PET Interview 26

Fail

 Hello. In the studio, today is Philip Samson, the mountain bike racer. Philip, how did you start riding mountain bikes?

 Well, I only discovered mountain bikes when I was 16. I was keen on lots of other sports, but mountain biking- I believed was not something I’d be good at. Then there was a bicycle race in my village and I just wanted to take part – knowing I’d probably be last.

 Your family must be proud of you.

 Well, my mother is. Before I left home to ride in my first World Cup five years ago, I said to her that I felt I’d win, because I’d trained so much. She replied I’d be lucky to come third or fourth! She wanted me to win of course, but she didn’t really believe I could do it back then. Now she’s always at the finishing line among all my fans!

 How do you feel after winning an important race?

 Oh, wonderful. Sometimes the television’s there, wanting to interview me, but I go straight to where all my fans are – they want autographs – so I sign my name hundreds of times. I’m always happy to do it, though I refuse to have conversations with them at this point… They know they can see me later for that when I’ve had a rest.

 What makes you better than other racers?

 Oh, at the highest level we all work hard and make sure we have the best possible bikes. I do a lot of cross-country racing, over hills and on difficult roads, as every other racer does. But on top of that, I do a lot of really hard gym work – and I think this is it – other riders spend most of their time riding their bikes and less on other training.

 Do you read mountain bike magazines?

 Although there are so many mountain bike riders now, few of them actually buy magazines, so the publishers are always worrying about sales… I read a few of them, but if you look at them carefully, you’ll find reports and interviews about leisure riding, plenty of that, but hardly anything on actual races. That means professional racers would find little of interest in them.

 Finally, you’re now 32. Will you continue to race for many years?

 Yes, but I have other plans as well. A few months ago I had an offer to do TV advertisements for mountain bikes. I wasn’t sure about it then, but now I need the income – and I think it’ll be good for the sport – getting more people interested. I’ve also had an offer to appear in a film – a thriller, but it would take too much of my time. I also refused an offer to write a book about my career, for the same reason.

 Philip, thank you for talking to us.

 Hello. In the studio, today is Philip Samson, the mountain bike racer. Philip, how did you start riding mountain bikes?

 Well, I only discovered mountain bikes when I was 16. I was keen on lots of other sports, but mountain biking- I believed was not something I’d be good at. Then there was a bicycle race in my village and I just wanted to take part – knowing I’d probably be last.

 Your family must be proud of you.

 Well, my mother is. Before I left home to ride in my first World Cup five years ago, I said to her that I felt I’d win, because I’d trained so much. She replied I’d be lucky to come third or fourth! She wanted me to win of course, but she didn’t really believe I could do it back then. Now she’s always at the finishing line among all my fans!

 How do you feel after winning an important race?

 Oh, wonderful. Sometimes the television’s there, wanting to interview me, but I go straight to where all my fans are – they want autographs – so I sign my name hundreds of times. I’m always happy to do it, though I refuse to have conversations with them at this point… They know they can see me later for that when I’ve had a rest.

 What makes you better than other racers?

 Oh, at the highest level we all work hard and make sure we have the best possible bikes. I do a lot of cross-country racing, over hills and on difficult roads, as every other racer does. But on top of that, I do a lot of really hard gym work – and I think this is it – other riders spend most of their time riding their bikes and less on other training.

 Do you read mountain bike magazines?

 Although there are so many mountain bike riders now, few of them actually buy magazines, so the publishers are always worrying about sales… I read a few of them, but if you look at them carefully, you’ll find reports and interviews about leisure riding, plenty of that, but hardly anything on actual races. That means professional racers would find little of interest in them.

 Finally, you’re now 32. Will you continue to race for many years?

 Yes, but I have other plans as well. A few months ago I had an offer to do TV advertisements for mountain bikes. I wasn’t sure about it then, but now I need the income – and I think it’ll be good for the sport – getting more people interested. I’ve also had an offer to appear in a film – a thriller, but it would take too much of my time. I also refused an offer to write a book about my career, for the same reason.

 Philip, thank you for talking to us.

