Pete concentrating on a bike, framed by the red tubes of a Trek race frame

World Cup MTB mechanic & crew lead

Pete
Michaliszyn.

Known as Polish Pete.
At home in a race team.

See how I work
Available for 2027Twenty seasons in the pits.

The person in the pits

Still here for
the team feeling.

I loved racing. Being part of a team still gives me a similar feeling.

I’m Pete, usually called Polish Pete. I work on race bikes, lead mechanics’ crews and build tools that make race weeks easier.

The race is what I live for, and I love being in the tech zone. But most of the work happens beforehand, and I enjoy that just as much: planning, testing, improving the bikes, ordering parts and making sure we’re fully ready. I also help with logistics and feedback to sponsors. I take the work seriously. I like the people around it just as much.

Home is in Poland with my wife Lucy and family. Away from racing, I’m trying to get out on my bike, keeping an eye on the house builders, coding or playing computer games. I’m a geek.

A little more of the story

I raced road bikes when I was younger, but wasn’t good enough to make a career of it. After three years of an engineering degree, I moved to Britain in 2004.

I started unloading bike containers at Universal Cycles, then moved into the workshop and quality control. A job at Mojo Suspension took me to Wales. Dan Stanbridge managed the race programme; I was its only mechanic.

That’s where I met the Athertons. Dan Brown offered me a job, and I went on to spend nine seasons with the programme. By 2021 I felt ready for a change. Cross-country gave me a different kind of race-day excitement.

The suspension workshop in the early Mojo days
Early days in the suspension workshop.
Pete preparing a race bike in the Commencal team pits
Race preparation with the Athertons.
Pete smiling while checking a wheel in the GT Factory Racing pits
At work with GT Factory Racing.

Twenty seasons of race-team experience.

20
seasons at World Cup level
2
Olympic gold campaigns
Tom · Tokyo / Pauline · Paris
134
World Cup top finishes
Across the riders and crews I’ve worked with

Personal mechanic on some bikes. Head mechanic overseeing the crew on others. The results belong to the riders; my role is listed in the archive below.

The work

Get to the bottom of it.
Make the next race better.

From a rider’s feedback to a bike setup, a crew decision or a tool the team needs.

Bike preparation

Builds, suspension service, parts ordering and preparation. I like knowing we’ve done the work before the rider reaches the start.

Crew & logistics

Leading mechanics, helping organise the race week and getting the equipment there. I’m used to the work behind the scenes as well as the pressure in the pits.

Testing & development

Rider feedback, setup records and test data. I work through the problem, discuss the options and feed what we learn back to staff and sponsors.

Crew and driving experience

I’ve driven the 8.75-tonne race truck and 18-tonne motorhomes, and I’m licensed for 40-tonne artics.

I’ve also hired Matteo Nati, Andy Lund, Joe Krejbich, Marek Ufnal and Will Soffe as mechanics. For most, these were their first factory-team jobs.

Luca Martin’s black Cannondale Scalpel, photographed side-on at the 2026 Worlds
Luca Martin’s Worlds Scalpel · Val di Sole, 2026

The bike is the starting point

A conversation.
Then a decision.

Start with the rider.

I take every issue seriously. I work through it logically, give the rider options and discuss it with the staff when needed.

Give the feeling some context.

Saddle position, suspension telemetry, tyre tests and setup records help us understand what changed and what to try next.

Take the learning to the next race.

I keep setup records and build tools for the team, so useful information travels with us from one venue to the next.

Scalpel, size L · 120 mm front and rear.
Rider-specific settings stay with the team.

Tools for a real race week

Some problems
need a spanner.
Some need software.

I built the CFR Race App to keep race settings, bike specifications and jig measurements together. It works offline in the pits and syncs when a connection returns.

The same setup record is there for the next mechanic and the next race.

I’m a keen, confident user of AI tools for research, analysis and coding, and I’m quick to learn new ones.

CFR Race App presentation showing rider selection, MTB setup and jig history with private records removed
CFR Race App · Private rider records removed.

A separate tool for field testing

Say it while it’s fresh.

I built a field-testing app to turn spoken feedback into a written report. Record notes in the speaker’s language, transcribe them, then produce a PDF report.

