Born in
Montpellier, Nicole began riding bikes as a child, choosing to focus on downhill racing from the age of 14. As a junior, she landed podiums at national races, before achieving third place at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Fort William, Scotland, rising to second place a year later at the 2008 Junior Worlds in
Val di Sole,
Italy. As an elite rider, she is a two-time World Champion, winning the
2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in
Mont-Sainte-Anne,
Canada and the
2021 World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. She is a five-time World Championships elite silver medallist. On the World Cup circuit she has won 10 rounds; winning the
2017 UCI Downhill World Cup overall. She has finished on the World Cup podium over 60 times in her career. ==Personal life==