Mountain bike talent:

“Wants to show the vulnerable side of the sport”

Samantha Soriano is an exceptional talent on a mountain bike.(Bild: peterjamisonmedia.com)

An exceptional talent in the mountain biking community, Samantha Soriano won numerous titles as a teenager. Some even say she turned the sport on its head. She says: "It's important to me to show the vulnerable side of riding too."

Samantha got on a bike for the first time at the age of four under her father's supervision. Back then, she mainly emulated her brother. "I think it's important to have role models - even of the same sex," says Samantha in an interview with Krone+. "For me, that was definitely Tahnée Seagrave. She comes from Great Britain and has done so much for the sport. She was a huge inspiration to me." At just 17 years old, Samantha was crowned US downhill champion, but eventually switched to the freeride scene.