I can share the report with staff and sponsors while the feedback is still fresh.

  1. Record feedback
  2. Transcribe across languages
  3. Export a PDF report
Field Testing app with location and component fields, speaker selection and Record, Browse and Reports navigation
Field Testing · actual app screen
Race-day planning

Keep the race day together.

I built a race planner with countdowns, weather for each time slot and rider-specific tasks. It brings the schedule and the jobs around it into one view.

Shown with an empty schedule. I can walk through the tools in a conversation.

Race planner showing its clock, weather, schedule, tasks and notes with no events entered
Race planner · actual app screen
Pete at a laptop in the Trek pits, with Gee Atherton alongside
With Gee Atherton · Lenzerheide, 2017
“I treat every issue seriously, give the rider options and discuss with staff if needed.”Pete

The people and the programmes

A career built
inside teams.

From Mojo’s race programme to the Athertons, Olympic campaigns and Cannondale Factory Racing.

2007
—2026

Downhill. Cross-country.
The same care for the job.

Download my one-page CV ↓
2025–26Cannondale Factory Racinghead mechanic

2026 Worlds, Val di Sole: Aldridge silver in XCO and short track, Punchard bronze in his first elite season, Martin short-track bronze — four elite medals in one week · Martin: two World Cup wins and the overall lead into the final rounds · 2025: Aldridge’s first elite wins (XCC Les Gets, XCO Mont-Sainte-Anne) · Punchard U23 Worlds silver + bronze

Neff · Aldridge · Santos · Punchard · Martin · Florencia (U23)

2024INEOS Grenadiersmechanic — pauline ferrand-prévot

Paris 2024 Olympic gold · full-season run-up · XCC Worlds silver

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot

2022–23Cannondale Factory Racingmechanic + truck driver

Mitterwallner Marathon Worlds gold ’23 · Aldridge U23 World Champion ’23

Mitterwallner · Avancini · Aldridge (U23)

2019–21British Cyclingolympic programme mechanic

Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold — first British MTB Olympic medal in history

Tom Pidcock

2019Atherton Bikes / Atherton Racinghead mechanic

3D titanium-printed lug frames developed to World Cup podium level · Johnset Jr Worlds silver

Gee · Rachel · Hatton · Johnset (Jr)

2016–18Trek Factory Racing DHhead mechanic

Rachel’s perfect 2016 — 8/8 on a first-year bike, zero mechanical DNFs · Worlds golds ’16 ’18 · Edwards Jr World Champion ’18 · Johnset Jr Worlds bronze ’18

Gee · Rachel · Hatton · Mudd (’17) · Edwards (Jr) · Johnset (Jr)

2012–15GT Factory Racinghead mechanic

Gee — DH World Champion ’14 · Rachel — Worlds golds ’13 ’15 · 43 WC top-5s in four seasons

Gee · Rachel · Beaumont · Vernon (Jr)

2011Animal Commencalhead mechanic

First season with the Athertons · 11 WC top-5s · Rachel Worlds silver

Rachel · Dan Atherton (Gee’s personal mechanic from 2012)

2005–11Mojo Suspension — race programmemechanic

The programme’s only mechanic from 2007 to 2011 · suspension specialist grounding

Mojo race programme · Dan Stanbridge managing

The results archiveElite and junior / U23 · newest first · roles included

14 elite World Championship medals and 6 junior / U23 medals across the riders I’ve supported. This archive includes selected race results and season milestones, rather than every finish.

