Christian Textor (34) couldn't make up his mind for a long time. What now? BMX? Trials? Downhill? Freeride? Texi, as Textor is known in the scene, is a natural. Inspired by his big brother, he was already keen on biking as a child. At first it had to be a BMX - without brakes! This explains Texis' enormous bike control, especially when he starts to freestyle and pulls monster bunnyhoppers over barriers, for example. He had to earn his first Fully himself with jobs.
Sensation: At 19, Texi won the very first downhill race he tried. From then on, things went from strength to strength. The motto: racing in his blood. Texi raced downhill World Cups, but realised that the enduro discipline suited him best. In 2016, Textor joined Team Bulls to concentrate on the Enduro World Series. He secured the title of German Enduro Champion in his very first year. However, he still won downhill races in the IXS Downhill Cup and finished runner-up. However, his main focus increasingly shifted to enduro, where he established himself as the best German rider.
Between 2018 and 2022, he won the German championship four times in a row and reached the top 20 of the Enduro World Series overall rankings for the first time in 2022. Texi has been a permanent fixture on the enduro scene for many years.
BIKE: There's a rumour going around that you're quitting. Is there any truth to that?
CHRISTIAN TEXTOR: ...stops with what - that's the question. (Laughs) But there is something to the rumour. I'm actually going to stop racing full-time. So this high-performance, full focus on the World Cups. That's over!
You are the best German enduro rider and our ace in the World Cup sleeve. What made you do it - because at 34, you're still young.
There are certainly a lot of aspects that play a role. The most important aspect is my family. When I was away for so long after the first race block last season, we decided as a family that we no longer wanted to do that. The price we pay as a family is too high.
Tough times for enduro racing
What other aspects were added?
For example, that the mood in the Enduro World Cup is not rosy at the moment. Teams and manufacturers are finding it difficult to present themselves. But also that I raced World Cups for eight years. In the end, there was little movement. The stops are always the same, the procedures are always the same. As a result, the Enduro World Cup has lost its appeal.
And then at some point the air was out?
That's right. If we'd had races in South America and Asia next year, then I would have wanted to ride another season. But when I already know that I'll be racing on bike park tracks in Leogang and Canazei again next year, it doesn't motivate me much.
Did the turbulence surrounding your sponsor YT play a part in the decision?
Not at all, actually. The decision was made a long time ago. I didn't know about the problems YT was having. Let's see how things develop, because of course I have plans for YT. But first the company has to get back on track.
What are these plans?
I think it's much easier for YT to keep me as an individual person than to keep a whole World Cup racing programme going.
You raced your last World Cup race in Morillon, France. What was that like?
I don't know if it was really the very last one. I don't want to rule out doing another one - if I feel like it and it's a special location. At any rate, I'm now happy to be able to do races that I've always wanted to do - but my World Cup calendar didn't allow it.
What, for example?
The Trans Madeira multi-day race, for example. I rode that once and I had a lot of fun. I've always wanted to ride races in South or Central America or other adventures on the bike that the World Cup has prevented.
What about the crazy stuff?
What about crazy formats like Cerro Abajo Urban Downhills or the Red Bull Castle Ride?
I don't want to rule anything out. If I'm invited, I'm happy to accept.
How did you experience your last World Cup?
Very consciously. I didn't have to take the overall result into consideration, because it wasn't good anyway due to technical and health problems during the season. That's why I was able to approach the race with complete freedom and really enjoyed it. The tracks were fun. I didn't always take the fastest line, but instead I threw myself into jumps. The spectators celebrated that. Of course, I was also a bit wistful because I knew that it would be my last race as a Factory World Cup racer. The entire German enduro racing community welcomed me at the finish line. That was a very special and appreciative moment. I realised that I had left my mark on the scene and the Enduro World Cup. I hadn't realised that before. It was really nice to be able to really feel that again.
Which feeling prevailed? Wistfulness or relief that the pressure to perform is gone?
Relief. Because it's a lot of pressure that you personally put on yourself as an athlete. And then there's the duel: professional career versus family life. That stress is gone now.
Dream job: Professional athlete
We amateurs idealise being a professional athlete. Very few people think about the downsides, such as the crazy pressure to perform that you mentioned. When you draw a conclusion: what was great about being a professional athlete, what was annoying?
