All About Evie

We catch up with britain's first-ever elite cross-country world champ to get the lowdown on her surprise win, her 'bizarre' olympics and the secrets to her racing success

- By Steve Thomas

EVIE RICHARDS

Age 25 – started racing aged 15, in the Welsh Cycling XC Series

Hometown Malvern, Worcestershire

Team Trek Factory Racing

Achievements XCO world champion, 2021 Lenzerheide & Snowshoe XCO World Cups winner, 2021 U23 CX world champion, 2016 & 2018

What exactly goes through your mind when you realise you're going to become a world champion? I was just so shocked, and even now it feels like a blur, says Evie Richards. I thought about it during the race, and realised, 'Oh my God, I'm going to win the World Champs!' I couldn't believe it.

For 25-year-old Evie, the ride to the top had originally been in search of hoops rather than rainbow stripes, and started when she was seven. The whole family was just obsessed with the Olympics, she explains. We'd go on holiday and watch everything, from the opening ceremony, all through the night. At that time, mountain biking wasn't on Evie's radar: I just wanted to represent my country in a sport, I didn't care what it was. I wanted to wear a GB top.

After trying numerous activities, Evie decided that shin pads, rather than skinsuits, were her path to becoming an Olympian. I got into hockey, was moving up the tiers and trialling for England. I thought that was how I was going to go to the Olympics. But it was really hard, there were so many trials and clubs, and I just wanted this instant thing rather than that.