem? This is not working at your best.
What I try to do is ask myself where I can improve after the season, what went well, or not so well, during the previous year. I then work on this all winter and once the season begins I try to believe in what I’ve done. Once the season starts it’s too late for massive changes, only little adaptations. It’s in the off-season where you build your season
ENDURO: Speaking of motivation, after such a long time at the top of the sport, is your motivation still as strong to win the overall? Especially as you’ve already been an EWS champion?
Jérôme: Today, if I’m at the start line I want to do my best. I’ve been EWS champion in 2013 but I would love to clinch another title. I believe I still have the capacity to win, and I will try to do my best to reach this goal in 2016. So far I have continued to fight for this because this is what I want to do and I enjoy trying. From one year to the next you don’t tell yourself that you going do the same thing, you change things to improve. It’s something interesting, exciting, and as long as I have this motivation I’ll keep trying. You need to make some choices in your lifestyle for sure, but so far I have never ended a season asking if I want to give it a go one more time or not, it’s not a question for me right now.
In fact, I will be changing up this year. Until now I have always enjoyed doing other activities aside from the racing, but now it’s more and more difficult to mix. So I told myself that for 2016 I will be fully focused on the EWS and then for 2017 maybe back on more adventure, filming, racing, exploring and social activities.
ENDURO: OK, so you’re all in this year! What do you think about all the team changes, do you think the battle for the overall win will be filled with the same faces or do you think more riders will move up to the podiums?
Jérôme: What I know is that everybody is doing their homework in the offseason! There’s a little bit of fool’s game being played out on social media with all the riders posting pics of themselves training, but none of them posting pictures of parties and beer time haha haha! More seriously I believe that the 2015 contenders will be back fighting in 2016 but there will be more riders who will also step up their game. If you look back at 2015 Greg Callaghan and Richie Rude weren’t really named for an EWS win, but look what happened there! I think in 2016 we will see more riders from the 2015 top 20 coming up and fighting for the win. I think it will be increasingly tight, and any mistake could possibly take you out of the top 10 in the race.
ENDURO: Will you be doing anything different in your fitness preparation for the coming season?
Jérôme: Yes, I always do different preparation, otherwise, it becomes boring and difficult to get better. I have made some changes in the gym and with my schedule, but most importantly I am staying at home instead of traveling in the Southern hemisphère for two months.
ENDURO: The 2016 EWS season looks exciting, are there any rounds that you are most excited about racing?
Jérôme: Most of them actually. Every year the EWS bring us to different places, so it’s always good to discover new venues. And any that remain the same are usually really good already. I would like to take my revenge in Ireland. I was looking for this one last year but was sick there, also the french round should be a good one.
ENDURO: And outside of the EWS, will you still be racing other events?
Jerome: I’ll not focus on any other race, but I’ll race some as training or because they are really fun like The Dirty Sanchez enduro in the US, or the Mountain of Hell in Les 2 Alpes.
ENDURO: What about the bike, will you be making any changes to your setup this year, or testing any new products?
Jérôme: I will have some new stuff, but it’s too secret now to tell you about (editors note, we will find it)! Things are moving and I’m happy with how it’s changing.
ENDURO: You were testing the new Lyrik fork at the European Championships last year, do you think you will run them more this year?
Jérôme: Actually, I tried it first in November 2015, but the European champs were the first time I was allowed to use it for a race, so I only used the Lyrik for the last races of the season. I will ride mainly the Lyrik in 2016 but may also use the Pike at some events where it’s not too steep or more physical.
ENDURO: Speaking of the future, a lot of racers are pushing the benefits of E-MTB more, what are your thoughts on the future of E-MTB?
Jérôme: I haven’t actually tested a proper E-MTB enduro bike so I can’t tell you. I have an E-bike to go shopping in town but not for the mountain. I’m still young enough to pedal up the hill!
But seriously, when I see people on E-bikes, I think it’s great as it allows more people to join the community and enjoy the beauty of MTB!
ENDURO: Good sentiment, on that note may we wish you the best for the season, we look forward to the opening round, Cheers Jérôme.
Interview: Trev Worsey Photos: Trev Worsey and Ross Bell
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