Lots of rock 'n' roll, little plan: How our editor prepares for his first BIKE Transalp
Jan Timmermann
· 25.06.2024
For others, a business trip takes them to windowless meeting rooms. BIKE editor Jan Timmermann takes them to the holiday paradise of Arco in the immediate vicinity of Lake Garda with a guarantee of fresh air and a magnificent view. However, the journey does not include a first-class seat with a swivelling backrest, but seven days in the saddle. Heat, cold, pain, hunger, thirst, doubt and the odd social ordeal are pre-programmed. They are all part of the travelling concept when the BIKE Transalp turns the journey into the destination. Instead of the office, the job takes you into the rugged nature of the Alps. Instead of finger food and latte macchiato, powder and energy bars are on the catering plan. Instead of an after-work happy hour, Jan can look forward to attempts at regeneration between his team mate's stinky laundry. Boredom and meaningless small talk are virtually ruled out. Rocking some of the best trails in Europe with like-minded people: The BIKE Transalp promises 520 kilometres and 17,215 metres of altitude difference. a density of experiences that is unrivalled. How do you prepare for such business trip madness?
The prerequisites: slowly but surely
By nature is BIKE editor Jan Timmermann is not a classic marathon racer. On the contrary: his roots lie in street BMX and downhill MTB. Even when he was competing in a handful of enduro races, his coach at the time made it clear to him: "You're a styler, not a racer." High bunny hops and long manuals, yes. Speed and performance at the limit, no. Jan signed up for his first marathon race after reading the mountain bike novel "Hero on Sunday". from former BIKE editor-in-chief Henri Lesewitz had read several times. The fascination for the long distance jumped right over me. Back then, in my early 20s, the motivation was huge and the resources were tiny.
His father lent him a 26-inch bike for the marathon premiere, which Jan returned completely destroyed after four hours of relentless mud racing. The suspension was ruined, the brake pads had disappeared, the drive system was years old and the paintwork had been damaged. Two-time BIKE Transalp silver medallist Ralph Berner also took part in this race and summed it up: "I don't think I've ever been so dirty!" In the spirit of increasing excitement, Jan started his next marathon attempt on a rigid fork hardtail. As he rolled across the finish line, he toppled off his bike completely exhausted and was unable to get up under his own power due to a lumbago. His girlfriend at the time had to take off his shoes, drive him home and put him on the sofa.
At the third and final marathon start to date, Jan had just crossed the finish line when the finish arch above him was already being dismantled. Cramps and defects had taken their toll. Our editor is therefore familiar with the pitfalls of marathon racing, but has had little success in overcoming them and delivering a good race time. He has put his endurance to the test in a few gravel ultra-distances and multi-day adventures, but a timed stage race is a league Jan has never played in before.
In 2022, Jan a serious knee injury with a shattered tibia. As a result, the left leg has to manage without full extension and a functioning cruciate ligament. Only the muscles hold the knee joint together. On the bike, the injury now causes hardly any discomfort - nevertheless a handicap that can be a great disadvantage at the BIKE-Transalp, especially when exhausted in pushing passages. Although Team BIKE Redaktion will be competing in the "Men's" two-man team classification in the race, in other marathon races this year they would fall into the "Senior I" class for the first time. So is the paint off? Certainly not - at most scratched!
The team partner: fit and fun
When Jan was looking for a team partner in his circle of friends, Tobi (full name: Tobias Knetsch) was immediately hooked. In general, the 30-year-old is bursting with motivation for crazy bike adventures. No matter what hara-kiri action: Tobi rarely says "no". With pure strength and energy, he has already mastered many a challenge that would have made others cringe. Tobi is a sports manager with a Master's degree and physical fitness is his job. So it's no wonder that he is trained down to the last muscle fibre. Mountain bike, racing bike, triathlon, running, badminton: anyone who takes on Tobi can expect a tough match. His acceleration is feared far and wide in the biking community. On tour, Tobi likes to shout "E-bike mode on!" and sprint away. Keep up with him? Impossible. But he has also made a name for himself as an ambitious stubborn rider. No matter how steep the ramp is - Tobi takes it at full throttle. If his knees hurt afterwards, that's just a stupid side effect. Orientation is also not one of Tobi's strengths.
