Morgane Jonnier Interview

Peugeot Cycles‘ Morgane Jonnier is one of the stars of the WES e-Bike Series.

Coming from a background rich in cycling sports, Jonnier has ridden and raced in almost every two-wheeled discipline and today finds herself riding for the prestigious French bicycle manufacturer for enduro and e-bike competition.

We spoke to Morgane after her podium result at WES Enduro Italy to find out why she enjoys e-biking and who she thinks the sport suits.

WES: Morgane, what is it you love about e-mountain biking?

Morgane Jonnier: What I like in this discipline is the new horizons it can open. We can go up a mountain easily, have fun on the descents and find some new trails, go up another mountain and explore more of the area we are in.

WES: Who is e-MTB for?

MJ: I think everyone can be interested in this type of riding. E-MTB is for every kind of rider at any level. It allows a beginner to easily do a long ride and a high-level athlete can complement their training with a e-bike, doing rides but also pushing hard physically.

WES: Does an e-MTB change the way you ride a trail? What is better, or different, about it?

MJ: I’m quite new in e-MTB but from what I’ve experienced so far, I think the style of riding on a e-bike is a bit different than on a normal bike, especially because of the weight. It can be a con but also a plus. The con is, for example, in the uphills or when trying to place the bike precisely on the lines, but on the other hand, it offers better stability, especially going downhill.

WES: WES Bologna was your first WES event. Had you raced other e-bike races before it, or was it your first e-race?

MJ: It was my first e-bike race and a total discovery. For a first race, I thought it wasn’t easy to manage the battery.

WES: What is it like racing e-MTB? How does it compare to normal enduro racing?

MJ: I didn’t see a big difference between a normal race and a e-bike race. We still had limited time for liaisons to go to the top of the stages. The format is really similar.

The battery was a big question mark for me; I didn’t really know how much distance and elevation I could do with my battery. To avoid any issues in Bologna I turned off the motor regularly during the transfers on flat sections or steep uphill where I was pushing the bike up.

WES: What did you think of the WES Enduro course?

MJ: For me, it was a big discovery. I was happy to try a new discipline and I enjoyed sharing that with my teammates and all the passionate people who push this new format and make it as visible as possible. I will keep great memories from that event.

WES: How were the spectators?

MJ: There were a lot of local spectators, not necessarily riders or [but passionate]. We all know how good the Italian atmosphere is, so it was a great crowd for sure.

WES: Will we see you at future WES Rounds?

MJ: Yes for sure, I gave myself this new challenge to do a few e-bike races to finish the season. I’ll be there in Barcelona [at the final race of the season] and enjoy myself at the event.

WES: Finally, how can cycling destinations encourage e-mountain biking? What facilities help e-MTB riders?

MJ: About the facilities, I think the touristic cities or places should, for example, offer plugs to charge the bikes, create uphill trails to access different tracks and technical sections that would offer a great playground for e-bikes.

Morgane Jonnier will be racing WES Catalunya Round in the Enduro Women category.