Damien Oton is the guest on En Roue Libre Podcast
Damien Oton is a former professional enduro mountain bike racer, owner of the Mondovélo shop in Perpignan and development rider for Orbea
Damien’s journey is the polar opposite of the classic paths that usually lead to mountain bike racing.
After leaving school at 13, he worked as a plumber for 10 years, and on the sports side he seemed well on his way to following in the footsteps of his father, who rode motocross.
But everything changed for him when he put his hands on the handlebars of a mountain bike. And it paid off: despite coming to racing late, he went on to build one of the finest track records among French enduro riders, up against riders who sometimes went as far as doping to stay ahead.
Today, Damien splits his time between developing his bike shop and his role as test rider for Orbea, and you’ll see that he still has a few great things left to achieve.
In this episode, expect to discover:
– How, out of nowhere, Damien made his debut in enduro mountain biking, supported by a certain Anne-Caroline Chausson
– His particular relationship with the training sessions his coach cooked up for him
– How he experienced the doping cases of his two main rivals, enduro world champions just ahead of him
– How he is living the entrepreneurial adventure with his bike shop, and his advice to fellow shop owners for facing discounters
– How he contributes to the development of Orbea’s enduro range
And plenty of other things.
Video chapters
00:00 Teaser
02:16 Introducing En Roue Libre
02:41 Introducing Damien Oton
03:30 Summary
04:05 Introducing Agence Line
04:40 Something in common with Steve Peat
06:25 How cycling came along
10:47 Motorbike vs bike
13:28 His first enduro mountain bike
14:52 The start of his career
17:47 What he learned alongside Anne-Caroline Chausson
28:18 What helped him progress the most
49:47 Joining Orbea
01:01:25 What he liked less about enduro
01:03:10 Doping in enduro
01:11:20 His bike shop
01:15:58 Between races and the shop
01:21:31 How to close a sale
01:27:15 The start of the 2025 season
01:30:56 Development work at Orbea
01:36:22 His goals for Loudenvielle
01:37:45 Having fun vs staying competitive
01:42:10 The enduro revival
01:44:19 What we can wish him for the future?
01:44:38 A next guest?
01:49:00 Thanks to the Mercure Loudenvielle
01:49:56 Conclusion
–
For an expert opinion on your communication and how to reach your goals faster, head to LinkedIn or book a call at agenceline.fr.
–
A huge thank you to the Mercure Loudenvielle for hosting us to record this episode.
En Roue Libre on the web:
Support En Roue Libre’s work on Tipeee: tipeee.com/enrouelibre
Subscribe to the En Roue Libre newsletter here: bit.ly/newsletterEnRoueLibre
Follow En Roue Libre on Instagram: instagram.com/enrouelibremedia/
Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taillo/
Visit enrouelibre.cc
And to give your communication a boost, call on LINE by booking a call with me directly at agenceline.fr
