Mathis Azzaro had a contrasting series of World Cup rounds. Over the weekends of Nove Mesto (Czech Republic) and Val Di Sole (Italy), the Decathlon Ford Racing team driver scored two podiums (5th and 3rd), his first in the Elite category. Last Sunday, in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), his good streak was stopped by a fall in the XCO event. As a result of his fall, he suffered a knee injury which will prevent him from participating in the World Cup round in Les Gets, the first weekend in July. At the microphone of DirectVelohe looks back on his last eventful weeks.
DirectVelo: Less than a week after your retirement due to a fall in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), what is your state of mind?
Mathis Azzaro: There is a bit of frustration. When I arrived in Crans-Montana, I saw that it was a really atypical and particular circuit. It was old-school mountain biking, in shitty conditions and it was really dangerous. Victor (Koretzky) saw the circuit and he said “I’m not racing”, but he’s not the only one, several riders have skipped Crans-Montana because it was a very dangerous circuit. Personally, I fell several times, but I try to see the positive because there are some who left in helicopters, I’m doing well.
The atmosphere must have been heavy…
That’s a bit like it. When you see a guy go off in a barquette at the end of the race, it’s not funny. In cross-country mountain biking, I think it’s never happened, or very rarely. And then, when you see that there are ambulances everywhere, there’s general panic, it’s not funny to see. We’re doing cross-country, and we’re not very protected, so when someone falls, it can quickly hurt. But from there to it being a massacre, and seeing that everyone is on the ground, that’s not the mountain biking we like to see.
You seem quite upset…
Yes, and anyway, there was a bit of a fuss in the mountain biking world because they didn’t do anything for the good of the athletes. It was just carnage. Of course, the weather didn’t help things go well, but still. They didn’t listen when we told them it was going to be a massacre and that they had to do something. And it didn’t fail, from Thursday, from the recce, it was carnage. There were falls everywhere. I’m a bit more angry about that aspect. I hope they take measures and rectify the situation, because next year, we’re going there for the World Championships.
“THE CHOICE OF REASON”
Your knee injury prevents you from playing in Les Gets, how are you coping with that?
I put things into perspective. It’s a bit annoying to miss the World Cup at home, but not going to Les Gets is the choice of reason. There’s no point in being there at 80%, because you have to be realistic, I couldn’t go there being 100%. I was just taking the risk of aggravating my injury by creating patellar syndrome. Now I’m going to focus on what’s next. I have already made two podiums in the World Cup, my season is already successful. I am taking this period of downtime as an opportunity to prepare well for the World Cup at the end of August in Andorra. There, I rest, I do everything to recover as quickly as possible and quickly get back in the saddle.
Speaking of your two podiums in the World Cup, what assessment do you draw from this World Cup campaign which was going well so far?
To arrive so quickly on the podium in my second year among the elites is a huge achievement, because before my best place in the World Cup, it was 18th. I had high expectations and wanted to enter the Top 10 this year. In April, it was a bit complicated seeing everyone in Brazil and not being there, but I was able to prepare well. I am very happy to have finished 5th in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic) starting 55th, then 3rd in Val Di Sole (Italy) starting 48th. And that will help me for the rest of the season.
Is this progress since last year a surprise to you?
Not necessarily. I understand that it might be for people, because it was my first World Cup of the year, I wasn’t there in Brazil, etc… But honestly, I felt capable of it. At home, I felt good, I felt that everything was going well. This podium in the World Cup, I had it in the back of my mind, and sometimes, life tells you that it’s your weekend. Finally, it came to fruition in Nove Mesto and it was a liberation.
“A BEAUTIFUL PLAYING CARD”
After your forced rest, are you going to focus your preparation on the World Championships in Andorra?
Yes, it will all depend on how my knee evolves and how long it will take me to get back on the bike. But I will try to go at altitude, because Andorra is at 2000 m. Altitude races suit me well, but I want to prepare well, because I think I have a good card to play.
With your good results in the World Cup, are you going there with a lot of ambition?
There are medal ambitions, that’s clear and simple. We have to focus on the process, not necessarily on the result, but getting my first medal in an elite championship would be a great achievement, to finish 2024 well. As I’ve already said, my season is successful, the World Championship is a bonus. But it’s a bonus that I want to get.
