Thanks to  Maxxis Tires, FOX and Jenson USA    for supporting The Inside Line MTB podcast! 

Jorge Gomes is a man dedicated to mountain bike racing. He is team manager for Transition Factory Racing, and the man behind Pro Builds mobile bike shop and Pro Builds Racing team, too. He tells us the story of how he became hooked on MTB which includes riding a dirt jump hardtail at Mountain Creek, how he became a bike assembler for Walmarts in his region and how he took his passion straight to the top by helping his rider, Valentia Roa Sanchez, earn the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup overall title in the Junior Women's class.

As the first round of 2024 approaches, enjoy the stories of overcoming adversity and learn what it takes to become a World Cup mountain bike race team manager.

0:00 - Intro and His first mountain bike
9:23 - Getting into DH Racing and Teams
17:09 - From Machine Operator to Bike Shop Employee
19:18 - The Reality of Assembling Bikes for Walmart
25:52 - Pro Builds Racing Grows
28:42 - Introduction to Valentina Roa Sanchez
33:26 - Meeting Valentina In-Person for the First Time
49:07 - Investing in Junior Women's Racing
55:54 - Transition Factory Racing's First Year
1:08:37 - 2023 Race Season Highs and Lows
1:16:02 - Loudenvielle Junior Race Cancellation
1:30:05 - Valentina Roa Sanchez Winning the World Cup Overall
1:43:00 - The Future of Non-Elite Teams at World Cups