![\"ccs-58780-0-99775000-1489659165.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-58780-0-99775000-1489659165.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat was your motivation behind doing the Cape Epic?<\/h2>\n\nIt started as a joke between me and Thomas Frischknecht, the team manager. The guys in the team already had a plan: there were two teams ready with Matthias Stirnemann and Nino Schurter, and Andri Frischknecht and Michiel Van der Heijden. Thomas asked me if I wanted to start my season in Europe while they\u2019re here racing the Epic. As a joke, I suggested we do the Epic together, and the jokes turned into a serious project. Initially, I was concerned because I have heard the Epic is really tough: but in the end, we decided this is going to be a great experience for me, for the future, and a tough good training week.\n<\/div>\nYou mentioned that Thomas has done a few Epics, have you asked him for advice?<\/h2>\n\nWe have spoken about it a little bit, but I think I just have to go and do it, see what it is, and do my thing out there with him as company. I think we can do well together.\n<\/div>\nBeing a long tough stage race, how does the Cape Epic impact on your preparation for the XCO season ahead in terms of fatigue and recovery?<\/h2>\n\nI think it\u2019s going to be really tough both mentally and physically, and after this week of racing I will go back home and try to recover as best I can. Then the first cross country race, the first real race of the season for me, will be in Switzerland, I think two weeks after the Epic. It could be tough with too little time to recover. I just have to see how it goes. It\u2019s a good year to try it out I think, the year after Olympics is a bit more relaxed, you\u2019re not so much in need of UCI points.\n<\/div>\nHave you been to South Africa before?<\/h2>\n\nYes, this is my fifth time I think. I\u2019ve been twice to Pietermaritzberg for the World Cup and World Championships, and three times for training in Stellenbosch.<\/p>\nIf you speak to Nino, he\u2019s been here I\u2019d say more than 30 times. I prefer to train at home, I like to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I believe in that contrast, I need that dark, snowy time in Sweden to stay motivated and hungry for the season. So it\u2019s perfect now to come here at the beginning of the season when I am tired of the snow and the dark. The trails are good here, and the area around Stellenbosch is beautiful.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The opening leg of the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be held in Stellenbosch, a week before the 2018 Absa Cape Epic. Will you be attending either of these events or have you not yet planned that far ahead?<\/h2>\n\nI haven\u2019t looked that much into it. It would be cool to do both but I\u2019ll start with the Epic this year, and see how it goes. It could be that I don\u2019t like it at all, or it doesn\u2019t work for me. But we\u2019ll be here for the opening round of the World Cup for sure.\n<\/div>\nWill having raced and ridden here give you an advantage?<\/h2>\n\nFor sure, we were at Coetzenberg yesterday. We rode some of the trails there. It helps to know the terrain and the climate. From what I saw yesterday, it feels a little bit like Pietermaritzburg and I really liked that track. It has hard sand and a surface that gets super slippery when it is wet. The rocks at Coetzenberg are quite similar to Pietermaritzburg as well.\n<\/div>\n
You mentioned that Thomas has done a few Epics, have you asked him for advice?<\/h2>\n\nWe have spoken about it a little bit, but I think I just have to go and do it, see what it is, and do my thing out there with him as company. I think we can do well together.\n<\/div>\nBeing a long tough stage race, how does the Cape Epic impact on your preparation for the XCO season ahead in terms of fatigue and recovery?<\/h2>\n\nI think it\u2019s going to be really tough both mentally and physically, and after this week of racing I will go back home and try to recover as best I can. Then the first cross country race, the first real race of the season for me, will be in Switzerland, I think two weeks after the Epic. It could be tough with too little time to recover. I just have to see how it goes. It\u2019s a good year to try it out I think, the year after Olympics is a bit more relaxed, you\u2019re not so much in need of UCI points.\n<\/div>\nHave you been to South Africa before?<\/h2>\n\nYes, this is my fifth time I think. I\u2019ve been twice to Pietermaritzberg for the World Cup and World Championships, and three times for training in Stellenbosch.<\/p>\nIf you speak to Nino, he\u2019s been here I\u2019d say more than 30 times. I prefer to train at home, I like to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I believe in that contrast, I need that dark, snowy time in Sweden to stay motivated and hungry for the season. So it\u2019s perfect now to come here at the beginning of the season when I am tired of the snow and the dark. The trails are good here, and the area around Stellenbosch is beautiful.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The opening leg of the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be held in Stellenbosch, a week before the 2018 Absa Cape Epic. Will you be attending either of these events or have you not yet planned that far ahead?<\/h2>\n\nI haven\u2019t looked that much into it. It would be cool to do both but I\u2019ll start with the Epic this year, and see how it goes. It could be that I don\u2019t like it at all, or it doesn\u2019t work for me. But we\u2019ll be here for the opening round of the World Cup for sure.\n<\/div>\nWill having raced and ridden here give you an advantage?<\/h2>\n\nFor sure, we were at Coetzenberg yesterday. We rode some of the trails there. It helps to know the terrain and the climate. From what I saw yesterday, it feels a little bit like Pietermaritzburg and I really liked that track. It has hard sand and a surface that gets super slippery when it is wet. The rocks at Coetzenberg are quite similar to Pietermaritzburg as well.\n<\/div>\n
