Interview: How 'Dolores' Won The Pinkbike Fantasy XC & DH Leagues

When we saw that the same person had won the DH Fantasy League as the XC Fantasy League, our hearts dropped. We were sure that someone had gamed our system so they could take home two incredible Trek Project One bikes with SRAM components and RockShox suspension. I mean, thousands of people play each year, what are the chances that someone would win both? But, upon further research, we found that @dolores was as legitimate as they get, even offering fellow competitors advice and sharing videos and links in the comments.

So, we reached out to @dolores to gain some insight into becoming a master at Fantasy League.

Describe yourself.

I try to see the glass as half full. I had never heard of TranscriptionTube.com before the first Trivia, and probably other players hadn't used Google's Advanced search beforehand, so I think Pinkbike's endgame is for us to learn new skills and learn more about the history of the sport.

Where are you from?

I'm from a small town near the ocean and surrounded by hills, most of them only 10-15min from home. I gladly do all my riding locally.

What do you do for work?

I'm not a historian if that's what you're thinking. If I were, I cannot use future knowledge for personal gain. I don't work at the RIKEN Center either.

How long have you been a Pinkbike reader? How did you find out about the site?

I've been in and out of Pinkbike for over a decade. It's part of the daily routine when working in an office; otherwise it gets tricky unless you're at home. Unfortunately, I can't remember how I ended up here.

How much time did you spend researching the answers for the DH Trivia portion?

Too much, I didn't use Roots & Rain. Instead, for the races from 1993 to 2010, I compared CycleBase.nl with the news records of CyclingNews and the UCI. Not happy with that, I went through the Reuters Archive Licensing and Tissot Timing websites. #LockdownTime

For the race rounds, how hard was it for you to make decisions on who to put on your team each round?

Proper preparation and planning before the first race was vital: I built profiles for athletes based on their preseason training and past results. I knew that the physical fitness of the athletes would play a decisive role in a compressed season, which would make race results more predictable than in the past. After that, it was a matter of matching athlete and venue.

What was your reaction when you found out that you won the XC League?

Before the season started, I looked up Leogang on Strava; it would be a race for climbers. I had Mathias Flückiger and Yana Belomoina as potential winners and Isla Short as a value athlete in my shortlisted team (I took the results of Albstadt 2019 as reference). When the time came, I chickened out and kept the same team that I had in Nové Město na Moravě… I had won the League but it didn't feel right.

And what was your reaction when you found out that you also won the DH League?

Complete disbelief. I had to confirm for myself that it was not a mistake. I verified the team scores of the top 13 players; I went through all the races!

Why do you think you were so successful?

In Maribor I modified my team when teams were unlocked after qualifying. It was for the worse, I was freewheel burning! At the same time, I kept thinking: Why did I cave when choosing a team for the last XC race? Then it hit me: the results of a race can be unpredictable, the people who play the League not so much.

Last year, whoever was leading the DH and XC Leagues after Mont-Sainte-Anne went to win the League at Snowshoe. This year I was leading the XC League after Nové Město na Moravě, and then I won the League in Leogang. We played defense in the last round and we won, which is great. However, other players who were playing offense came very close to taking the League; they took a bigger risk than us and it almost paid off.

Bottom line: for the final round, the further a player is from the top, the greater the risk they must take in the hope of snatching the League. Here's how I came up with my own Law of Fives:

1. Play smart. Do not force your way to the top at first, being on top can be stressful; sometimes it's easier to come from behind.
2. Good is better than perfect. Choose a well-balanced team; remember that the athlete and the venue aren't always a match.
3. Do not overlook timed training. Compare the section times between the athletes; they may be hiding their true pace for the finals.
4. Work hard... in silence. If you're playing for the League, you may want to keep your findings for yourself.
5. Trust the process. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

What bike(s) will your new Trek Slash + Trek Top Fuel with SRAM components and RockShox suspension be replacing?

Replace? There is a roof, in-house service, and many untamed trails waiting for the Slash & the Top Fuel. I have one bike at the moment. It's a Giant frame with Fox suspension, Mavic wheels, and Shimano brakes & drivetrain with Race Face cranks.

What's the most exciting part about winning?

Bearing in mind the shortage of bikes and components, I'm trying to manage my expectations and I'm guessing it will probably take six to eight months for the bikes to arrive. Growing up, we couldn't afford a GT Karakoram or Trek 820 (in chromoly). Flash-forward to 2020, I've only owned brake levers, a shifter, a saddle, a cassette, and a rear derailleur with bits of carbon fiber. So, you can't imagine my excitement at the prospect of having carbon wheels & frame, a RockShox SID Ultimate, a ZEB Ultimate, and AXS components!

What Project One color scheme are you going to go with?

I'm torn between two color schemes. From what I know Carbon Blue Smoke is translucent and looks great, but the boys told me to go for Amplified Alchemy, which looks gorgeous.


Congratulations @dolores! For those of you still in the hunt for a prize bike of your own, the Fantasy Enduro League closes this Sunday. Answer the final Enduro Trivia here.

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