 Hello. In the studio, today is Philip Samson, the mountain bike racer. Philip, how did you start riding mountain bikes?

 Well, I only discovered mountain bikes when I was 16. I was keen on lots of other sports, but mountain biking- I believed was not something I’d be good at. Then there was a bicycle race in my village and I just wanted to take part – knowing I’d probably be last.

 Your family must be proud of you.

 Well, my mother is. Before I left home to ride in my first World Cup five years ago, I said to her that I felt I’d win, because I’d trained so much. She replied I’d be lucky to come third or fourth! She wanted me to win of course, but she didn’t really believe I could do it back then. Now she’s always at the finishing line among all my fans!

 How do you feel after winning an important race?

 Oh, wonderful. Sometimes the television’s there, wanting to interview me, but I go straight to where all my fans are – they want autographs – so I sign my name hundreds of times. I’m always happy to do it, though I refuse to have conversations with them at this point… They know they can see me later for that when I’ve had a rest.

 What makes you better than other racers?

 Oh, at the highest level we all work hard and make sure we have the best possible bikes. I do a lot of cross-country racing, over hills and on difficult roads, as every other racer does. But on top of that, I do a lot of really hard gym work – and I think this is it – other riders spend most of their time riding their bikes and less on other training.

 Do you read mountain bike magazines?

 Although there are so many mountain bike riders now, few of them actually buy magazines, so the publishers are always worrying about sales… I read a few of them, but if you look at them carefully, you’ll find reports and interviews about leisure riding, plenty of that, but hardly anything on actual races. That means professional racers would find little of interest in them.

 Finally, you’re now 32. Will you continue to race for many years?

 Yes, but I have other plans as well. A few months ago I had an offer to do TV advertisements for mountain bikes. I wasn’t sure about it then, but now I need the income – and I think it’ll be good for the sport – getting more people interested. I’ve also had an offer to appear in a film – a thriller, but it would take too much of my time. I also refused an offer to write a book about my career, for the same reason.

 Philip, thank you for talking to us.

 Hello. In the studio, today is Philip Samson, the mountain bike racer. Philip, how did you start riding mountain bikes?

 Well, I only discovered mountain bikes when I was 16. I was keen on lots of other sports, but mountain biking- I believed was not something I’d be good at. Then there was a bicycle race in my village and I just wanted to take part – knowing I’d probably be last.

 Your family must be proud of you.

 Well, my mother is. Before I left home to ride in my first World Cup five years ago, I said to her that I felt I’d win, because I’d trained so much. She replied I’d be lucky to come third or fourth! She wanted me to win of course, but she didn’t really believe I could do it back then. Now she’s always at the finishing line among all my fans!

 How do you feel after winning an important race?

 Oh, wonderful. Sometimes the television’s there, wanting to interview me, but I go straight to where all my fans are – they want autographs – so I sign my name hundreds of times. I’m always happy to do it, though I refuse to have conversations with them at this point… They know they can see me later for that when I’ve had a rest.

 What makes you better than other racers?

 Oh, at the highest level we all work hard and make sure we have the best possible bikes. I do a lot of cross-country racing, over hills and on difficult roads, as every other racer does. But on top of that, I do a lot of really hard gym work – and I think this is it – other riders spend most of their time riding their bikes and less on other training.

 Do you read mountain bike magazines?

 Although there are so many mountain bike riders now, few of them actually buy magazines, so the publishers are always worrying about sales… I read a few of them, but if you look at them carefully, you’ll find reports and interviews about leisure riding, plenty of that, but hardly anything on actual races. That means professional racers would find little of interest in them.

 Finally, you’re now 32. Will you continue to race for many years?

 Yes, but I have other plans as well. A few months ago I had an offer to do TV advertisements for mountain bikes. I wasn’t sure about it then, but now I need the income – and I think it’ll be good for the sport – getting more people interested. I’ve also had an offer to appear in a film – a thriller, but it would take too much of my time. I also refused an offer to write a book about my career, for the same reason.

 Philip, thank you for talking to us.