THE RYDER LAWRENCE INTERVIEW

Our friends at Intense Cycles recently sent us their interview with Randy Lawrence, a former pro downhill racer with Intense who also happened to have been Jeremy McGrath’s mechanic when Jeremy was the top motocross rider in the U.S.

Today, Intense has released the second part of the story, their interview with Randy’s son Ryder, who will be racing the World Cup downhill series in 2025 in the junior’s division:

RYDER LAWRENCE INTERVIEW

Following our recent interview with Randy Lawrence, a former INTENSE Factory Racing team member and renowned motocross mechanic and trainer, we now shift focus to the next generation of the Lawrence family: his son, Ryder.

Ryder’s journey in two-wheeled sports began with BMX racing at a young age, where his natural talent, dedication, and passion quickly became evident. Building on the Lawrence family’s long-standing relationship with INTENSE and recognizing Ryder’s promising potential, he has officially joined the INTENSE Factory Racing team for 2024 under the mentorship of Joe Breeden. This season, Ryder will compete as a first-year junior in the WHOOP UCI MTB World Series for downhill racing.

1. How did your journey in mountain biking begin, and what sparked your passion for the sport?

My journey of mountain biking began when I went to a bike park where I live for a friend’s birthday and ever since then I’ve just loved riding mountain bikes.

2. Who has been your biggest inspiration in the downhill racing world or mountain biking in general?

Honestly, my biggest inspiration in downhill would probably be Loic Bruni because his motivation and dedication to win is very inspiring.

3. How do you mentally prepare for a race, especially with the level of competition in the field today?

I mentally prepare for a race by having as much fun as possible to keep my mind off of worrying about the race.

4. What nutrition strategy do you follow to maximize your performance on the bike?

My nutrition strategy is to try not to eat out very much and buy healthy foods to make at home.

5. How do you approach especially difficult tracks? Do you have a favorite track or venue where you love to compete?

Honestly, I love the difficult tracks because they really show the skilled riders, and my favorite track would probably be Val di Sole because it was really challenging.

6. What’s going through your mind as you’re in the start hut, just moments before your race run? And how does that feeling evolve during the run itself?

Usually, what’s going through my mind in the start hut would be to make sure that I have as much fun as possible, and I love this feeling because I do have as much fun as possible.

7. You’ve had to overcome injuries and setbacks—how do you maintain confidence through recovery and come back even stronger?

After injuries and time off the bike, I try not to think about it and just ride like I know how too.

8. What are the key features you prioritize when selecting your bike and components for racing?

The key features I prioritized on my bike is to make sure my suspension is set up just how I like it and I do as much as I can to make my bike the quietest it can be.

9. What advice would you give to young riders who aspire to follow in your footsteps and pursue a professional career?

Some advice I would give to young riders would be to make sure you are always making the sport fun any way you can even though it gets hard sometimes.

10. What has it been like having your Dad alongside as your mechanic and trainer this year?

Having my dad alongside me at the races was great because I could talk to him whenever I needed help with something, and he was always there for me.

We conclude our interview with Ryder Lawrence, whose promising talent suggests a bright future in the Downhill World Cup. We sincerely thank him for sharing his insights and wish him the best of luck in the 2025 season.

We look forward to following the next chapter of success from the Lawrence family!