Dan and Gee Atherton - The Interview

MoreDirt caught up with two thirds of the most famous mountain bike family on the planet, The Athertons. We discussed Enduro, Training and plans for 2013! Check it out!

Who is Gee Atherton?

Cyclist and Brother (Middle one)

How has your winter training been going so far? Have you changed anything from previous years to rediscover that edge and get yourself back on the top spot?

Training has gone really well so far, I started a month earlier to give me a chance to build into it slower without having to rush anything, also I’ve changed up quite a few things, which is important... if you’re repeating the same training over and over again you’ve got to expect the same results.

Your now entering your second year onboard GT how involved have you been in any development of next years bikes?

The development we have been doing with GT is really hands on, we've been involved at every step of the way which is ideal for us, its awesome to have a company like GT behind me who are just as passionate about the racing as I am.

You seem to be pretty handy on the short travel bike as well as the full downhill rig judging by your results from the Mini Enduro! Will we see you and the rest of the team at any of the Enduro World Series?

I wont be there myself but expect a big presence from GT Factory racing at all the big Enduro events...

What was your number one highlight for last year? What are you looking forward to most in 2013?

It’s hard to pick just one, it was an awesome year and I really enjoyed the World Cups on the new team setup, and with a bunch of new people on board. I can’t wait to start racing and get stuck into another season...

There has obviously been lots of chopping and changing between teams in the past few weeks… What have you made of all the drama?

Has there? I’ve no idea, I don’t follow all that stuff unless I’m involved in it.

Both Four by Three and the previous “Atherton Project” series were hugely successful. Are there any plans for another online video series this year?

Well we all enjoyed making the Four By Three series and it was really well received, it was incredible hearing everyone’s feedback on how much they liked it and what they want to see in the future. I love hearing what people like/dislike and how much they enjoyed it. With RedBull being behind us to get creative and do more video content you can expect the Four By Three series to get bigger and better

Who is Dan Atherton?

Cyclist and brother (oldest one)

How has your winter training been going and how has it differed now you appear to be fully focused on enduro?

It’s been good – we’ve been to Fuerteventura… Training hasn’t changed massively – Enduro is more fitness based for sure but it’s still a gravity based sport and I still ride everything that I rode before.

Your now going into your second year onboard GT bikes how involved have you been in any development of products?

There’ll be a new bike for the 2013 Enduro season and we’ve been very involved in its development – it’s probably the closest we’ve ever worked with a company. A lot of research and a lot of testing has gone into both the new DH and Enduro bikes.

2013 is looking like the year enduro format will hit the big time. How does it feel to be at the forefront of the scene?

I think that DH will probably always be the flagship discipline – It’s what people want to see. But it feels great to be involved in growing Enduro into a sport which is fun for people to participate in.

Do you think being focused on one discipline has helped you as a rider compared to when you were riding both downhill and 4X?

I’ve never really worried about that, I just ride what I want to ride – I still ride DH, dirt jumps, BMX – I mix it up to keep it fresh and I will always do that – regardless of competitons and rankings.

What was your number one highlight for last year? What are you looking forward to most in 2013?

Filming 4 x3 was amazing. The actual process of making it – that final episode, the build, the filming, the riding, everyone coming down there to watch, the amazing feedback. It runs deeper than a one –off race result.

Obviously the Enduro World Series has been a big step forward for the sport do you think it will change the sport for the average rider?

It sets a benchmark. It’s good to know what you’re talking about, as an industry and as riders. When people talk about Enduro now they’ll be talking about the World Series format.

Obviously last week you were both at the One Industries Mini Enduro. What did you make of the event and how do you see it developing?

GEE: I really enjoyed it and I think it will go from strength to strength. We spent so much time on the bikes on race day, awesome value for money and a good laugh. One industries can take it much further I’m sure.

DAN: It was fun and great to get new riders in. It’ll feed off the success of the World Series and hopefully get bigger and bigger.

How did you find the 3 stages that were used for the race down at Haldon?

GEE: It was just like the old school downhills, short muddy and tech, really good fun to ride.

DAN: Yeah – perfect starter I think – a great venue to kick of this event. Next year I’d like to see some more stages – Enduro’s about a day on your bike – but not so many as it’d put people off!

What do you think makes Enduro racing so appealing to the average rider?

GEE: I think because you get to spend so much time on the bike, people are going to enjoy it more. If you can only ride at the weekend you want maximum riding time and a lot of races don’t have that.

DAN: It really does feel like old school DH, people love that relaxed atmosphere, there’s no pressure and people are free to do what they want pretty much when they want. It’s more about the day, the bikes are less expensive, they take less massive hits so there’s hopefully less to spend on maintenance – It makes it more accessible.

And finally… You guys must have a bit of sibling rivalry going on. Gee how was it to beat Dan at his own game down at the Mini Enduro?

GEE: Well they missed Athy’s times each run so he had to do the whole thing 3 times. I think I had a bit of an advantage!

Cheers Guys! Good luck for 2013!

Photo Credit - Chris Davison