With the World Cup starting up again this weekend in South Korea, Mckay Vezina will be back on the race course. At least, that is, until racing starts. Then the former enduro pro, who spent years racing the Enduro World Series with Giant Factory Off-Road Team, will step back and let the team’s cross country racers take center stage. Vezina is one of a growing number of performance coaches joining cross country programs as World Cup racing gets ever-more technical every year.
“I think before, there were a lot of coaches around for support with line choice, but now the performance coach is doing a lot more than just riding the lines,” Vezina explains. “It’s making sure that the tactics are up to snuff, that you actually have a game plan for each athelte and for the team as a whole to capitalize on the race weekend.”
Finding speed, whether it’s enduro or cross country
From gravity-fed adrenaline to the world of lactic acid and FTP tests might sound like a big jump, but it’s one Vezina’s embraced fully from the get go.
“Coming from a more gravity background, I definitely spent some time just riding a cross country bike before working with the team. I really wanted to make sure I could give good feedback for these kinds of bikes,” Vezina says. “You see a lot of coaching out there riding trail bikes or they’ll be on e-bikes, but it’s a totally different experience. The XC riders are riding around with no nobs on their tires! It takes a lot of practice to ride those bikes fast.”
The lessons didn’t stop at learning to ride Aspens instead of Minions, though. Vezina’s putting in mega-miles all winter. In part, to be able to keep up with the riders on track, where he’s also riding the team’s Anthem race bike. In part, to help understand what it’s like for his athletes in a race.
“It’s so different descending fatigued and having to make hard decisions when you’re at 190 bpm,” Vezina explains. That changes what the team looks at for line selection. “It’s not looking for an exact line. It’s about having an idea where you’re going when you come into a section cross-eyed. Making sure you stay left instead of right. That sounds silly, but you see people making those kinds of mistakes.”
Earning trust of a world champion and finding success on the course
Vezina’s…
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