Now she isn't defending her World title, what's Tracy up this year?
She’s a household name amongst cyclists, regardless of your preferred discipline. Tracy Moseley has made some serious waves during her race career, but is she really winding down?
After starting out in the cross-country race scene, Tracy moved through downhill, and into 4X before finally settling into the Enduro scene where she found her home. Her list of achievements and accolades are vast: World Cup downhill champion, 3 time World Cup Enduro champion, and numerous National and European titles.
We caught up with Tracy Moseley at the Bikepark Wales women’s weekend to see what she’s up to now, and how it’s been since leaving the intense race circuit.
Tracy Moseley: Where is she now?
Over the weekend a group of trail ripping women pedalled up the beastly climb at Bikepark Wales with Tracy leading the pack. Smiles, laughter and riding together made for a sociable and fun experience for everyone.
Photo: Saskia Dugon Photography
Upon returning to the centre for some much needed tea and cake, Tracy and I sat down in the cosy Bikepark cafe to catch up and discuss her upcoming plans. Rosy cheeked from her ride, Tracy was beaming and her warm personality had all the girls chatting excitedly.
We sat down with our cups of tea, and after I had a mini fangirl moment, we got stuck in. After 20 years of competitive racing, Tracy has decided to change it up a little, so without the pressure of defending her world enduro title, I asked what she’s been up to: “I’m still riding loads, as much as I can really and I do have some races on the agenda. Although I won’t be defending my EWS title, I hope to race a couple of the rounds this year” she tells me.
“Having less competitive pressure for the world’s, I’m able to race some more UK events”
The good news is the slight change in focus means we should see a bit more of Tracy, she says: “Having less competitive pressure for the World’s, I’m able to race some more UK events like the British and Welsh Enduro. It’s great because I can now sample different races, venues and tracks and choose which I would like to try.”
Not working to defend her title means that T-Mo also has a bit more time to give to other exploits, most of which benefit up and coming racers and those looking for support, as well as product development – she says: “I’m still very much involved with TMO racing, and supporting younger riders around my local club. As well as working close with Trek for launches and developments, taking a step back from racing has given me new motivation, new experiences and new goals.”
Photo: Saskia Dugon photography
“There’s still the expectation that I will win”
In the past, the pressure has always been competitively focused, so I asked Tracy how the pressure has eased up, if at all. It seems it’s still pretty full on, she tells me: “Even though I won’t be defending my title this year, there’s still the expectation that I will win, which is pressure in itself. Because my priorities have changed, I haven’t spend the whole winter training as hard as I would have, and so when it comes to races, I need to dig a little deeper to find that strength.”
In addition to occasionally racing this year, I approached the subject of re-launching the TMO training camp. In the past, the camps have been hugely successful for MTBer’s looking to learn new skills and pick up experience from this incredible athlete.
It looks like for now training, a bit of racing and the not insignificant hurdle of getting married are taking priority, Tracy says: “I would love to offer more camps and training sessions, but I think that’s a little further down the line for me. I’m currently finishing my level 3 coaching course, but what with racing, development groups and getting married in September, my schedule is already pretty full.”
The end of racing for Tracy will only come when her body can’t match the standards of the best, she says: “Whilst I have the fitness and energy to keep up with the younger riders, and the next generation of racers, I want to support them as much as possible. When they start to drop me on the climbs, and rip up the trails, that’ll be a time for me to consider something else.”
Tracy Moseley is the ultimate sportswoman of mountain biking. Not only is she an incredible athlete with a wealth of experience across all disciplines, but she’s genuine about giving back to the riding community through women’s events, development training and local club ride support.
Although she won’t be defending her world title this year, I expect we’ll still see a lot of Tracy, and I hope there’ll be a lot more to come as well.
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