Photo Story: Sven Martin's Favourite Shots of Martin Maes
GT Factory Racing photographer, Sven Martin, has captured some incredible moments in his time with the team, so we asked him to dig through his treasure chest of images to come up with his favorite moments with the team. Check out the first installment of the GTFRchives featuring Martin Maes.
 | I got my start as a race photographer thanks to GT back in 2008, and I’ve been part of the family ever since. Somebody else who has spent his whole career with one brand, almost unheard of in today’s sports arena is Martin Maes. How does one even begin to document this young man’s career trajectory? While I have thousands of photographs of him, I thought it best to begin with a timeline of photos. From my earliest to my last including some career highlights in between. |
2013 to 2019. My first photo of a very young 16 yr old Martin is also from the very first Enduro World Series event. Punta Ala, Italy, May 2013. He would take a convincing win in the Juniors and finish 4th overall. Fast forward seven years to Zermatt, Switzerland, September 2019. Countless stage and race wins, medals and titles later, we now have an icon of the sport and one of the best all-round bike riders on the planet. At 22 years-old, the future is bright for Martin.
More wins follow in 2013 and he’s crowned the first-ever EWS Junior World Champion, capping off an already successful year with a top three overall in the general classification. Not bad for a 16 year-old. He had truly arrived. Finale, Italy 2013.
Experimenting with a DH bike. Back to back junior World Cup DH wins in Fort William 2014 and 2015 followed up with a silver medal at World Champs in Andorra.
No better place to take his first elite EWS win, only 19 years-old, Finale, Italy 2016.
| Somebody else who has spent his whole career with one brand, almost unheard of in today’s sports arena is Martin Maes. |
Maes realizes a childhood dream and wins his first DH World Cup while focussing on EWS full-time. Labresse, France, 2018.
Proving La Bresse was no fluke, he backs it up in the dry with a stunning 2nd place at World Champs in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, 2018
Another win on the world's most scenic stage. Madeira, Portugal, 2019.
Martin finishes the year much like he started, with a convincing win at the season-ender in Zermatt Switzerland, 2019.
Words & Photos: Sven Martin
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What a f*cking cheat.