She exited the race with fresh bruises and swelling on her legs to accompany the train tracks of old surgical scars. Alas, it was not meant to be, as her day in the woods came unglued following a crash on the first lap that left her with a dislocated kneecap. вЂњPeople donвЂ™t realize it, but the whole secret to mountain biking is pretty simple-the slower you go, the more likely it is youвЂ™ll crash.вЂќДespite facing a field of other very determined riders, such as Alison Sydor and Paola Pezzo, Juli was still a favorite for XC gold at the 1992 World Championships in Bromont, Quebec. And, for the next two seasons, I, along with her ever-growing base of race fans, would stand trackside at one NORBA National and World Cup after another as Juli exhibited her never-say-die race craft. Celebrating FurtadoвЂ™s worldвЂ™s win with a poster moment at the 1990 Interbike show.ДЄs the history books recount, Juli not only shook the racing world with her fierce determination but also by winning the 1990 XC World Championship title in her rookie year.

In short, she fit into the menagerie of Team Yeti kooks just fine. Dark-skinned with a muscular build, she brought her New York-bred personality that was both a tad salty and to the point. Her name was Juli Furtado.ДЄs competitive as the womenвЂ™s field was back then, there hadnвЂ™t been anyone quite as ferocious a competitor as Furtado. She wasnвЂ™t one of the NORBA regulars, but instead was a skier coming out of the University of Colorado whoвЂ™d taken up cycling as a less impactful activity on her knees. It was early in 1990 when Yeti Cycles founder John Parker was excitedly telling me about some new rider he had signed. Although I donвЂ™t remember when I first met Juli Furtado, I still remember the phone call that brought her into my life.

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