Marcus Klausmann is panting at the limit, while Mara and Minza (both 4) are rolling on the floor laughing. It is 7.15 am. Beads of sweat drip from Klausmann's forehead. "Minza, come here for a minute, please, the shoes are still on," he tries to persuade his twin daughter. She finds the opposite amusing. She takes off one of her socks and it sails across the room in a high arc. Klausmann, the 15-time German downhill champion, rushes after her. 7:16 a.m. - Mara and Minza have to be at nursery school in 14 minutes. One floor up, the big boy is rumbling: Levin (7) is still gathering the last of his school things. "Oh no, he's late too," mumbles the 38-year-old and tucks the twins' shoes in. Then Levin races down the stairs, Marcus hands him his lunch and storms off with the girls towards the kindergarten. Eight minutes later, Klausmann comes back in the door, plops down on the kitchen chair and sips his cold coffee. It's Wednesday and a househusband's day for Marcus Klausmann. He now has four hours to do his job - being Germany's best downhiller.
The story of Marcus Klausmann is the story of German downhill sport itself. Born in Albstadt, he came to the sport by chance. "My father rode motorbike trials, and when we moved to Freiburg, he saw a mountain bike trial at some point. He thought to himself: that's just the thing for my son. I was five at the time," laughs the 38-year-old, shuffling into his office. After that, things continued in a roundabout way, as Klausmann explains and continues: "I rode trials in the summer. Hans Rey was really big back then and I emulated him. In winter, my club in Denzlingen asked me if I wanted to race cross-country. Honestly, I had no idea. I was sent home, got my clothes and the club pushed a bike for me just before the start of the race. I came fourth. Well, and if you were any good at cross in Denzlingen, everyone immediately saw the next Mike Kluge in you. He was also in the club back then." Klausmann starts up his computer, sighs briefly and says casually, "The area and the club made me a professional cyclist. But I'll tell you more later, for now it's emails and then training."
By "region", the trained businessman means the Black Forest. Klausmann lives in Mahlberg, which on the map lies roughly between Offenburg and Freiburg. A place that looks like something out of an advertising brochure. Just under 5000 inhabitants live in the village with its many alleyways. The CDU has had the upper hand for years, and the half-timbered houses look like postcard prints. It's a piece of Germany so full of clichés that you expect to see Doctor Brinkmann from the Black Forest Clinic at any moment. A piece of a damn perfect world - with a Baden dialect. But can you be a professional athlete here? You can, because Christina Obergföll (javelin silver medallist in London) lives here, as does Klausmann. The region itself is regarded throughout Germany as a centre for bike sports - simply because of the structural conditions. This can also be seen outside Klausmann's window, where his pump track runs through the middle of his parents-in-law's garden. Whether Freiburg, Todtnau, Denzlingen, Offenburg or Mahlberg: the Black Forest, Germany's largest and highest low mountain range, attracts the elite of German bike sport with its superlatives. The southern tip of Germany is home to 24,000 kilometres of designated hiking trails, an endless number of trails, two bike parks and plenty of major marathons. Oh yes, it also has the best weather in the country.
But not today: in Mahlberg, the sky hangs grey over the town. It's raining and the damp weather has turned the trails into a brown sludge. No matter what you wear today and where you ride, your bike and clothes will look like hell afterwards. Klausmann doesn't care about that, because of his job. Today is all about riding technique. The German downhill champion hops around briefly on the bike while stationary. The shocks sway gently, then he dashes into the trail. The tree trunks flicker in the corners of his eyes to the left and right, leaf debris glows red-brown on the ground. Klausmann presses himself into the berm and catapults further into a jump. Shortly afterwards, he sprints over a carpet of roots as if it were a smooth country road. Physics has taken a time-out - at least that's how it seems to the observers capturing the madness on their mobile phones. Meanwhile, Marcus is already at the end of the track again. He is panting a little and sucking on his water bottle. It's 11:45, in 45 minutes the professional athlete has to be a professional dad again.
"If you're a professional athlete with children, you need one thing above all else: a very understanding wife who does a lot - without her, nothing works."
The fact that Klausmann manages the balancing act between children and professional sport so well is mainly thanks to his wife Karoline, according to Klausmann. "Well, I'm probably away 150 days a year. Building the house, bringing up the children - Karoline basically runs the show. It's not an office job where the pile of paper is on the left in the morning and on the right in the afternoon. If you're a professional athlete with children, you need one thing above all: a very understanding wife who can take on a lot. Without the commitment of my wife and parents-in-law, it wouldn't work. Let's not kid ourselves: Every bike pro with children has to do it this way." But does it always work out so easily: the super mum who runs everything? Klausmann smiles: "Well, the sleepless nights are pretty crazy. With Levin, it actually worked. He was woken up every three hours and that was fine. Twins take more energy. It's not like they do everything at the same time. Nope, one sleeps when the other is awake. The lack of sleep sometimes pulled the plug on me. You feel like a zombie. But hey, you want kids, and that's part of being a parent. I wouldn't be a better biker without kids, on the contrary, I would miss something."
