Gabe Neron was the last man on the mountain at Sunday’s Canadian downhill national championships. As the fastest qualifier, he had the pressure of dropping in on the Kicking Horse course last. Three and a half minutes after rolling out of the start gates, Neron crossed the line with the day’s fastest time. As the dust settled, Neron was swarmed by a group of friends and teammates. The Dunbar Cycles racer had beaten all the factory team riders, earning his first elite title as Canada’s new men’s downhill national champion.
For those outside the scene, Neron might be a bit of an unknown. But anyone following downhill in Canada closely will have noticed the 22-year-old, who works as a mechanic at Squamish’s Corsa Cycles between races, moving up the ranks for a few years now. Sunday’s coronation is a confirmation of his place among Canada’s powerhouse downhill ranks.
I caught up with Neron over the phone to talk about his first elite title, competition and cooperation at the highest levels, winning nationals out of the back of a van, and where to find the best poutine in B.C. (hint: it’s not easy).
Canadian MTB: Can you please introduce yourself?
Gabe Neron: I am currently 22 years old. I’m from Lac-Ste.-Jean, Que. originally, but I’ve been living in Squamish going on three years now.
What caused that move?
Biking. Strictly biking.
I guess the move from Quebec to Squamish, there was skiing involved as well. Before moving to Squamish I was in Sun Peaks for five years. That’s where the love for mountain biking came to me. I thought, alright, the next step is Squamish.
How was your race at nationals? How was the course this year?
The course is probably the longest course we have here at the Canadian series. It was tiring, it was physical. There’s a lot of pumping, a lot of sprinting. With the dryness of the trail, there were some big holes and compressions. So overall, it was a very tiring run.
As far as my winning run… it was loose! I was on the edge the whole way.
What was it like to cross the finish line to a big cheer from your friends and fans?
Honestly, I didn’t know what hit me. I didn’t hear the hot-seat horn, so I thought “Oh, it didn’t work,” and people were just coming to cheer me on. But then my friend Garrett…
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