‘I have to know that it’s not in the disco socks’

Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast

It’s Laurie Arseneault’s second season with Canyon MTB Racing. The squad was a total powerhouse at the national mountain bike championships in July, where she took the short track event and her teammate Emily Batty won the XCO title.

In August, the day after the World Cup at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Arseneault returned to her place in Bromont, Que. She had had a tough XCO competition as she faced a few mechanicals. Still, she was glad she could race in front of friends and family, and vowed to return to MSA stronger next year. In this episode, the rider from Terrebonne, Que., talks about racing, a superstition, the role of fishing in her life, the "fire in her heart" and what she’s most proud of this season. (Hint: It’s not a race result.) Arseneault still has two major events ahead of her for the 2022 season: the world championships in Les Gets, France, and the final World Cup of the season in Val di Sole, Italy.

Before the interview with Arseneault, the Matts (Matthew Pioro and Matt Hansen) talk Finn Iles’s win at Mont-Sainte-Anne, why Matthew should probably never interview Arseneault in French, swearing on a pod and at work and Matt’s continuing adventures in crit racing. Also, Matthew likes Matt’s humour piece. Matt treats it (too) seriously.