FOCUS 3 MAX PEYTHIEU FREESTYLE MTB PRO RIDER

Hi Maxime,

- We are living in a complicated period, events were on the front line. All shows and events are canceled over several months. How do you live this situation? Is motivation still present?

The news which fell like a hair on the soup at the very moment when the season of shows is supposed to really start, putting the whole country (or almost) on pause, for an indefinite period, plunges you into a total blur. You have been waiting for this moment for months, you have prepared for it, you have managed your calendar accordingly, and no, you end up staying at home with your bike, with no income. Not easy.

But it is only a pass, which will undoubtedly have repercussions much further in time, as soon as France and the rest of the world will leave their home again, therefore the motivation remains there, and is even boosted to leave.

- It is imperative for professional athletes to maintain physical fitness and a minimum of feeling on the bike. What are you doing right now to limit the damage?

My place of residence, out of town, allows me to move without conflicting with anyone because I have exceeded the authorized perimeter. So I can move to keep in shape. On the other hand, the Freestyle spot on which I used to ride is him at the other end of the city, so it is impossible for me to benefit from it. This is why I armed myself with my shovel and my pickaxe, in order to build a small jump on which I can roll quietly, do some tricks. Video here

- The 2019 season was relatively rich in emotions and events. What's your best memory ? On the bike? With the team?

Indeed, the rhythm was even sometimes sustained. I remember the month of June where each weekend we reached one end of France, and then ended up in southern Italy, totaling almost 10,000 km. One of my best memories would surely be the preparation of our TV shows in the MBC studios in Beirut, for Arabs Got Talent. Although the wait was sometimes very long, once the team arrived on stage, everyone did what they had to do, and the show went up like this. I am really proud of the multi-disciplinary services that we have managed to create. I admire each member of the team, and what everyone is capable of doing in their own discipline never ceases to impress me, whether in trial mountain biking, freerunning or scooter. My best memory on the bike would be the Saturday night night show on the 24h des Crapauds, coupled with a pyrotechnic show, in an incredible atmosphere, a dimension that I had not yet had the chance to enter.

- We could see an absolutely magnificent Best of pass by the end of the year. It is undeniable that in your performance, in addition to performance, you emerge something special. The public loves you, waits for you from year to year. How do you explain this success?

Simply by the fact that we flourish in what we do, that we take pleasure in sharing our passions through sports shows, in addition to the bond that has been created over the years . This makes us "friendly" to the public, and breaks the barrier between the viewer and the professional. The speaker also has his key role in this meeting, because it is he who will introduce us and sell us to the spectators.

- You have been working with X-sports shows for many years now, you have performed hundreds of shows in many countries, for sporting events, TV shows and many more. What would you like to live today? (in terms of show of course)

I like to take on challenges, exploit new tracks that are still unknown, so I ask that you have something new, and try to implant our experience in the best possible way, on new terrain, like snow, water , sand etc. (cf winter X show video here)

- Tell us about your partners and your projects alongside X-sports shows?

I have been riding for 8 years with the bikes of the Californian brand Santa Cruz Bicycles, which has a more than complete mountain bike range, from the dirtjump bike (the Jackal that I use on shows) to enduro, up to lowering. I now ride as much in freestyle as in bigger bikes, ie enduro / freeride, in the mountains. All these disciplines are quite complementary, and allowed me to find my balance, so that when I get on one of my bikes I redouble my motivation to go riding.

I am also the manager of a bike park with my childhood friend Morgan, the Serlin Trail, which is located on the heights of Grenoble, where we develop freeride mountain bike trails for all levels, organize events etc. through the association that we created 10 years ago.

During the summer season, when I am not traveling with X-sports, I mop with my bikes to ride different spots, make images for my partners, and have fun, especially in the Serre Chevalier valley, of which I am one of the ambassadors, to take advantage of the many outdoor activities offered by this magnificent region.

The rest of my partners help me to equip my bikes and protect them with Novatec wheels, Vee Tire Co, Smith Optics, Racer Gloves, Bell Helmets and Camelbak.

- During your training today, what is your state of mind? Do you put pressure on yourself while keeping the urge to progress or are you more in a maintenance state of mind so as not to seek the injury?

It depends on the days, the periods when you have more or less feeling, without being able to explain it too much. I do not have, basic, too much this state of mind of training. For me I ride, as much as possible, often to the point of exhaustion, just because I love it, the sensations that come from being on my bike. So yes the desire to progress is always there, and is translated either by the learning of new figures, or by the repetition of figure already registered in your repertoire, which you will assimilate better and better and thus be able to place them almost everywhere , with ease, adding your own touch of style. This is more what attracts me today, rather than trying to hit the tricks "world first" that go in all directions, and which involve a higher risk of falling, and therefore of injury.

- In 2019 we could observe a real evolution of your approach on shows. The performance is there, but in addition we can see really crazy synchronizations between the pilots and a real game that helps to increase the intensity and the level. On the Roc d'Azur in October it was really crazy (video). How do you work on these new sequences with your partners?

It is by watching the other members of the team evolve that combo / sync ideas often come. You watch him do his sequence and you tell yourself that you can insert yourself in the middle to jump him over, or below, and that's what's interesting because the only limit is our imagination. I am thinking in particular of the mini backflip, with reception above my sidekick Tanguy. The latter being placed perpendicular to the send curve, lying on the ground, so that I land a backflip, therefore blind, straddling it. I had been thinking about this figure for a while, and one day, I tried it by putting my travel bag at first. The few tests were rather conclusive, so Tanguy naturally imposed himself to take the place of my bag. The 2nd test was successful. Guaranteed thrills for each party.

- Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, the last word, a message to send?

I wish everyone courage to pass this period, and I hope to be back as soon as possible with you to start this 10th season with the X-sports team.

Signed the old.

Article X-sports shows Wednesday April 22, 2020