[Ridemonkey.com]

Greg Doucende (Performance Parts - Trek) has confirmed that he will be attending this year's Urge event in Cabo Verde. INside is an interview with Greg about the event, his plans and bike, and Cabo Verde itself. Enjoy...
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Source: URGE

Greg, you took part in the Urge Events last year in Nepal, have you good memories of it? This year, you said yes again without hesitating?

G.D: Urge Nepal last year was an extraordinary adventure. We went across incredible landscapes and we’ll keep imagining it for a long time. Plus, that trip was an incredible adventure in terms of the people we met, whether it was with the locals or the staff and other riders. That’s why I absolutely wanted to do it again this year.

What are for you the important and motivational parts in this new kind of races?

G.D: For me, the Urge Event is not about competition, it’s a way to go riding in a country you don’t know, on new tracks and discover new cultures. Competition comes second to this in my mind.

In few weeks, you’ll be flying out to Cape Verde… Have you been there? Have you ever thought of riding there?

G.D : I’ve never been there but I can’t’ wait to discover all these isles and especially the singletrack.

You’ve just finished a thesis about cardiac adaptation on extreme effort situations. This year, a part of the humanitarian aid "Urge FOR Cabo Verde" will be given to help health services for children in Cape Verde who suffer from severe diseases. So, especially for you, will Urge Cabo Verde be the perfect reflection of your two passions?

G.D : Definitely. This charity speaks to me in particular for a number of reasons. The health infrastructures in Cape Verde are unfortunately not as developed as in France, children with disease often have to travel to Europe, but this requires important spending. I really hope that people will participate in the event, in particular the auctions, because this humanitarian action will save a lot of these children.

Have you decided what bike you’ll be riding?

G.D : I’ll ride a Trek Scratch with 170mm of travel because I think it’ll be quite rocky over there. I’m going to build it as light as possible to avoid too much hassle when carrying the bike.