Tobi and Jan are old classmates and have known each other for more than 20 years. They have often crossed the Alps together. However, never in competition mode, but always with heavy camping equipment on their backs. Always on the lookout for the maximum amount of trail, Transalp adventures with a tent and gas cooker in their rucksack are part of their friendly tradition. So far, the duo has always been able to rely on the unifying effect of gallows humour. During the race, the harmony of the different characters will certainly be put to the test many times. The team will spend the night in a shared double room during the seven days.
Team BIKE editorial office
Tobias Knetsch
- Age: 30
- Height: 181 cm
- Weight: 74 kg
- Place of residence: Weinheim a. d. Bergstraße
- Bike: Canyon Lux Trail CFR LTD (size L)
- Profession: Sports manager
- Strengths: Fitness / sprinting strength / fearlessness
- Weaknesses: Restraint / Navigation
Jan Timmermann
- Age: 31
- Size: 190 cm
- Weight: 80 kg
- Place of residence: Holzkirchen
- Bike: Specialised Epic 8 Expert
- Profession: BIKE editor
- Strengths: Patience / endurance / driving technique
- Weaknesses: Speed / competition successes
The training: haphazard but motivated
Neither Tobi nor Jan are preparing for the BIKE-Transalp with a special training plan. While Tobi is already involved in strength training through his job and does various compensatory sports, Jan mainly rides his bike. Although he tries to work on his imbalances and core muscle deficits in the gym once a week, as a BIKE editor he spends much more time in the saddle of a wide variety of mountain bikes. Both Tobi and Jan start the stage race with good riding skills. Both love challenging enduro trails and the Transalp descents will hardly be able to shock them. Jan also has solid basic endurance thanks to his swimming career in his youth. He will put his alpine marathon fitness to the test three weeks before the BIKE Transalp with a start at the multi-day Alpentour race in Schladming. Tobi regularly brings his body out of its reserve on tempo rides. Due to their different places of residence, the two friends now only rarely get to cycle together.
Marathon training camp: ready for the Vietnam crossing
In order to practise riding in a team of two and to try out crucial race details, Tobi and Jan arranged a four-day training camp in their old home on the edge of the Odenwald at the beginning of June. The original plan was four days of marathon training with a final race participation in the Odenwald Bike Marathon in order to familiarise the system with the stage format of the BIKE Transalp. Unfortunately, the weather gods put a spanner in the works. The duo had never seen so much rain and mud in 30 years. The entire forest was liquid, the ground was soaked to the maximum and the race was cancelled. Always on the verge of hypothermia, they only managed three to four hours of riding time each day. The routes were more like a boot camp endurance test. Low-hanging thorns cut into the flesh, the mud oozed out of the top of the "waterproof" cycling shoes. Each "stage" was followed by an obligatory two-hour cleaning session for man and material.
Despite the mud massacre, the joint training at race pace still revealed one or two construction sites. Due to his higher speed, Tobi usually rides ahead and pulls Jan along. However, without an eye for the route, his team partner has to whistle him back at many a junction. For this reason, Tobi is also fitted with a GPS computer for the BIKE Transalp. One of the biggest challenges in the race is catering. Both mates rely on powder supplements in their water bottles and the occasional bar or banana. In the long run, however, this mix combined with the physical exertion repeatedly played tricks on their digestion. The most sensible catering in the hotels in the stage towns also remains an open question mark. The multi-day simulation definitely showed one thing: the BIKE-Transalp will be awesome but tough.
The all-round: pumped up and rocking
Team BIKE-Redaktion is well positioned in terms of equipment. Both will be racing on the latest 120-millimetre marathon fullys. There is no shortage of equipment and test material. In keeping with their Transalp experience, the team will not skimp on spare parts and will be prepared for defects. The decisive factor in the multi-day team race is regeneration. It will determine how tough the competition week will actually be for the two of them in the end. Tobi and Jan will be trying out the Reboot Go X system, which promises intensified muscle regeneration thanks to fully automatic compression massage. A test report on the pump trousers will follow.
Do you also fancy the BIKE Transalp?
The BIKE Transalp 2024 starts Sunday, 14 July, in Ehrwald and ends on 20 July in Arco on Lake Garda. Registration for the legendary race across the Alps can be made here. As an additional motivator, here are the best pictures from the Maxxis BIKE Transalp 2023:
Jan Timmermann
Editor
