Downhill Ace Höll: "Why do I get less than a man?"

In the run-up to the World Championships from August 26-30 in Val di Sole, northwest of Trento, she took time out for LAOLA1 to talk about the Olympics, the development of the sport in general, and for women in particular.

LAOLA1: Doesn't it get boring eventually when you win so much?

Valentina Höll: I don't think so at all. There are always higher expectations, and it's always harder to win. So, I have a lot of motivation.

LAOLA1: How has the field changed? The door to the Olympics is closed, did that have an impact?

Höll: The topic of the Olympics in downhill sport has always been a back and forth, but I think we all know it won't happen. The Summer Olympics are always so full. I'm part of the UCI Athletes' Commission, and it's a fact that there are already too many athletes at the Summer Olympics. And they are really struggling to keep the disciplines that are already there. So, it's unlikely they'll add new ones. So, it's not something that drives you as a young girl. You don't grow up with this dream. You do it because you want to ride Downhill.

LAOLA1: Don't you still feel teased when breakdancing and modern pentathlon are included?

Höll: That's precisely the question. The format is extremely exciting and easy to understand. Like alpine skiing, it's brutally exciting to watch and easy to follow. You don't need any prior knowledge of how something works or how points are scored. The fastest time wins, you don't have to wait three hours for it to be over.

I also have the feeling that Downhill is slowly becoming the new trend sport. It just takes a bit of time; it's not road cycling and doesn't have as much money in it as the Tour de France, where the UCI federation is behind it. But it's no use, we just have to do our thing – in the scene, it's already very cool. It would be good to have this dream, but maybe it's better the other way around.

LAOLA1: Maybe the push will come from the fact that all this winter infrastructure is also well suited for mountain biking.

Höll: With the snow-poor winters, it's really interesting to see what's happening with school classes. In the West, schools are still refusing (Note: regarding mountain bike weeks). I don't really know why. Sure, it's a bit dangerous, and something can always happen. But whether you do a ski week or a mountain bike week, it doesn't change the risk.

LAOLA1: Basically, downhill riding is very snackable content for Instagram and co. You signed your first sponsorship contract at 13. How has the sport changed in the last ten, 15 years?

Höll: At first, I didn't even know that Downhill was a thing or that there were World Cup races. I really noticed it for the first time in 2011. Then I watched it and thought it was super cool. But unlike professional female skiers, it wasn't so clear that you could make a living from it. Half of the female mountain bikers had to work anyway in winter. Now it's extremely professional. It has become so elite to even ride World Cup that all female riders are on professional teams. They have proper contracts.

I'm in the fortunate position to be able to live well from it, can save a lot, and do smart things. But I'm one of the top riders, and not everyone had that luck. It's interesting because after Corona, biking struggled a lot. My old team went bankrupt last year, and I had to look for a new one. There was a hype around the sport, and every sport eventually has a lull.

LAOLA1: Perhaps apart from this development: you have to have a relaxed attitude towards injuries when you throw yourself down the mountain on a bike, don't you? How easy or difficult is it to deal with setbacks – yes, you've won the World Championships four times, but how do you stomach setbacks like an injury before the home World Championships or the bankruptcy of your racing team?

Höll: That's all part of the game, you know the risk and what can happen. I'm only 24 years old, but I have to admit that as you get older, you realize what can happen to others. Then you think more and more. It's a fact that it's easier at 16, 17, or 18. But you prepare as well as possible for everything and train so that you don't get injured and so that less happens if you do get injured.

You can't control the other things anyway. That's how it is in life, not just when you're riding a bike down a mountain. And then you have to make the best of it. When that happened with my team, I had the chance to start fresh. The results are very good, I'm super happy about that. You just have to seize the opportunities, even if it's not planned.

LAOLA1: What does your future career planning look like? Anne-Caroline Chausson was World Champion nine times.

Höll: I've heard that often too. I have a lot of respect for everyone who has won more often. But those were different times. I think you could afford more mistakes back then. The field is so brutally close now, you can't afford anything. But that's super cool because it's the same for men – we have an extremely high level. Then the podium looks different every weekend, and that's exactly what we've been working towards.

We want it to be difficult, for everyone to push their limits. Especially this year, the women's field is very exciting, and I also notice that many people think our races are super cool to watch. Of course, you have your personal goals, but you want to make the sport more attractive overall. And in that regard, we're on an extremely good path.

LAOLA1: When did it actually switch so that the top became broader?

Höll: I think it was simply the new generation that came one or two years after me. They have the chance to make the sport professional because more and more teams are realizing the opportunities that supporting women's sports offers.

It needed role models, because before that, you had fewer opportunities to even find a role model. And now in almost every country, there are many cool role models who show what's possible. This way, more kids can be inspired. This time was needed. The more you see us in the media, in newspapers, on social media, the easier it is to see that you want to do that too.

LAOLA1: Women are generally underrepresented in sports. What's your experience in Downhill?

Höll: I'm super lucky to be the face of Downhill in Austria. That's why I'm well represented in the media, and the young female riders in Austria are stronger than the boys. We've really done a good job there; the boys need to catch up. That's why I'm happy to be well represented. Together with Rosa Zierl and Lina Frener, we'll be a really strong women's team in the coming years. So, in Austria, we have the upper hand. Bike media generally also tries to portray men and women equally.

But if you look at the paycheck, you can see that men earn more. This is where we're fighting: Why am I getting less than a man, even though I have more wins? So you can see that it's harder for marketing departments and brands to recognize this and move with the times. My management is very committed to bringing a breath of fresh air into the scene. Because of us, bikes are sold, girls start riding, and then buy more.

LAOLA1: So, does that mean that in cycling, it's moving in the direction that women should earn the same as in tennis at the Grand Slam tournaments?

Höll: That's extremely cool in tennis. But they also have very big deals with well-known brands like Nike or Lacoste. That's another story. For us, the amounts are smaller.

LAOLA1: What's it like personally to be the face of your sport and then essentially answer all the questions?

Höll: It's positive and relaxed. I'm very open anyway, and you can tell when I don't like something. I am who I am, and very natural. At the beginning, the problem was that many people thought I was selfish or overly ambitious. You have to get to know me better, and then people are surprised that I'm very funny, for example.

Now it's easier for me than back then, when they pushed me into this world with all the cameras at 17, 18. You change so much at that age, but there's always someone judging and commenting on you. That's not fair when you don't even know who you are yourself. Now I have more self-confidence. Before, I was just scared; now I dare to show who I am.

LAOLA1: Does the mental aspect often get overlooked?

Höll: I work with a sports psychologist, but I first had to find my personality, and that simply takes time.

LAOLA1: What would you tell your teenage self today that you only know now?

Höll: Don't focus on results. I was always afraid that people only talked to me because I was good at cycling. But that's complete bullshit. People like me because I'm me, and if I didn't ride bikes, I'd have my friends just the same. You are not defined by your results. Cycling is extremely cool and gives you many opportunities for what you can do. But in the end, it's just cycling. What you do besides that is more important.

LAOLA1: Thank you for the interview!