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Meet Martin Vidaurre, the mountain biker aiming for XCO glory
There's been much hype about Chilean cross-country mountain biker Martin Vidaurre, who’s currently serving his apprenticeship at U23 level. Find out why he is the real deal.
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Chilean athlete Martin Vidaurre is emerging as one of the male cross-country riders to watch in the coming years, following outstanding results at U23 level. Vidaurre won the U23 World Championship at the end of last year after a good Mercedes-Benz UCI Cross-country Mountain Bike World Cup season. He won the U23 World Cup overall, taking two U23 World Cup wins in Lenzerheide and Snowshoe.
The 2022 season has already started with similar success. In the two opening rounds of this year's U23 World Cup, Vidaurre took the wins in Petrópolis, Brazil, and Albstadt, Germany. Even more impressive was Viduarre's appearance in Petrópolis the week before that World Cup at the CIMTB Michelin test event. The youngster won and took the scalps of many an elite rider at the race, including the likes of Jordan Sarrou and Maxime Marotte and Vlad Dascălu.
A cross-country racer with much promise – Martin Vidaurre
© Bartek Woliński/@wolisphoto
Before the World Cup season started, we sat down with Vidaurre to chat about his beginnings on the bike, his racing philosophy, what makes him tick and much more.
01
Racing is in his blood
Vidaurre got his love of bikes from his parents. Both Sylvia and his dad Cristóbal were keen bikers. Vidaurre learned to ride a bike when he was just two-and-a-half years old and was competing in races with other boys by the age of six. Vidaurre was perhaps encouraged to take up the competitive part of bike racing by his dad, a Pan-American mountain bike cross-country champion. His dad, however, wanted him to learn racing the hard way.
"When I was a kid, I rode because I liked it. All the children I competed with at that time had the latest bike model and a coach. Although my dad had good contacts, he never wanted to buy me a new bike. He always wanted me to ride with what we had at home, which was my mom's bike. I won races with that bike even though it was old."
Born to race
© Juan García Prieto
02
Moving on up
What immediately comes across from Vidaurre is his competitive spirit, the need to succeed and the lengths he'll go to do that. After winning junior races in Chile in his early teens, he decided it was time for the next step.
"In 2015, when I was 15 years old, I got a coach [Jorge Cajigal] in Chile, a physiologist. A doctor of medicine took samples from me in a laboratory. I had to ride a bicycle, and he checked my oxygen levels. I had very good numbers. The coach was very impressed and wanted to help me move my sporting career forward. He suggested that I train with him. He was impressed with my condition and believed that great things could come to me in the future.
"[Cajigal] convinced me and my family to start training properly. Confidence is the most important thing with a coach. Without it, it is impossible to improve, especially in my discipline, where you train and share feelings every day. To this day, I still work with him."
More U23 stars who have risen to elite
Vidaurre loves the work of training
© Juan García Prieto
03
Chilean from a German family
Vidaurre's full name is Martin Kossmann Vidaurre. Kossmann isn't a typical Chilean surname, of course, and it comes from German descendants on his maternal side who settled in the South American country. Through his mother Sylvia, that German influence still prevails as Vidaurre is fluent in German and rides for a German-based team – Lexware Mountainbike Team.
"The German language is one of the main reasons for achieving what I have achieved so far. The language helped me to communicate with people in Europe when I came over. It opened up the possibility to have friends and to have contact with people who have helped me when I needed it. Those people have given me opportunities to grow.
"If they see you as Latino, it's complicated. In 2017, I went to my first European race, and it didn't go well. After that, thanks to the language and feeling good about that, I did better, and I was able to have another chance."
Germany still holds a place in Vidaurre's heart
© Bartek Woliński/@wolisphoto
04
South American fire
Just like his successful South American counterpart Henrique Avancini from Brazil, Vidaure is passionate about his sport and this can be seen in his temperament and personality, both on and off the bike.
"My character was formed in Chile. I have achieved everything thanks to how I've been trained there, that is why I am different from European riders, and it is why I can also beat them. I like to play games with my opponents. I invent situations, I speak, I shout. This is how I help myself to win races and championships.
"It is about finding that thing that makes me tick. It is about how to beat others by being smart and fast and as clean as possible. I have never been the strongest on the field, but yes, I think sometimes I am the best mentally, and I can intimidate or use that to beat someone who is faster than me or who is stronger than me."
Still learning and improving
© Bartek Woliński/@wolisphoto
It's weird, but I like to feel the pressure of having to do things well
05
Enjoying the tactical battle
Mind games aside, Vidaurre also loves the tactical side of racing, which is always on a rider's mind during a race, whether short track or full Olympic discipline.
"In the race, I like to solve things tactically. I like to compete, and I like the pressure. It's weird, but I like to feel the pressure of having to do things well. I like to think about who is attacking. When I'm going to attack, it's like solving a puzzle, seeing how you can win a race. I also like to put on a bit of a show, to show my personality, so I stand out.
"I come to a race focused and try not to make mistakes. I know what I have to do, but I also know that I have a lot to learn."
Vidaurre is certainly not short of confidence
© Bartek Woliński/@wolisphoto
A showman to boot
© Bartek Woliński/@wolisphoto
Get the details on the MTB that Martin Vidaurre rides
06
Stepping up to elite level
This is likely to be 22-year-old Vidaurre's last season at U23 level, and he will be racing with the elites come 2023. He has his eyes firmly set on achieving success at the Games in Paris 2024, where he hopes to go better than his 16th place in Tokyo.
"I am hungry to be recognised, to be someone who makes a milestone in the sport. I am not satisfied with just being a world champion. I want to be competitive every year, fighting for titles. Having a profile, working with brands and being professional motivates me a lot."
You'll get passion and commitment from this gentleman
© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool
07
Giving something back to Chile
Vidaurre hopes that the attention he is getting currently and in the future will put Chile on the map in cross-country racing. He wants to give something back to the country he loves.
"I'm thinking of doing a training camp for children – for those who are 15 to 18 years old. That is when children can start a high-performance program. What is the purpose of being the champion of the world if there is not going to be another Chilean child who will be champion? So for me, it is very important to give something back. It motivates me because I know there is talent in Chile."
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