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Come along for the ride at team camp.
From an outside perspective, the off-season can look pretty quiet, but inside the team we are hard at work every day to ensure that the race season runs as smoothly and successfully as possible. Everyone puts everything into it. From a mechanic’s perspective, that means attention to the finest details has already begun. But those details are only possible when the big picture is dialled. Wintertime at the Riding Addiction HQ in the French Alps is all about stepping back, assessing the processes, refining the inputs and getting closer, day by day, to the most perfect output possible.
Team camps are a chance to put those processes into action, test ideas as well as equipment, and work with the riders to reveal what's good and where there is room left to improve.
Here’s what went down for the mechanics at team camp number three of 2026, in Loudenvielle, France.
FRIDAY:
It’s action stations at the team headquarters in St Etienne de Cuines. The team has four staff based out of the HQ. Let’s quickly introduce them:
Maxime Auguin is the Tech Supervisor and oversees technical operations there and at the races. Thomas Colombo is Momo’s mechanic; Jérôme Richard had his hands full with both twins last year but will work solely with Max this year, while Yoann Rondeau will mechanic for Till.
Loris’ mechanic, Edu Simo, is based with him in Andorra and works alongside our engineer, Arthur Quet. Pompon’s mechanic, Alexis Jamet, lives in the northwest of France.
Three days of riding and testing equates to a whole lot of organisation. There are the bikes to prepare, the extra equipment to ready, the spares to check, the tools to sort, the pits and workstations to pack, and, of course, the Muc-Off products to take. No jet washer too big, no chain lube too small.
Almost every eventuality is catered for in terms of the bikes, but there’s only so much you can pack into the vans. Let the Tetris commence...
SATURDAY:
For most of the year we all operate on a pretty rogue schedule, so when we can, we try to take a weekend. Time for family and friends, for all the ‘normal’ stuff that becomes a novelty during the summer months, and to get out and ride ourselves. Sometimes push bikes, sometimes motorbikes. The HQ is right at the base of the famous Tour de France summit of the Croix de Fer, and the local loamers are always worth it.
SUNDAY:
Travel day. It’s an early start for an eight-hour drive across the south of France, from the Alps to the Pyrenees. These boys are no strangers to an aggressive alarm clock. Or to the coffee machine. Bleary eyes turn to gentle banter as the kilometres tick by. There are no egos and no main character energy here (well, maybe Thomas after a few Ricards, but we love this!), just a bunch of guys ready to crack on with some hard work and good vibes.
Most of the crew are in Loudenvielle for this camp, and it’s always a pleasure to be back together. Big hugs and kisses greet everyone as they arrive at the accommodation. Our super chef Sab serves up dinner, and the family feel is in full flow. After a briefing for the next day, it’s time for any final prep and off to bed.
MONDAY:
Day 1 on track. It’s another early start for the mechanics who, after breakfast (invariably involving a frankly obscene amount of baguette, butter and honey), head over to the base of the track to build the pits. We don’t have the race truck, but a more pared-down gazebo set-up.
The first runs of the first day are always about getting comfortable with the track and establishing a solid baseline in terms of the bike. As the riders get settled in, the mechanics waste no time in getting their workbenches dialled and notepads at the ready.
Over the previous months, the team had been exploring quite a few different directions with regard to the bike; different ideas and adjustments to improve on 2025.
The aim for this camp was to narrow down all those possibilities into more defined A and B setups, so they could be adapted if needed and then adopted as necessary when we go racing.
For the mechanics, this means a lot of data recording: back-to-back testing, timing-specific tests, and focusing on feedback correlation to try to tick all the boxes on the long list of options.
These guys do way more than wrenching. There’s a lot of brains up there, as well as those good looks...!
With riders finished on track, it’s time to wash the bikes and prep them for tomorrow. The old ‘clean, protect, lube’ system works a charm every time!
TUESDAY:
We are really into the swing of things now and the riders are firing. With more speed comes more focus, more intensity and more expectation. The riders are keen to keep the momentum, and the mechanics work quickly to ensure that shocks are swapped or settings are changed with optimal efficiency. They work together when they can; four hands making light work of intricate adjustments.
In racing, time is your enemy. You’re always battling with it — whether it’s chasing milliseconds on track or having everything ready on time for race day. The bikes are ongoing projects, often with prototype elements; if a rider bends a small part, the mechanics have to make another one quickly. Here is no exception. Time is not critical now, but it’s never a bad idea to keep the testing on track and get some disaster-aversion practice in. The guys scurry into the back of the van, there’s the sound of a drill, then a hammer, a little smoke, et voilà! They love that Dakar spirit. It’s part of racing, part of the thrill and the sense of accomplishment.
From the laser focus of work to laughter at lunchtime. It’s always a pleasure to sit down around the table with the mechanics – they have the warmth and ease of lifelong friends. It’s not by chance that they sit here, working for one of the best teams in the world. Their personalities form a central, foundational pillar of its success.
It’s hard to define — and almost impossible to overstate — the mechanic/rider relationship in modern DH racing. It’s a unique blend of practical skill and psychological understanding; friendship and professionalism.
Team camps are a great moment to consolidate that relationship, to build trust and confidence in each other. This year they are more focused on data and feedback to guide every decision, and it really feels like this mutually beneficial working combination in motion.
With bellies full, problems pondered and a good chuckle at the late-season skiers negotiating the metal staircase, it’s back to work.
There is an ebb and flow of riders in the pit. In between the post-run feedback and corresponding changes to a bike comes the work of servicing suspension or re-greasing bearings. The guys are always trying to keep one step ahead. The afternoon runs like clockwork.
As the day wraps up, the mechanics methodically pack down. Everything has its place. Before you know it, the bikes are sparkling clean again and being rebuilt with unceasing care and attention.
Back at the accommodation, a few second servings of pudding make the rounds before the day is debriefed and the night draws in.
WEDNESDAY:
The last day of riding. It has been a gloriously sunny few days and the beauty of their office — and the relative lack of bike cleaning — is not lost on the guys. The proximity of snow-capped mountains and a boulangerie leaves little to be desired when it comes to a good office.
Fuelled by good pastry and endless passion, the work begins again. More numbers, more times, more clicks, more Muc-Off. Ride, report, repeat.
A different rear end is no trouble, a new fork is doable, a brake bleed, a derailleur adjustment, another tyre, an alternative spoke tension, a clean helmet, fresh shoes, a cup of coffee, a word of support, a cheeky joke.
As the riders begin to tire, the mechanics don’t miss a beat. Somewhere between telemetry and telepathy, they help unlock the very best in the bikes and the riders until the very last lap.
As the riders take a shower, the bikes get a final wash. Once everything and everyone else is clean, the greased hands and sweaty hat hair of the mechanics arrive back at the accommodation. Some tired eyes but big smiles all round.
THURSDAY:
Time to head home. The camp isn’t finished until the vans are emptied and all the equipment is back in its home. It’s not the most fun part of the job, but it’s one of those processes that makes the machine work.
Bravo, boys. Another step closer to Korea. Time for a beer.
