Anyone who has ever competed in a mountain bike race at any level can relate to this clip. Whether you are a first timer, expert, or pro, MTB racing is just plain grueling. I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for World Cup mountain biking and the athletes who choose to compete at this level.
Julien’s bio from Wikipedia:
Julien Absalon (born August 16, 1980 in Remiremont) is a French mountain biker. In both 2004 and 2008 he won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He rides for the Spanish mountain bike team Orbea. Absalon has 17 World Cup wins.
Absalon won four consecutive Mountain Bike World Championships (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007).
Hero.
dog4aday on 
Yeah, I pretty much have to subscribe to your blog now. It’s good to know that even the best have their bad days – and that they don’t quit. I had a ITT on Saturday and felt exactly like that (pretty sure I finished last but the results are not posted yet).
I’ve never seen Julien Absalom blow like that before. Was this from last season, the race after he ran a huge amount of one lap because of a mechanical and fought back to win?