Lexware: Germany's XCO forge - Interview with MTB team manager Daniel Berhe
Laurin Lehner
· 04.04.2025
The Lexware Mountain Bike Team is one of the top names in German MTB sport. Behind the scenes, Daniel Berhe pulls the strings - as team manager, he ensures that his athletes are optimally positioned, from talented youngsters to World Cup riders.
BIKE: Daniel, you are team manager, founder and owner of the Lexware team. How did this come about?
Daniel Berhe: In 2008, I founded our team together with Steffen Rust, a good friend of the family. It's remarkable that we've had the same main sponsor ever since - a rarity in the World Cup sector. Our sponsor is even from outside the industry, which makes our partnership even more special. During the difficult times in the bike industry, Lexware has always been by our side. We are delighted to have received a contract extension until 2029. We would like to thank them for this!
You finished last year's World Cup season in 10th place in the team rankings, but decided to focus on U23 and younger from 2025. Why did you do that?
In 2024, we decided to focus on U23 and younger talents in the 2025 season. This focus will enable us to support the next generation of mountain bikers and remain at the top of the world in the long term. One US team manager summarised it aptly: "Lexware don't buy, they build talents." We are very pleased with this statement and it reflects our philosophy.
Similar to SC Freiburg in football, we are committed to developing young talent. Since 2005, we have been investing in the future of mountain biking with our mountain bike school, which has around 200 children. We are convinced that our commitment to young talent not only promotes the talents of tomorrow, but also conveys important social and friendly values.
Every bike brand wants Olympic participants, world champions and World Cup winners, but nobody wants to get involved in young talent. Germany is one of the biggest bike markets in the world, but the commitment to young MTB talent is almost subterranean. - Daniel Berhe, Team Manager
Do you remember all the team's successes since 2008?
His greatest successes certainly include three participations in the Olympic Games, three world championship titles, two overall World Cup victories and around 50 German championship titles.
You have positioned yourselves more internationally for the coming season. Was that a conscious decision?
Yes, that was a conscious decision. With Martin Vidaurre we already had an international driver who enriched our team. Now we are delighted to have Nicholas Konecny from the USA, Noel Toth and Elina Benoit from Switzerland on the team. Sina van Thiel, Emil Schmidt and Paul Schehl met their new team mates at the first team training session in December. Unfortunately, Antonia Weeger was unable to take part due to illness.
An important component of our team is our head mechanic Nicola Bicelli from Italy, who is one of the best World Cup mechanics despite his young age. Including the support staff, we are the youngest team in the World Cup. This diversity promotes team spirit and allows us to learn from each other. In the U19 team, we are starting with Elias Hückmann, Ole Riesterer and Paulina Weigelt.
We also attach great importance to promoting young talent in the U17 and younger age groups. Clara Hirsch, Maxi Strittmatter, Clara Hirsch and Finn Laichinger will represent our Lexware colours. The regional and national development of young talent remains a central building block for us in order to secure the future of German mountain biking.
Why didn't you stay with the elite and extend the contracts with David List, Luca Schwarzbauer, Max Brandl, Georg Egger etc.?
We made a conscious decision in favour of the U23. We are very pleased that athletes such as Luca Schwarzbauer, Martin Vidaurre, David List, Max Brandl and Julian Schelb spent most of their youth in the Lexware team and are now at the top of the world. Enduro riders like Torben Drach and Frederick Matz have been training with us since U9 and are successful today.
The time with all these athletes was great. If we had financed 2-3 elite riders, we would have had to stop all our junior work - and that was out of the question for Steffen and me. We could certainly have been one of the best teams in the world with these riders, but that would only have been possible with strong sponsors from the industry. However, German mountain bike sport is hardly supported at all.
Things are different with our neighbours in Switzerland and France. National companies from the bike industry support national teams there!
Since 2005, we have been intensively involved in the development of young mountain bikers and founded the Lexware Mountain Bike Team in 2008. Despite our efforts and the support of a few German companies, the bike industry seems to have little interest in young talent. Every brand wants Olympic participants, world champions and World Cup winners, but hardly any of them are committed to young talent. Germany is one of the biggest bike markets in the world, but the level of commitment is shockingly low. We have been fighting for every chain, brake pad and tyre for years.
Conclusion: It is now crucial to offer the next generation the opportunity from which Luca, David, Max and many other athletes have also benefited.
How do you assess the international developments in the World Series sector, in which a media giant like Warner Brothers sets the direction?
Changes are not fundamentally bad, but communication from the UCI was poor. Important information was only provided to a few elite teams, while smaller teams were left out. Team fees increased significantly without clarity on specific benefits or added value. This was not a problem for the top five teams in the world, but for everyone else it led to an arms race for World Cup riders with lots of UCI points. Rider salaries also increased, which is good news. We decided to work with down-to-earth young talent at the highest level and not follow the trend.
What are the current fees for a World Series team?
The fee for a World Series team is currently 45,000 euros. There are 20 XCO teams and 20 gravity teams that pay this fee. There are also around 200 XCO UCI teams that have to pay around 5,000 euros. The downhill teams are joined by other UCI teams. It is clear that a considerable sum is accumulating here. The UCI has not been able to shine in its communication and dealings with the teams.
Do you think the starting fields will be significantly smaller?
At races overseas or in Asia, we often have smaller starting fields due to the high travelling costs. Not every team can afford to make these journeys. However, the entry criteria allow many riders to take part. Currently, elite riders must be in the top 100 in the UCI ranking, U23 riders in the top 200, national champions or world champions receive a wildcard, and the top 5 of the Continental race series can qualify. I don't think the starting fields at the World Cups in Europe will get any smaller.
Do you compete in all the World Cups?
Yes, we start at all World Cups! Almost all of our team riders have enough UCI points. We received a wildcard for the World Cups in Brazil. It is debatable whether it is fair that top teams receive benefits such as exemption from entry fees, free access to the Expo and partial coverage of accommodation costs. But travel costs such as flights, car hire and accommodation are the same for all teams. Airlines make no distinction between World Series and U23 teams with a wild card.
What is your conclusion on the development of the World Cup?
This can only be judged conclusively in retrospect. However, my first impression is confirmed: The events are becoming significantly more expensive, while the starting fields at the World Cups in Europe are not getting any smaller.
Finally, you and Steffen Rust have been leading the Lexware team since 2008 - aren't you getting tired?
No, it's still great fun. At the beginning I thought we'd do it for a few years, gain experience and then everything would run smoothly. I was wrong. We certainly have a good feel for how we can get athletes to the top of the world. However, the biggest challenge since 2008 has been the timely procurement of material.
Good cooperation with national coaches, partner schools, partner universities and the parents of the athletes is essential. We have been promoting dual careers since the programme was founded. Especially in the U23 years, young people go through many changes such as graduating from school, studying and relocating.
For many parents, it is an enormous challenge to enable their children to take part in mountain bike racing. It is therefore important that teams are professionally involved in the junior classes. As the saying goes: "It takes a whole village to raise a child."
Many thanks & see you soon on the race track, Daniel
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Laurin Lehner
Editor
