Luca, you are from Berlin, but call the beautiful Engadin your home. You are a passionate endurance athlete, what attracted you to putting the TORTOUR on your personal event calendar in 2025?
Many colleagues have already told me enthusiastically about the event, so I wanted to take the opportunity and try it out for myself. I am also becoming more and more fascinated by the topic of ultracycling, and I thought 250 km would be an exciting start.
A solo start of 250 km is a great distance – long enough not to be “short” and short enough not to be “too long”. How do you prepare for it?
My preparation is mainly based on basic endurance training, i.e. lots of low-intensity units. In winter I spend a lot of time on the cross-country ski trail, and in spring I will be running more. I do specific training, such as intervals on the bike, exclusively on the indoor trainer in winter, and then start outside on the road again in spring. I will also be at a training camp in Mallorca for a week in March to work specifically on my form.
The endurance sports community [‘MAUN-TEN] was founded by you this year and already has a great network of like-minded people. What do you think makes an ultracycling race special for cycling enthusiasts?
I think ultracycling races are something very special, especially because of the unique community. Although it is a race, you are primarily fighting against yourself and not against the other riders. This creates a great atmosphere that I am already looking forward to. In addition, the athletes in this area are just incredibly cool and relaxed, that is exactly the kind of mentality that I really like.
Cyclist, runner and cross-country skier – what does Luca like to do most between training sessions?
I like to enjoy a cup of coffee and let my creativity run free while I think with friends about exciting projects that we could implement with [‘MAUN-TEN].
We keep hearing from people who would like to try a longer distance but are unsure. What would you advise them?
My advice would be: just do it! In my opinion, even with little training, a long distance can be managed; the most important thing is to keep your head in check and, of course, to eat well. Another thing that never hurts is a test ride. It’s best to start early in the morning with a few friends and ride 200+ km. That way you can reduce your uncertainty and get a feel for it.
Thank you very much, Luca, for taking the time for us. We are super happy that you have decided to do the TORTOUR and wish you all the best with your preparations and your projects. See you in the new year!