The pasta is steaming. The Klausmann family is sitting at the dinner table. It's surprisingly quiet. "Everyone's tired from kindergarten," grins Marcus, dredging up a load of spaghetti on his plate. Levin has brought a mate with him; they want to go biking later, how could it be otherwise? "At his age, I was already really into it," says Klausmann and continues: He then rode cross and did quite well (German junior champion), and then road racing came along in the summer. "I was a sprinter and not a bad one. I also tried to do well in cross-country races, but people like Lado, Wolfram and Bresser were racing there - I really had no chance. But I blew past them all on the descents. I was so much faster that the national coach Klaus Jördens took me to the Downhill World Cup in Monaco. That was pretty exciting, as I had to ride with special authorisation (Klausmann was only 14, editor's note). I didn't get anything out of it in terms of results - I flew into the rocks more than I stayed on the track. Then came the World Cup in Lillehammer, and then things took off. I came fourth there," explains the downhill pro, shovelling in a load of pasta. "And then?" his son calls in and looks at his father. "Yes, then came lots of races, victories and of course you," laughs Klausmann and looks at the kitchen clock. It's 13:32. The second training session starts in just under an hour.
"I officially announced my retirement from downhill at Eurobike because my sponsor Ghost pulled out. That was a shock."
And it's a tough one. The 38-year-old dangles in a sling trainer and lifts his buttocks. "I do the whole thing four or five times and hold the position for over a minute," he says. Marcus Klausmann has changed his training massively in recent months. The reason: he wants to attack in enduro. "I officially announced my retirement from downhill at Eurobike because my sponsor Ghost pulled out. That was a shock at first. But hey, one door closes and another opens. With Nox Cycles, I have a new bike company that I am actively involved in developing. Enduro is actually the sport that takes me back to my origins. A sport that demands endurance and technique in equal measure. If you like, it comes full circle - cross and downhill in harmony." Klausmann lifts his buttocks again. His legs are trembling. "I need to lose a few kilos," the biker blows, adding that otherwise he won't be able to compete. The twins are running riot in the background. Klausmann ignores this, staring at the white concrete ceiling. Medals, posters and trophies are piled up around him. Outside, the rain is pattering against the window. It's dusk in Mahlberg. The Black Forest blurs into a dark band. It is 5 pm. Marcus will be putting the little ones to bed in two hours. After that, there's peace and quiet, even from being a professional.
Character and trails
The MTB tours in the Black Forest offer everything - from leisurely rides to rugged trails. Due to the two-metre rule, many trails must be enjoyed with caution. The countless marathons, downhill and cross-country races offer variety. The region around Freiburg is considered a biking Mecca. There are many well-maintained, legal trails here. The most famous routes: Borderline or Canada Trail and the bike park in Todtnau.
Bike parks in the Scharzwald
1st Bikepark Todtnau
Klausmann's training area. Something for everyone - from flowy to rough. www.bikepark-todtnau.de
2. bike park Titisee
Brand new and very small. Pupils put together their own bike park. www.skilift-sägenhof.de
Marcus Klausmann's home trails
The Black Forest is Klausmann's playground - especially downhill. BIKE has picked out the three classics that are real highlights for the downhill pro. You can download the GPS data for two of the tours below.
1. full hardness
about 80 km and 2620 metres altitude
Klausmann can do pretty much anything on a bike: cross, trials, racing or downhill. He has already won victories in all these disciplines. So what could be more natural than adding something different to his downhill routes? The marathon in Offenburg is considered a classic. The course is as tough as an old piece of Black Forest ham. Although the athletes don't have to conquer any mountain giants, the ups and downs do tingle the muscles. The climb up to the Mooskopf in particular can be a bit of a drag - but then there are still 50 kilometres to the starting point.
2nd master track
about 2.7 km and 426 metres altitude
The race track par excellence: Todtnau is considered the Mecca of the German downhill scene and Marcus Kaufmann's living room. The 2.7-kilometre-long course features 426 metres of downhill. The course itself offers everything: from road gaps, drops and steps to root carpets and challenging bends. It is no coincidence that the course has hosted several IXS European Downhill Cup races and German championships. A special treat: you can borrow a freelap watch and compete with Marcus Klausmann's passage times.
3rd Borderline Tour
about 16 km and 700 m elevation gain
The classic trail and classic climb in the heart of German bike sport - Freiburg. The tour begins with an easy forest motorway up to the Rosskopf. From here, the real fun begins - the Borderline Trail. The starting point is at the four wind turbines that stand high above Freiburg. From the summit of the Rosskopf at almost 750 metres, the trail drops south down into the Dreisamtal valley. The first section of the route is rough and bumpy. Towards the bottom, the route becomes increasingly flowy until you reach the heart of the city.
The GPS data for tours 1 and 3 can be downloaded free of charge below.
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