BIKE Mission 3000: Interview with world altitude record holder Kai Saaler

Kai Saaler is an absolute altitude metre expert. He not only holds the world record for the most metres climbed in twelve hoursAt 9774, more than three times as many as our reader Albert will face in the BIKE Mission 3000. What's more, nobody has managed to climb higher on a bike in 24 hours than him: He clocked up an incredible 17,391 metres in altitude on his record-breaking ride. As a solo rider, the 36-year-old can also boast world championship titles in the 12-hour and 24-hour categories.

Our reports on the big BIKE Mission3000 are already online

>> Our appeal to the BIKE readership for the BIKE Mission 3000 <<

>> The introduction of our courageous reader Albert Miethaner, who is setting off on his big 3000 metre altitude challenge <<

>> Albert gets a professional bike fitting from ergo experts Dr Kim Tofaute and Dagny Hilpert <<

>> Bike fitting for long tours - these are the most important points <<

What endurance pro Kai Saaler says about the BIKE Mission 3000

BIKE: As a world record holder, how challenging do you think a tour over 3000 metres in altitude like our BIKE Mission 3000 is for a beginner?

Kai Saaler: Of course, this always depends on the person's previous sporting history. It makes a difference whether the person has only played chess before or has already run a marathon. It is very difficult to send a person on such a tour after only two months, who first has to start with the basics and gets out of breath running up and down stairs. Afterwards, the muscle soreness will certainly be immense and it is questionable whether this person will even want to get on a bike again. However, if you already have some basic fitness, you can have great fun with such a project. Above all, it is exciting to see how the body changes for the better.

What does endurance training do to a professional like you?

I have similar experiences myself every year. From mid-September to October, I reduce my training and regenerate in November, but just keep eating as I used to as a 24-hour racer. When I start training in November, I can barely manage to jog six kilometres and usually have quite a bit of winter fat after Christmas. With a height of 171 centimetres, my weight at this point is around 80 kilos. When I'm fully trained in the summer, I'm only 63 kilos and rock the 24-hour races. These are two completely different people: the winter Kai as a couch potato and the summer Kai as a competitive athlete. So in November I'll be in the same position as Albert, who is now taking on the BIKE Mission 3000. Experiencing the constant changes in his own body will definitely be something great for him.

In your experience, what will be the biggest challenge at the BIKE Mission 3000?

First of all, the body has to adapt to the new challenges. From November, after my off-season, I increase the six kilometres of jogging in small steps until I'm scrubbing away 70 kilometres a day in March. In this way, I build up my endurance with minimal time expenditure before significantly increasing the bike portion from March onwards. The body has to adapt slowly. Two months is quite a short time for a beginner. If you haven't been on a bike before, sore muscles, knee problems and back pain are inevitable. And then there's the bum problem.

What are the most important points when preparing for the BIKE Challenge?

I would say that you should start by increasing your stamina, as this is where it takes the longest to adapt and the tour could take a few hours. It is also very important to build up strength in your legs so that you can push yourself up the metres in altitude. What should also be taken into account from the outset is the lower back muscles to give the body the necessary stability - and stretching should not be forgotten either. For beginners, muscles, tendons and ligaments in particular can quickly become overloaded. An unnecessary injury could seriously disrupt an already tight schedule.