Q&A with Martín Vidaurre: The making of Chile’s XC star

Michal Cerveny

Coming into 2026, Martín Vidaurre finds himself at the top of his sport. After taking his first elite XCO World Cup win in Val di Sole last year and finishing second overall behind teammate Christopher Blevins, the Chilean is now a favourite whenever he rolls onto a start line.

However, unlike the traditional conveyor belt of European XC talent, Vidaurre’s path to the top was anything but conventional. He grew up racing in Chile, sneaking out on rides to go and suffer alone in the hills, and was made to compete on second-hand clunkers by his dad, even while brands were trying desperately to give him bikes.

At 17, he headed to Europe, basing himself in Freiburg, Germany, as he tested himself against the sport’s established talent. The move perhaps made more sense than it first appeared, with Vidaurre’s family having German roots through his mother’s side.

After a final U23 season in 2022 that saw him win eight of nine World Cup rounds, many assumed elite domination would naturally follow. Everyone except Vidaurre. In conversation, he repeatedly returns to the importance of patience, adaptation, and trusting the process through difficult years of transition. Even now, despite entering the season as one of the sport’s leading riders, his focus remains fixed on the bigger picture, with the 2028 Olympic Games already looming in the background.

What emerges in getting to know the Chilean national champion is someone unusually grounded for an athlete at the top of the sport; self-aware, reflective, and still slightly surprised by everything he has achieved.

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