Yes, the air traffic is quite busy when Seb is around! You probably met him at the start of the season getting his 40/80 e-bike soaring in Ste-Adèle or perfecting his lines on the trails in Montcalm. Sébastien is one of the few expatriates from the world of motocross who entered the field of mountain biking through the door of the e-bike. Very active in the Laurentians mountain biking community, do not hesitate to talk to him if you see him riding in the Laurentians or taking part in the many maintenance chores on the trails.
This year Sébastien is going to experience quite an event, a nasty trip as they say. The Megavalanche having opened an E-Bike category, Seb quickly secured a place in this challenge of a lifetime.
Starting with the logistics of what it means to transport a battery of E-Bikes when they cannot take the plane, Sébastien took the time to enlighten us a little more about the preparations and his perspective on this race. legendary!
Founded in 1995, the year of birth of Sébastien, he tells us more about this journey that he is about to live:
"I've been following the Megavalanche for about ten years. Religiously, I watch and observe, I've always found it completely stupid to reach 100km/h on a glacier on a bike and then attack 45 minutes of descent without stop on 21 km of enduro track (90% descent – 10% ascent).
Wanting to start a career in the field of cycling and with the level I had on my normal enduro bike, I wanted to take part in the adventure of Pinkbike Academy to have the chance to make myself known in the sport and thus carve out a place in the industry. Given the success of this TV show, I was not selected last year because there were too many applications. I was a little disappointed.
In Quebec, and especially in e-bikes, it is very difficult to break into this sport which is relatively new in North America. There is no championship recognized by the Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes in E-bike. This is where my childhood dream of trying the Megavalanche came into play.
When I made the decision to go there, I had done my homework:
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E-bike class
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International race watched by millions of people on Youtube.
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An ultra difficult race with all possible obstacles on a single track.
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The chance to make yourself known internationally.
Of course, I am not going there to look at the landscape during my race, I have goals, objectives and I am sacrificing a lot of time and energy for this project. A friend of mine is coming with me for the big trip of a lifetime! 1000x more fun and 2x cheaper! 2 stones at once as they say!
As a goal, I aim for a top 10 in Europe this summer, my goal being to put my name among the leaders and show them that there are serious riders in Canada also in E-bike. Another important point, to make known my sponsors who help me achieve my dreams. I will take the opportunity to create a lot of content for social networks! Share my dream with the people who follow me!
If all goes well at Megavalanche and I see potential internationally, I will do everything to try a World Cup (UCI World E-bike Championship). It's already in my head, I see big and I believe in myself. My motto will always be the same: We just have one life and it's short, if you don't try you'll never know."
And who says E-Bike, says some uncomfortable questions about this new discipline that we now come across more and more on our trails:
Hey Seb!... Why the E-Bike?
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I experienced the E-bike at Mont Sutton at the end of the 2020 season. I had tried a Fantic E-bike which I was able to ride for a good 45 min. I fell in love with this kind of machine. A perfect mix between motocross and cycling but without cheating too much.
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Just think of it as a totally different way to roll and force. It's a completely different kind of discipline, like downhill, enduro or cross-country. Last year we very rarely saw E-bikes on the trails and I like to get out of the ordinary (to make the world talk in other words).
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I'm a rider who rides around 30% of the time solo, I like to put in a lot of miles and I like to go fast (motocross guys) so the choice was easy for me to switch to E-bike.
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I love it and I can no longer do without the stability that an e-bike can bring me. In the air as much as on the trail, a heavier bike keeps you “grounded” or attracted to the ground. For me, it is definitive that the grip on an E-bike is doubled. In the air, the bike grips less in the wind. You're never going to see me waiting at the top of a jump because it's too windy. The motor and battery centered in the geometry of the bike really give you the impression that you are never going to go off the rails or that you are going to “Nose Dive”.
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You can shoot your buddies who lack juice. 😉
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I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future, the e-bike takes up more space than the normal bike but with much lighter and more efficient models. So why would I wait to switch disciplines when I can start feeling comfortable on my e-bike right away? Might as well start right away and get a head start! "
Good Ok not bad your answers my Seb ;)
Our dear Sebmour even made a video about Sébastien's upcoming odyssey:
If you want to participate in Sébastien's success.
He will thank you from the bottom of his heart and the surplus will be donated to a foundation of his choice.
We'll keep you posted on the progress of his journey once there,
The BIKESHIELD PROTECTION family wishes you a good Megavalanche, Seb!