Even if mountain bikers don't want to admit it: Summer is over. The days are getting shorter. The competition season is coming to an end. The first snow has fallen in the mountains. Time to take a look ahead, because hardly any MTB pro can afford to put their feet up for long in the cold months. Instead, victories in summer are prepared in winter. However, rain, snow and darkness don't mix well with intensive sessions on the mountain bike. Anyone who spends most of the year travelling around the world by bike will also be glad of some variety in winter. We asked Andreas Seewald, Max Pfeil and Ines Thoma about their off-season routines and show which alternative sports some of the best bikers in the world use to keep fit in winter.
Max Pfeil, the enduro pro on narrow tyres
Enduro pro Max Pfeil normally rides against the clock on wide tyres. In winter, however, he switches to drop bars and narrow tyres. Pfeil took up cyclocross two years ago. His coach at the time, Markus Klausmann, encouraged him to do so. Pfeil has always been a fan of cyclocross and road cycling. Even in winter, his training focusses on preparing for the next enduro season. Cyclocross is an additional supplement for him. The enduro bike takes priority, but the pro gets on his cyclocross bike around once a week for intensive sessions. Intervals that he would normally do on the roller can be done outside regularly in winter. One to two hours of torture in the mud is more fun for him than the sessions on the roller. To support his immune system in the winter months, Pfeil makes sure he eats a diet rich in vitamins and relies on the protective effect of ginger.
Max Pfeil also likes to compete at a high level with other riders on his cyclocross bike. How many cyclocross competitions he takes part in varies depending on his current training schedule. Last year, five local and national races came together as preparation and the German Cyclocross Championships as a highlight. Pfeil does not have access to a designated cyclocross track where he lives, so in winter he has to use a few single trails and a water catchment basin with a sand pit for training.
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First and foremost, I benefit from cyclocross riding through race hardness, fitness and the technical component. Personally, I also like the change of scenery and the challenge of preparing for enduro races in a fun way. I think every alternative sport can contribute to getting better on the MTB, as you always take something away from another sport. Be it training effects, nutrition, reflexes, reactions or agility Max Pfeil, Radon Enduro Team
Andreas Seewald likes to go steep in winter
As Marathon pro Andreas Seewald trained at the local ski club when he was a child and teenager, the off-season naturally focussed on the summer months. It was there that he started running as part of his endurance training. Instead of skiing, he climbed the mountains on foot in summer. Half running, half walking, the young Seewald simply set off. He also took part in running competitions in 2015 and 2016. On a whim, Seewald decided to take part in a local mountain run, where the DLV's mountain running advisor became aware of the athlete. The officials recognised his talent and sent him to the German Championships. Andreas Seewald put in a strong performance there and was invited to the 2016 World Mountain Running Championships.
I generally start from the front door and after a very short warm-up on the flat, I also like to run up a hill. I tend to keep the volume low, but I like to increase the intensity relatively quickly. Proper stretching and mobilisation is important for me after running training, otherwise I quickly get problems with my hips, knees or back. When I get a taste for it, there may be phases in which I do a lot more walking again. - Andreas Seewald, Canyon Sidi MTB Team
In recent years, Andreas Seewald has significantly reduced his time in running shoes as he struggled with knee problems last winter. For the 2025 season, the marathon biker sees more benefits in targeted running training again. Seewald plans to complete at least two sessions a week this winter in an alternative sport. In addition to running, cross-country skiing and ski tours will also be added to the training plan. Once the winter is slowly over from March onwards, the importance of running training for Andreas Seewald decreases significantly. From June onwards, however, his coach Björn Kafka could once again include the odd running session in his preparations for the marathon world championship at the Grand Raid install.
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I feel that running toughens me up and makes me flexible at the same time. It's also something different, purely for the mind. I probably benefit most from this. I would also recommend running as an alternative sport for amateur bikers. But be sure to listen carefully to your body's signals. - Andreas Seewald, Canyon Sidi MTB Team
Ines Thoma and the boards that mean the world
As a child of the Allgäu region, Ines Thoma was practically born into snow sports. She skied her first race at the tender age of three and only got into biking through winter sports. Today, Ines Thoma is still regularly on her skis in winter. Where she lives, skiing is virtually without alternative as an outdoor sport in the depths of winter. When there is too much snow for biking, it is ski season for Thoma. Then she does a cross-country skiing lap from her front door in Wildpoldsried as often as possible to save time. Thoma also regularly skis from Unterjoch to the Tannheimer Tal. Depending on the snow conditions, ski tours in the Allgäu are also very popular. When there is good deep snow, they can also be found on the slopes in Bolsterlang.
A beautiful day outside is quite different from sweating on the roller. Of course, both are justified and both are an integral part of my training. Since having children, I rarely have time for really big ski tours. At the moment, I mostly ski downhill on the children's lift, haha! But a good day in deep alpine snow is definitely just as valuable for leg strength as squats in the gym. - Ines Thoma, professional biker at Canyon
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Ines Thoma finds cross-country skiing particularly effective: after just one to two and a half hours, the whole body is trained. She likes to combine basic training with threshold intervals, as the heart rate can be pushed up very easily on the ascent. Short intervals are more ideal for ski touring. Similar to jogging on the mountain, short bursts can be realised here. While Thoma finds it difficult to integrate alpine skiing into a training plan, cross-country skiing provides her with up to five hours of basic training. Specifically, cross-country skiing trains weak points such as the back and abdominal muscles or shortened hip flexors from sitting so much.
Overall, biking is quite one-sided, says Thoma. Variety in training can not only compensate for imbalances, instabilities and shortening, but is also a lot of fun and therefore also pleasant for the mind. Skiing as an alternative sport therefore also makes sense for hobby bikers.
In addition to leg strength, all ski disciplines also work the torso, shoulders and arms. Ski touring trains the extremely important posterior chain, similar to the deadlift. This is particularly efficient for enduro skiing, where everything takes place standing up. Downhill skiing as training is very valuable for the leg muscles, both strength endurance and speed. Both are very important for biking. And in order not to lose my competitive toughness, I have always included ski touring races in winter. It doesn't get much tougher than that! - Ines Thoma, professional biker at Canyon
Jan Timmermann
Editor
