Epic Racing around the World

Our first foray into the world of gravity racing, Leana comes to Monavie/Cannondale seamlessly from the Cannondale teams of Bare Naked and Sobe/Cannondale.

leanagerrard.com/ 

The Bellingham, Washington resident is only 22, but is already a staple of the US gravity scene. Let’s catch up with her quickly, before she hits the books in an attempt to wrap up her last semester at Western Washington University.

Tell us about your favorite racing results, and don’t hold back.

1. Snowmass, Colorado 2004, 4x- First professional national win
2. World Champs Kaprun, Austria 2002 4^th place junior downhill- Fresh off the BMX track so it was the start of my mountain bike career, and to do it on the international stage was amazing.
3. World Champs Livino, Italy 2005 6^th place elite women 4x
4. Whistler Crankworks 2007 6^th place air downhill- first American finisher
5. Fontana, California 2006 1^st place 4x- I was the fastest racer that weekend, qualifying first and winning every heat.

Leana, of those results, what made one of them really special? Going fast is your job, after all.

It was my first pro win in 4x at Snowmass. I had no intention of winning the race, I was just super stoked to have made it into the finals. In fact, the highlight of my day had come when I beat another, much larger, rider out in the semifinals. It was also my first time ever riding the Cannondale Prophet, I had even qualified on my old bike and the team mechanic, Jack, and my dad had stayed up all night before my race to put the new bike together. Everything came together that day.

What piece of former team gear do you miss the most?

I rocked a pair of neon green and yellow skin tight SoBe leathers at a few races in 2003. It was a bad idea in general but I was super stoked on them. They even zipped up the side of the legs so that they would be extra skin tight in addition to being high waters.

What’s Leana up to when not hucking large gaps at the international Four Cross events?

I’m always tending to my car. I wash it about once a week (once a day when its raining) and clean the inside far too often. It sucks living in Washington with this obsession since during the winter you are really fighting a losing battle.

Tell us about what we can expect from you in 2008?

My goal is to place top 5 in a world cup, and aim for the World Championships. I also want to be the National Champion in 4x and tighten my results in the downhill. I think the only way to achieve this is by avoiding burnout, its all about balance, you know? In the end we are doing this sport because we love it, and the moment it becomes a job and not fun, you need to reevaluate your priorities. Time to get to work!