I knew Marco well, I first met him at an enduro race about seven years ago. He was setting off in front of me on each stage and we became friends for life on that day. I also spent a month in his hometown of Lousa four years ago, and we also spent some time in Madeira shooting and riding together. Marco did it all, he was a legend, a Portuguese Steve Peat: XC racing, downhill, enduro, moto, training, filming, developing product, he published his own magazine regularly, and was one of the first forward thinkers to pioneer social media as his platform.



Above all, he loved his boy Santiago, who is growing up to be an expert mountain biker following in the footsteps of his dad. They rode together every week, Marco built custom mini-DH bikes for him as a kid, taught him to ride, and offered him a future as a professional bike athlete – a way to make a dream in a struggling country.



Ultimately, doing what he loved took his life, but he would not have wanted it to end any other way. He lived his life full-gas with 100% commitment, and I'm sure that throttle was open all the way to the end. Rest In Peace, Marco. — Paul Aston