Steffen Hanel from Leonberg has turned his hobby into a profession. Even during his training as a bicycle mechanic at Paul Lange & Co., he realised that he was apparently better at something than his fellow competitors: screwing. His examination results made him the chamber and state winner, qualifying him for the national competition, which he also won. Even at the "European Cup of Two-Wheeled Trades" in Münster, no-one could hold a candle to him. Was it all as easy as it sounds? Did he have to contend with challenges? And more generally, how do you become as good as European Wrenching Champion Steffen Hanel?
Interview with European champion Steffen Hanel
BIKE: You said before the competition that it would be cool to win the thing. Now you've actually won it. How does that feel?
Steffen Hanel: Somehow a bit surreal. I still can't quite believe that it worked out, but I am of course very proud.
Was there a prize money?
Yes, one of the sponsors was Velo de Ville, a local bike manufacturer from Münster, who provided a voucher for a bike configuration.
What was the atmosphere like on site?
Actually quite cool. We tried to exchange ideas with the other teams. That went better with one team than the other. This was mainly due to the language barrier, which is why it was sometimes not as possible as we would have liked. We were also able to help each other quite well. There was a competitive atmosphere, but not in such a way that you punished your opponent with nasty looks.
Were you nervous on site?
I was a bit nervous before the first two stations. From the third station onwards, however, the focus was more on the work and the nervousness faded into the background.
Tasks at the 2024 European Cycling Cup
What were your tasks? Did they have more to do with your day-to-day work this time than at the national competition?
Yes, in places. For example, we had a recumbent trike from Hase Bikes that needed a rear differential replaced. Many of us have never done this before, so it's not an everyday task. However, the tasks also included a Bosch e-bike diagnosis and changing a Magura brake from mechanical to hydraulic, including bleeding. These are tasks that occur more regularly in everyday life, which simply made the whole thing more realistic and where the variety was good overall.
Would you say that swapping the differential was the hardest task because you've never done it before?
Not necessarily. You had a relatively good guide to it, so you had some points of reference somewhere. That went quite well. It was a challenge, but one that was fun, simply because it was something new and not something you do once a year and then never again.
Did you nevertheless have a task that presented you with particular problems or that you at least had great respect for?
Another sponsor was DT Swiss and I would say wheel building is an art in itself anyway. We had relatively little time for this task - I think only half an hour - in that time we had to do a hub service, i.e. re-grease the freewheel and replace the bearings, and centre a proper hub. I would say that was one of the biggest challenges of the whole job.
Does that generally mean that the biggest challenge is the time limit?
Yes, exactly.
Did you have any tasks that were particularly easy for you?
Through my training company Paul Lange, I had a lot to do with Shimano. At one station, I had to assemble a 12-speed Di2 and set it up with software etc. I would say that I had an advantage. I would say that I had an advantage there, simply because I had a lot to do with Shimano products during my training and therefore had a good overview of what I was doing and how I was doing it. As a result, the station ran quite well.
Did you have a favourite task?
I would say my favourite task of the six was the differential swap because it was something new and the task was fun.
Steffen Hanel: The best screwdriver in Europe by far?
You did a solid job as European champion. Was the decision still close?
You can look at it either way. I think the runner-up had 234 points out of a possible 300 and I had 252 points, so 18 more. In my opinion, the difference between second and third and third and fourth was only ever about 2 points. It was a bit tighter than that.
You said last time that there would probably be individual and team rankings. Has that been confirmed?
No, there was no team ranking, everything was judged individually. There were two Germans, two Frenchmen, etc., who were all judged individually.
Did you still talk to each other? You've already said that you talked to the other teams.
In any case, I exchanged ideas with my German colleague Lennart. After each station, we gave each other feedback about what didn't go so well or if we knew something about the other teams, we told each other. As I said, we also exchanged ideas with the other teams. Maybe we didn't pass on all the tips and tricks, but roughly speaking we discussed what was coming up at a station. This allowed us to prepare ourselves and think again about how something works and what needs to be done. That definitely helped.
In other words, you already knew what was coming up before the actual task and were able to exchange ideas beforehand?
In principle, the six stations were secret. However, each country started at a different station. So it was possible to tease out a little something from the others.
Were you allowed to communicate during the stations or did you have to work in silence?
There was little time to communicate with anyone or look around to see what the others were doing. So not during the task, but afterwards.
You said in the last interview that the concept of these competitions could be criticised to some extent, as it's more about who is the best screwdriver under time pressure and not the best in general. Do you think you would have become European champion if there was no time limit?
That's actually a good question. I would at least have had more time to think about the best I could do and I also think that I would have had a pretty good chance then.
So there wasn't anyone there who was really good but simply needed too much time for their tasks?
I can't judge that because I didn't get to know the others that well and we didn't have that much time to look around and see what the others were doing.
Two-wheel mechanic: What can Steffen Hanel do better than the others?
Can you still judge what you can do better than the others?
Maybe I'm a bit more perfectionist than the rest. Otherwise I wouldn't know where the points come from ;-)
How do you become as good as you?
You have to love your job and put your heart into it. I also spent a lot of time on the subject in my free time alongside my training, simply because I was very interested in it in my private life and I think that's one of the reasons why it went so well.
Do you study some things again in your free time so that you go into this exam situation with a certain amount of background knowledge?
I already watch a lot of things on the Internet, for example videos about new products with technical explanations from the manufacturer.
Would you say that you don't have a special talent, but simply a great passion?
Exactly, so maybe a bit of talent after all (laughs).
How is this talent expressed?
Maybe because I'm naturally good at the things I do and if I put in a bit more effort, it becomes very good.
What's next for you? Will the European Championship title help you advance professionally?
I hope so! I don't think that's a bad qualification to have on your CV. But for now I'm still at my company, where I'm also very happy. And when I have my master's degree, I'll have to look around again anyway. However, I think that the title will then be a good point on my CV.
What else would you like to achieve professionally?
In any case, I would like to take on more responsibility, perhaps even for one or two trainees. My goal is to pass on my knowledge and strengthen the entire industry.
Further topics relating to screws
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