I'm still in this discovery phase. But spontaneously: It's cool to have the passion to turn your hobby into a profession and that you primarily ride a bike. It's also cool that you're your own boss to a certain extent and have a certain freedom of choice. I've always enjoyed developing and testing products. I've also had the opportunity to get to know the whole world through my sport. Annoying: Performance doesn't come naturally. In short, the benefits come with a pretty hefty bill at the bottom that you have to pay. Specifically: for example, you have to push through your intervals, regardless of whether it's hailing cats. You have to motivate yourself over and over again.
Does the image of the professional athlete play a role? After all, there are few professions that can top that of a professional athlete.
I agree with you. It's exciting and always interesting for the people around you when they hear that you're a professional athlete. The sobering realisation: the job of a professional athlete in the Enduro World Cup is not financially comparable with most other sports.
What do you mean - badly paid?
Exactly. After eight years as an enduro pro, consistently in the top 20, I can't live off my savings. That was enough to live on over time, but I couldn't save anything. On the other hand, I also know that in other sports where you earn a lot more, you are hardly allowed to make any decisions yourself. Your management decides where you have to be and when. It doesn't matter whether it's a child's birthday party or your wedding day. In contrast, I was a free man. I wouldn't want to miss that either.
You have four children. Four children with needs. How will Papa Texti earn a living in the future? Probably not as a mechatronics engineer, which is what you originally learnt, right?
No, not as a mechatronics engineer. Over the last 15 years, I've trained myself - which you can't get anywhere. And for which there is no certificate. I have a Masters degree in high-speed cycling. In understanding bikes technically. These are qualities that I want to continue to use in the bike industry. I would like to do that for YT. I can imagine a hybrid role. A mix of ambassador, product developer and PR man. I think I could use my skills very well there. For example, I have no problem standing on a stage in front of 100 people and explaining a bike. Above all, I have so much interest in the bike that I understand it and don't have to read from a script. And if you can also ride quickly through one or two bends, that's not bad either.
I like to ride a rather small bike in relation to my size, and I like my suspension to be relatively soft but progressive. The angle of my handlebars and the whole cockpit layout are extremely important to me, and the bike absolutely has to be quiet. I go crazy if anything makes noise. - Christian Textor
Where do the Texis live?
In Burbach in the Siegerland region. That's where I was born. Like many German cycling legends. You should know that. (Laughs).
Who else?
Slopestyle pioneer Carlo Dieckmann. Bike adventurer Harald Philip. Your BIKE test manager Peter Nilges also comes from this corner.
Wow, Peter - another legend!
We actually have several German cycling champions. It's a bit of an epicentre up here.
The best trails in the world
You say you've been able to ride trails all over the world. Does one trail or one race track stand out?
Not so much that I say I only want to ride this trail for the rest of my life (laughs). It sounds soft-spoken: but every trail, every race track has its advantages and its very own character.
Yes, that sounds very politically correct. Does a favourite moment stand out from your career?
What immediately comes to mind is this year in Leogang. My whole family was at the finish line. I didn't think we'd be able to do it and that day I also finished in the top 20. That was a special moment.
What comes to mind as your darkest moment?
I didn't have any really nasty injuries during my racing career. They happened before that - I broke my thigh and hip. And the injuries had a long-lasting effect on my career. Because the intensive training made the fractures noticeable again. In 2022, I had such severe problems with my hip that I thought I would have to stop racing. The pain became so severe during the races. But I managed to get it under control thanks to good physio and the support I got from the YT Mob.
Everything is represented in the YT Mob: Downhill, slopestyle, freeride.... Which bike events do you follow?
Everything, actually. I'm an all-round fan of cycling ha ha. I also watch the Tour de France & Co. I follow the Downhill World Cup, slopestyle and freeride events. And I follow the various protagonists.
Style is so cool!
To whom?
The German athletes. I'm interested in where German cycling is heading. Whether in the Tour de France or in slopestyle, for example. My team mate Erik Fedko just made it onto the podium. Or Toby Miley, who also took part in the Crankworx slopestyle in Whistler. Henri (Kiefer) and Max (Hartenstern) in the downhill, of course.
You've ridden downhill yourself.
Yes, I rode my first Downhill World Cup in 2012. Duels like Goldstone versus Bruni are so thrilling - I'm just a sports fan and enjoy the show.
You are considered a very stylish rider yourself. Whose style impresses you?
On the downhill Loic Bruni shows how powerfully and calmly he rides. But also the younger riders with a much wilder riding style like Jackson Goldstone. In Enduro Dan Booker. Dan is an extremely stylish rider, regardless of the bike.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
