He won the overall World Cup in 1993 and came second in 1994. Jürgen "Beni" Beneke was the star of the downhill scene. Born in Freiburg and now living in the USA, he is now auctioning off the original Manitou DH frame that he rode in the 1994 season - including his World Cup leader's jersey. The proceeds are to Wings for Life the Foundation for Spinal Cord Research. "I was deeply moved by the fate of Tara Llanes, who has been in a wheelchair since her fall in 2007. In theory, it could happen to any of us," says Beneke. The Auction starts on 1 September.
Interview: Jürgen Beneke on the framework, the motivation and his job
BIKE: Can you tell us something about the frame? In which races did you ride it?
Jürgen Beneke: In 1993 and 1994, my team was a one-man show. Instead of a mechanic, I had two downhill bikes. As a rule, I rode one of the bikes in training and races until something broke, then I switched to the second bike. After the race weekend, I repaired the broken bike at home. That's why there were a few weekends when I rode both bikes.
What are the interesting technical details, suspension travel, difference to the standard version, etc.?
That was the second year on the Manitou downhill bikes and there were some improvements like more travel and better elastomers that lasted a little longer. I can't remember exactly how much travel the bike had. A longer swingarm was specially built for my bike so that the rear suspension had more travel. On long descents, the elastomers in the front suspension fork and in the rear fork became very hot and crumbled. Even on big jumps, the bike would no longer rebound. Then the elastomers were broken again.
The frame is from 1994, your World Cup win was in 1993. Does the jersey belong 1:1 to the frame, or are these things from two different seasons?
The jersey is from 1993 when I won the overall World Cup. The frame is from 1994, when I came second. I also won two World Cups in 1994, the Rebook Eliminator and the German Championship. I can't remember exactly which races I rode it in. But I know one thing for sure: I rode it at the start of the European Championships.
What is the background to auctioning the frame?
There are three reasons for this: Firstly, because you can't keep everything. The older I get, the less interested I am in material things. So why not put something like my frame, which is part of MTB history, to good use and raise some money for spinal cord research. Secondly, because I promised Tara Llanes after her paraplegia that I would raise money for research with an auction. And thirdly, when I broke my back, I realised how lucky I've been all my life. It's time to give something back.
How exactly does the auction work?
The auction will start on 1 September and run for a fortnight. I will be on my YouTube channel will publish a video in which you can see the old bikes in action and learn something about downhill racing in the 90s. There will also be a link to the auction. From my Facebook page and about my Instagram profile you will also come to the auction.
What about the fundraising campaign? How can you donate?
Parallel to the Auction there will also be a GoFundMe campaign I'm calling on every lucky biker like me to donate ten dollars for every crash that ends safely. It's time to give back. Hopefully one day we can find better medical solutions for spinal cord injuries.
What exactly happens with the donations?
All the money goes to Wings for Life, a non-profit spinal cord research foundation with the aim of finding a cure for spinal cord injuries. They fund world-class scientific research and clinical trials to cure the injured spinal cord. 100 per cent of all donations are used for research purposes, as all administrative costs are covered by Red Bull.
A few words about you and what you're currently doing: Do you still ride your MTB? And do you still work as a handyman?
I still bike a bit and am busy with my company that makes storage solutions for bikes.
