Frederik Matz (22), originally from Freiburg, now lives in Innsbruck. The young man from southern Baden justifies wearing Lederhosen by pointing to his dual nationality: he is both German and Austrian.
In the summer, Freddy won his first German Enduro Championship title. In the off-season, Freddy spends more time riding e-bikes, switches to skiing or goes crawler racing.
Lights out!
The scene of the incident: the pump track in Freiburg, 2020. I’ve no idea how or exactly what happened. A blow, then blackout, and I woke up in an ambulance. The diagnosis: a fractured jaw, two knocked-out teeth and a sore head.
Right shoulder
2025 in Leogang, on the final stage of the EDR World Cup: I lost my balance on a bump – lost control – crash! I landed squarely on my shoulder, but it was just dislocated. It took about an hour and a half at the hospital to pop it back in. I can’t feel a thing anymore, at least on this side.
Left shoulder
The following year, my shoulder gave me trouble again. This time, I dislocated my left one. At the Innsbruck Bike Park, I jumped a hip – far too far. It ended in an OTB crash, and my shoulder popped out. Again, no operation was needed; I just let it heal. It’s not quite as trouble-free as my right shoulder, though: my left shoulder sometimes plays up.
Ouch, my head!
At the 2024 World Championships in Canazei, I fell and hit my head. I didn’t lose consciousness, but the symptoms were clear. I particularly remember feeling exhausted. For the next two days, I did little else but sleep, worrying that everything would go back to the way it was before.
Nutrition
I don’t follow a diet plan. My motto is: I eat whatever I fancy. I’m relaxed about alcohol too. As for supplements, I only take protein, and sometimes a bit of iron. Taking all sorts of supplements isn’t my thing.
Strength training
Niklas Schehl from TB Performance draws up my training plan. I train five to seven times a week in total, but I only do weight training a maximum of three times – often just once. The focus is on building strength. My favourite exercise: bent-over rows – I think they’re absolutely brilliant. My least favourite exercise: planks. I really have to push myself to do them.
Respond more quickly
I think Life Kinetik is really important – that is, cognitive reaction exercises. To be honest, I don’t do it nearly often enough. But a playful version along these lines sounds like fun: Rock, Paper, Scissors with a ‘chase the loser’ twist. Whoever loses runs away, and the winner has to catch them. It sounds silly, but you really have to think on your feet. Far too often, you only realise what’s happening once the other person’s already off and running.
Compensation
I don’t think cycling on its own is a good idea. You need a bit of variety. I’m keen on almost all sports: football, climbing, skiing and even ‘crawling’ – manoeuvring remote-controlled cars over rough terrain (see photo). It’s a sport of sorts, isn’t it?
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Laurin Lehner
Editor
