April 10, 2013 – Pedal caught up with Canadian mountain bikers Raphaël Gagné, Mikaela Kofman, and Frédérique Trudel after all three won medals at the recent Pan American Mountain Bike Championships in Tucuman, Argentina.

Raphaël Gagné – Silver Medal – Elite Men’s XCO

How do you feel about your race?
RG: I’m very happy with my silver medal ride at today’s Pan American Championship in Argentina. I rode strong from the start to stay out of trouble and out of traffic. I raced smart, especially in warm and altitude.

Can you tell us a little bit about how the race unfolded?
RG: On the sixth lap, the lead group went from 7 to 2 riders by the last lap. We basically dropped one rider per lap. I raced a consistent physical and technical race. I had to stay consistent with the elevation, but I felt like the winner had more punch than I did, he probably recovered faster on the descents, living at altitude in Colombia.

On the last lap, I dropped the Brazilian that was with me and charged hard to catch the leading Colombia, but never did. I finished 10 seconds from the win.

Thanks and congratulations on a great ride.
RG: Special thanks to my team for their support here and over the years. My coach and mechanic made this race go smooth and perfect. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Bicycles, my main sponsor and my team.

Mikaela Kofman – Silver Medal – Elite Women’s XCO

Is this the biggest result of your career ?
MK: This silver medal is definitely a major accomplishment. In 2010 I won silver in the U23 field at the Pan Am Champs in Guatemala and I hoped to win a medal when I moved up into the elite field. At the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, I came 4th and just missed the podium, so I have been gunning for a podium finish at a Pan Am event since I moved into the elite field last season.

Can you give us a brief summary of how your race went ?
MK: From the beginning of the race, Mary McConneloug (USA) had a very fierce start. I was in the middle of the pack and wasn’t sure if I could hold her pace. By half way through the first lap, I had come within 30 seconds of her and was riding with one of the Colombian riders, Laura Abril. Because altitude and heat were major factors in the race, I knew that I needed to play it smart and ride steady. I felt pretty strong on the climbs and used them to my advantage to make up time. Moreover, my new Scott Contessa 29er was amazing on the technical rocky and sandy descents and I felt very confident even when the course started to get very rutted with each lap.

What’s it like racing in Argentina – the course, the organization, the fans ?
MK: Racing in South America is a completely different ball game from racing in North America or Europe. You really have to adapt to a different way of life which adds a whole other level of excitement. I knew that travelling 36 hours from Toronto to Tafi del Valle, Argentina might be a challenging factor, but it was a great lesson in adaptation. The long travel was totally worth it once I got on course and saw how different and fun the mountain biking was in Argentina. The course was super rocky and sandy with very steep ascents and descents. Moreover, the people in Argentina welcomed the Canadians with open arms. Not only were they extremely accommodating, but they are total super fans. On race day the course was lined with spectators proud to cheer loud and clear for all of the Canadian flags that rode by.

Congrats on your silver medal.
MK: Thanks.

Frédérique Trudel – Bronze Medal – U23 Women’s XCO

How do you feel about your Pan Am silver medal ride?
FT: The Pan Am Mountain Bike Championship in Argentina was my first race in the U23 category. It went pretty well for a first race in my new category. My performance is one of the big results of my young career. I was not expecting a result like that because it was my first experience at the Pan Am championships.

How did the race play out for you?
FT: I had a good race, after the first lap I was in the top 3 and I stayed there fighting for the podium. I finally finished third, I was really proud.

What did you think about competing in Argentina?
FT: The course was really different than the ones I raced before in North America. It was hard with slippery sand climb, but I really enjoyed it. The fans was cheering a lot for the Canadians. They where really motivating. It was a really good first experience for me and a perfect project with the national team.

Congratulations and good luck for the rest of your season.
FT: Thanks!