You've just won the famous Cape Epic for the fifth time. But your jubilation at the finish line still didn't look routine.
No, there was no routine. It was very emotional this year. The last victory was in 2010 and in the years after that we always narrowly missed the top podium spot. In 2013, we were in the lead and lost our way. In 2014, we were also in the lead and I broke my knee. Victory was now overdue. However, the starting position was also great. The preparation went perfectly. I had created my absolute feel-good environment and had a lot of fun.
You seem to have a special relationship with South Africa ...
Yes, absolutely. I've been training regularly in South Africa since 2009, and that's when the bike boom really took off there. South Africans are bike fanatics, you wouldn't believe it. Professional trail shapers are building bike parks everywhere, and the wine farms are criss-crossed with endless kilometres of awesome trails. You won't knock your teeth out there. You can have fun without it being brutal. The Cape Epic has contributed enormously to this. The stage locations want to present themselves in the best possible light and do everything they can to offer perfect events.
Are there a lot of people on the bike?
It's completely two-wheel crazy. You can theoretically ride a race every weekend. There are umpteen stage events that are all sold out. But also in general: there is a beautiful route in Cape Town where hardly a car drives on a Saturday morning. There are an incredible number of racing cyclists and bikers on the road.
Does this apply to all social classes?
At least the bike is a vehicle with which you can reach all social classes. There are many great projects that try to get children on bikes and offer them an alternative to the hard life on the streets. And cycling is also extremely popular among the richest people. For example, I met a guy while cycling and realised at some point how wealthy he is. When we trained together for a few days, he said his legs were quite tired. However, he would still like to cycle to the coast - about 180 kilometres - but save himself the headwind back. He wanted to have us picked up. Shortly before our destination, I asked him if the car was big enough. He just grinned and pointed upwards, where the helicopter we had ordered had just buzzed in. That shows the dimensions in Africa - and the cycling fanaticism. The sport of cycling also has a media presence that is unimaginable for us Germans.
Why don't you tell us?
The Cape Epic, for example, ends up on the front page of the major newspapers every day and is streamed live on one of the major sports channels. The programme says: rugby - MTB - rugby. You ride into the finish line, the course is packed and four helicopters are circling above you, capturing everything. There's a huge TV truck with twenty screens in it, and the people from the control room switch from one shot to the next. It's like the Tour de France. Extremely professional.
Is that also why it is the race par excellence for you?
Already. You can see what you can do with an event and how it raises the status of biking. The organiser has pursued his big dream, invested extremely heavily and worked consistently on all fronts. Here you are not standing on the shaky podium of the local gymnastics club. Here you're standing between huge banners, there's a VIP lounge and the whole press contingent is there.
And in the middle of it all, you, the celebrated star ...
Yes, it's surreal. When I drive through Cape Town in Bulls team gear during the race, drivers honk at me and shout "Hey Buuuuuulls!". What was even more surreal was that Woolworth's was running a Cape Epic promotion and I was sort of the poster boy. I was everywhere. Huge on skyscraper facades, on posters, on lorries. You drive through the city and see your dirty face everywhere. So dirty because I'm covered in mud in the photo. During the Cape Epic, the crowds around me were sometimes more exhausting than the race itself. It's good to come home and hear: "Honey, take out the rubbish."
You won the premiere in 2004 and took five overall victories - more than anyone but Christoph Sauser. Time to call it a day? Or is there one more to go?
I'm going to try again. I'll be 40 in two years' time, but I don't feel old. I'm in the shape of my life. Who knows, maybe I'm like a horse that's been beaten to death and is about to hit top form again? I don't know. Experience makes such an incredible difference. When I see the young riders today, hacking nervously through the field - a young body doesn't help.
Karl Platt
It was in a gravel pit near Worms that Karl Platt, a 13-year-old of Russian descent, discovered mountain biking. After a short downhill career, he specialised in stage races at the beginning of the noughties. With seven victories at the BIKE-Transalp and five triumphs at the Cape Epic, the father of three is one of the most successful marathon pros. His team partner at this year's Cape Epic was Urs Huber. Detailed online reports: www.bike-magazin.de/Webcode #31189