Being a long tough stage race, how does the Cape Epic impact on your preparation for the XCO season ahead in terms of fatigue and recovery?<\/h2>\n\nI think it\u2019s going to be really tough both mentally and physically, and after this week of racing I will go back home and try to recover as best I can. Then the first cross country race, the first real race of the season for me, will be in Switzerland, I think two weeks after the Epic. It could be tough with too little time to recover. I just have to see how it goes. It\u2019s a good year to try it out I think, the year after Olympics is a bit more relaxed, you\u2019re not so much in need of UCI points.\n<\/div>\nHave you been to South Africa before?<\/h2>\n\nYes, this is my fifth time I think. I\u2019ve been twice to Pietermaritzberg for the World Cup and World Championships, and three times for training in Stellenbosch.<\/p>\nIf you speak to Nino, he\u2019s been here I\u2019d say more than 30 times. I prefer to train at home, I like to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I believe in that contrast, I need that dark, snowy time in Sweden to stay motivated and hungry for the season. So it\u2019s perfect now to come here at the beginning of the season when I am tired of the snow and the dark. The trails are good here, and the area around Stellenbosch is beautiful.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The opening leg of the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be held in Stellenbosch, a week before the 2018 Absa Cape Epic. Will you be attending either of these events or have you not yet planned that far ahead?<\/h2>\n\nI haven\u2019t looked that much into it. It would be cool to do both but I\u2019ll start with the Epic this year, and see how it goes. It could be that I don\u2019t like it at all, or it doesn\u2019t work for me. But we\u2019ll be here for the opening round of the World Cup for sure.\n<\/div>\nWill having raced and ridden here give you an advantage?<\/h2>\n\nFor sure, we were at Coetzenberg yesterday. We rode some of the trails there. It helps to know the terrain and the climate. From what I saw yesterday, it feels a little bit like Pietermaritzburg and I really liked that track. It has hard sand and a surface that gets super slippery when it is wet. The rocks at Coetzenberg are quite similar to Pietermaritzburg as well.\n<\/div>\n
Have you been to South Africa before?<\/h2>\n\nYes, this is my fifth time I think. I\u2019ve been twice to Pietermaritzberg for the World Cup and World Championships, and three times for training in Stellenbosch.<\/p>\nIf you speak to Nino, he\u2019s been here I\u2019d say more than 30 times. I prefer to train at home, I like to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I believe in that contrast, I need that dark, snowy time in Sweden to stay motivated and hungry for the season. So it\u2019s perfect now to come here at the beginning of the season when I am tired of the snow and the dark. The trails are good here, and the area around Stellenbosch is beautiful.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The opening leg of the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will be held in Stellenbosch, a week before the 2018 Absa Cape Epic. Will you be attending either of these events or have you not yet planned that far ahead?<\/h2>\n\nI haven\u2019t looked that much into it. It would be cool to do both but I\u2019ll start with the Epic this year, and see how it goes. It could be that I don\u2019t like it at all, or it doesn\u2019t work for me. But we\u2019ll be here for the opening round of the World Cup for sure.\n<\/div>\nWill having raced and ridden here give you an advantage?<\/h2>\n\nFor sure, we were at Coetzenberg yesterday. We rode some of the trails there. It helps to know the terrain and the climate. From what I saw yesterday, it feels a little bit like Pietermaritzburg and I really liked that track. It has hard sand and a surface that gets super slippery when it is wet. The rocks at Coetzenberg are quite similar to Pietermaritzburg as well.\n<\/div>\n
If you speak to Nino, he\u2019s been here I\u2019d say more than 30 times. I prefer to train at home, I like to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I believe in that contrast, I need that dark, snowy time in Sweden to stay motivated and hungry for the season. So it\u2019s perfect now to come here at the beginning of the season when I am tired of the snow and the dark. The trails are good here, and the area around Stellenbosch is beautiful.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n