‘Just don’t think too much’

Mountain bike pro Roland Stauder has won the Red Bull Dolomitenmann individual contest seven times. A feat that has only been accomplished by him and paraglider Wendelin Ortner to date. Will he manage his eighth victory on September 6?

At Red Bull Dolomitenmann you’re the last in your team to race. Last year’s winner Alban Lakata told us that he was still lying on the couch eating breakfast when the mountain running race started. Is that how you also prepare?

No. I watch the beginning of the mountain runners on-site and then go back to the hotel, where I meet my family, and then go through the drink stops again with my girlfriend, who coaches me during the race. About an hour before my start I begin preparing: half an hour of easy warming up, then a quarter-of-an-hour at 80 to 90 per cent effort uphill so that my muscles can get used to the stress.

Which of your rivals will exact 100 per cent or more from you just a short time later?

Alban is probably my main rival, but at least five or six others might be at the front as well. At the moment Alban is in good form, and he just won the title at the mountain bike marathon EC. But he’s a marathon specialist and the course might be too short for him - even if he’s purposefully been preparing for Red Bull Dolomitenmann over the last few weeks. One other advantage is that I’m lighter than he is and because of that, I have fewer problems going uphill.

According to Alban Lakata, when choosing your bike you get to decide whether ‘to use the wrong one up or down hill.’ Which one will you go for?

For the latter. My bike weighs 9.3 kilos. For this contest it’s already very light. But the uphill takes just under an hour, and nobody wants to schlep any unnecessary weight with them. That’s why I accept that in some passages on the downhill straight I’ll have to ride slower and be gentler with the material.

Due to your flu last year, you ‘only’ came fourth; your last victory dates back to 2005. What are the chances that this year you’ll take home the Red Bull Dolomitenmann trophy for the eighth time?

The chances aren’t all too bad, but so much can happen at Red Bull Dolomitenmann. One minor spill can cost you up to a minute; a gear defect can mean that the victory goes down the drain pretty quickly. In the team ranking it’s the same: If someone from the team is having a bad day or a major problem, it’s really hard to make ground after that.

Which sounds like a thankless task for the last rider. How is it for you to be the last member of your team to race?

It’s a difficult situation because the last one has so much pressure to deal with. Before the race, I’d prefer to be the first, because you know that your team-mates can make up for any lost time. On the other hand, it’s an indescribable feeling to cross the line as the winner. My team-mates don’t experience this in the same way.

What tips can you, as seven-time Red Bull Dolomitenmann winner, give to a rookie so that they can finish the mountain bike course with the tail piece on the challenging ski alpine men’s downhill H2000 unscathed?

Just don’t think too much, and do everything the way you always do. It’s important that you ride at your own pace at the beginning, and don’t let yourself be carried away by the hectic start. The ascent takes over an hour – and you need as enough power there anyway. On the downhill stretch it’s important that you’ve surveyed it well beforehand, know the dangerous parts, and overcome the urge not to brake too much.