31 entries

Luca Martin

World Cup overall · leader into the final rounds · XCO

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
SERIES LEADER

Charlie Aldridge

World Championships · Val di Sole · XCO

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
SILVER

Charlie Aldridge

World Championships · Val di Sole · XCC

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
SILVER

Cole Punchard

World Championships · Val di Sole · first elite season · XCO

CFR · his mechanic
BRONZE

Luca Martin

World Championships · Val di Sole · XCC

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
BRONZE

Luca Martin

World Cup · La Thuile · XCO

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
WIN · +1:07

Luca Martin

World Cup · Lenzerheide · XCO

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
WIN

Charlie Aldridge

World Cup · Les Gets XCC + Mont-Sainte-Anne XCO · XCC/XCO

CFR · head mechanic (crew lead)
FIRST ELITE WC WINS

Cole Punchard

U23 World Championships · Crans-Montana · XCO

CFR · his mechanic
SILVER

Cole Punchard

U23 World Championships · Crans-Montana · XCC

CFR · his mechanic
BRONZE

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot

World Championships · Pal Arinsal · XCC

INEOS · her mechanic
SILVER

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot

Olympic Games · Paris · XCO

INEOS · her mechanic
OLYMPIC GOLD

Mona Mitterwallner

Marathon World Championships · XCM

CFR · mechanic
GOLD

Charlie Aldridge

U23 World Championships · XCO

CFR · mechanic
U23 WORLD CHAMPION

Tom Pidcock

Olympic Games · Tokyo · XCO

British Cycling · mechanic
OLYMPIC GOLD

Rachel Atherton

World Cup · Fort William · first ever win for Atherton Bikes, 3D-printed titanium lugs · DH

Atherton Bikes · head mechanic
WIN

Mille Johnset

Junior World Championships · Mont-Sainte-Anne · DH

Atherton Bikes · head mechanic
SILVER

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Lenzerheide · DH

Trek FR · head mechanic
GOLD

Kade Edwards

Junior World Championships · Lenzerheide · DH

Trek FR · head mechanic (crew lead)
JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION

Mille Johnset

Junior World Championships · Lenzerheide · DH

Trek FR · head mechanic
BRONZE

Rachel Atherton

World Cup season · 7 wins from 7 + Worlds · DH

Trek FR · head mechanic
PERFECT SEASON 8/8

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Val di Sole · DH

Trek FR · head mechanic
GOLD

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Vallnord · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
GOLD

Gee Atherton

World Championships · Hafjell · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
GOLD

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Hafjell · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
SILVER

Taylor Vernon

World Cup · Windham · first junior World Cup win, by 0.8 s · DH

GT FR · his mechanic
JUNIOR WC WIN

Gee + Rachel Atherton

World Cup · Cairns · double win, by 4 s and 11 s · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
DOUBLE WIN

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Pietermaritzburg · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
GOLD

Gee + Rachel Atherton

World Cup · Fort William · home double on the new GT Fury I helped develop · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
DOUBLE WIN

Gee Atherton

World Championships · Leogang · DH

GT FR · head mechanic
SILVER

Rachel Atherton

World Championships · Champéry · DH

Animal Commencal · head mechanic
SILVER

World Cup tally: top five through 2024, top three from 2025. World Cup rounds only. Tokyo 2020 is the Games edition; the race was held in 2021. Series leader is a season status, not a race win.

From the archive

The people.
The places. The good days.

Back at the suspension workbench.
Mojo days

Back at the suspension workbench.

Preparing a race bike with the Athertons.
The early days

Preparing a race bike with the Athertons.

Bike preparation in the GT Factory Racing pits.
GT years

Bike preparation in the GT Factory Racing pits.

Atherton Bikes. The crew and the truck.
2019

Atherton Bikes. The crew and the truck.

With Tom Pidcock after Olympic gold. Held in 2021.
Tokyo 2020

With Tom Pidcock after Olympic gold. Held in 2021.

Charlie Aldridge, U23 World Champion. With the crew.
2023

Charlie Aldridge, U23 World Champion. With the crew.

With Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after Olympic gold in Paris. Her mechanic for the campaign.
2024

With Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after Olympic gold in Paris. Her mechanic for the campaign.

Mont-Sainte-Anne. Charlie’s first elite XCO win.
2025

Mont-Sainte-Anne. Charlie’s first elite XCO win.

Cannondale Factory Racing · riders and crew.
2026

Cannondale Factory Racing · riders and crew.

Available for 2027

Let’s talk
about 2027.

I’m looking for my next role in MTB or road: race mechanics, testing, technical support or race operations. I’m also interested in work with equipment brands and other sports where my mechanical experience, planning and problem-solving can help.

Have a role in mind, or know someone I should speak to? Get in touch.

Email Pete ↗WhatsApp ↗
info@polishedracing.co.uk

Based in Poland.
English & Polish.
Experience around the world.

Download CV · PDF ↓