Winter chat with Enduro World Series rider Florian Nicolai
Top ranked French off-road rider Florian Nicolai joins the Trek Factory Racing enduro team this season. He stopped by Trek headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin to get outfitted for 2020 and sat down to chat with us while he was here. Take a read and get to know Flo.
Q: What part of France are you from?
Flo: I live near Nice in a southern region of France, Côte d’Azur. It is a region known for sun and blue skies. It has perfect mountains for biking, the French Alps, so it is an ideal place to train. I love my region.
Q: What is a food you would recommend from your region Côte d’Azur?
Flo: You should try socca. It is like a small pancake but made with chickpea flour. You eat it like an appetizer. My manager cooks them really well!
Q: What is your favorite type of trail to ride?
Flo: I love trails with lots of trees that result in tight corners to turn. I have a lot of confidence with technical features and when a trail is twisting around trees, I enjoy making those tight turns.
Q: What are you looking forward to in the 2020 season?
Flo: I am excited to ride the Slash. It is a great bike for enduro with perfect geometry and really good suspension. RockShox settings are easy to adjust. It is a really solid bike. My big goal is to take the Enduro World Series title this year. I have good momentum to build on from last year. I also want to enjoy the ride and have fun out there.
Q: What is your perfect morning routine before training?
Flo: I like to wake up early around 7:30. I have breakfast, always something different. I had eggs, cheese and ham last week but my breakfast is always changing. Then I head out for a ride. I do a road ride a couple days per week, otherwise I am on mountain trails.
Q: What do you like to do to relax when you are off the bike?
Flo: I like to go fishing. It is a relatively new hobby for me, I started about two years ago. I love being close to the sea and the wind, it’s relaxing.
