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When the fastest girl in the village met the fastest woman in the world
Get pro tips about taking on pump tracks from current UCI Pump Track World Champion Payton Ridenour as she takes Khothalang Leuta around the Lisbon track.
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Payton Ridenour and Khothlang Leuta come from very different backgrounds. One is seven times US National BMX Champion, and one received her very own bike for the first time just this week. Yet they have been brought together through a love of riding and the chance to battle it out at the UCI Red Bull Pump Track World Championships, which you can watch live on Red Bull TV Sunday, October 17.
Pump track training sessions
© Dan Griffiths
Leuta, who won the women's finals in her home country of Lesotho and is the star of The Fastest Girl in the Village, fulfilled her dream to fly in a plane for the first time. Ridenour, who is here to defend the rainbow jersey that she won in 2019, it's her first time in Portugal. Ridenour is always keen to help show newer riders the ropes, so she spent some time with Leuta giving tips on the Velosolutions Pump Track in Lisbon, which is much steeper, longer and more technical than the Velosolutions Pump Track in Rome, which Leuta trains and won on. We joined the pair as they sessioned to get some key insights.
Taking in the track
Discussing the key track elements
© Dan Griffiths
Starting with a track overview is key before putting tyres to the ground, especially on the Lisbon track, which is steep, technical and long. When comparing the course to the one she won on in 2019, Ridenour commented that this course is "really demanding because you have to be really focused the whole time." Explaining that the Swiss track, where she won her rainbow stripes, had sections to refocus and regroup, "but this one is all super technical, the backsides [of the jumps] are super steep, so you have to be laser focused and just on it the whole time. So it will be really difficult."
You have to be laser focused and just on it the whole time
It's all about pumping
Unlike most bike races, pump track isn't about pedalling. The way to get up speed around a pump track is through using your body weight to push and pump every inch of the course where possible – this includes both the front and back of the bumps. Ridenour explained that being aggressive on this course was important: "The backsides are super steep, so the whole pump track you have to be super aggressive on, but especially on the backsides."
The steep track needs a lot of pump
© Dan Griffiths
Pushing down to keep the speed up
© Dan Griffiths
Learn more about Ridenour and Leuta
Everyone has their own line and style for speed
One of the great things about pump track is the diversity of riders and disciplines it brings together. You have everything from BMX racers, mountain bikers, 4X racers, track riders to Olympians. Each rider has their preferred bike to ride and style that suits them.
Khothalang Leuta and Payton Ridenour doing laps
© Dan Griffiths
"We looked at one section where we practised pumping because the jumps were really steep on that one. I told her that I like to manual and jump those, but for someone who is more focused on pumping, that's their fastest line," explained Ridenour. "Everyone has their own way of going fastest through sections, so my fast line might not be her fast line."
Starting to manual more sections
© Dan Griffiths
Everyone has their own way of going fastest through sections so my fast line might not be her fast line
Getting high in the berms
Critical areas of the pump track are the steep corners and berms, which, when taken properly, can accelerate a rider into the next section of track.
Ridenour demonstrates the high berm line
© Dan Griffiths
For Ridenour, it's about staying high and maximising the flow: "If you stay high, you don't have to hit your brakes, and you can just take the corner, and the corner will just take you right along, and the whole track will flow a lot better."
Aiming to keep up near the red line
© Dan Griffiths
Pointing out the red Velosoutions line that runs around the course, Ridenour advised Leuta to focus on that when coming into the berm. "I was saying to stay up higher in the corner where the red Velosolutions line is, so you can take the corner to its full potential because if you just cut in from the bottom, you're not going to get the complete circle, and you're going to lose some speed."
Pump track is all about the good times
To Ridenour, pump track races represent much more of a fun and relaxed environment than the BMX racing that she usually participates in, explaining: "The environment is so laid back and so much more fun. When I'm at a BMX race, half the people are maybe having fun, and half the people are like, 'don't talk to me. I'm focused. I'm in my zone.' Then I come here, and no one is in that mindset. Everyone is laid back and having fun – that's what I like about it because then it relieves all the pressure, and everyone's here just to have fun."
Current Pump Track World Champion Payton Ridenour
© Dan Griffiths
Getting distracted to become focused
When discussing how to deal with the pressures of race day, Ridenour shared that her technique is to try and take her mind off things. "If I have friends around me or people that also like to talk before the race, I'll usually interact with them as I'm someone who likes to talk to everybody to get my mind off racing and the pressure. I get focused by getting distracted. Just don't overthink it."
Ridenour likes to chat to friends ahead of the race
© Dan Griffiths
Ridenour said when it comes to race advice: "The advice I would give for racing would just be to have fun. When you're serious, no one is really having fun. So just have fun. You're in Portugal racing your bike, so I think that's pretty awesome."
Passing on the knowledge
Sharing insider tips
© Dan Griffiths/Red Bull Content Pool
Both Ridenour and Leuta are huge advocates for riding in their local areas. Both are strongly passionate about getting more people onto bikes and sharing their skills with others. Ridenour spent lockdown creating a children's A-Z BMX book while Leuta opens up the community pump track in Rome every Thursday and Sunday helping kids on the track there.
Leuta is ready to take what she's learnt to race day
© Dan Griffiths
When reflecting about her day with Ridenour, Leuta was keen to pass on what she'd learnt to the kids in her village, saying: "I think what she taught me today will be able to advance kids from Lesotho – I'm going to teach them."
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