What does it take to compete against the best? German mountain biking duo Lukas Baum and Georg Egger have been riding and racing together since they were young, pushing each other to reach the highest level of the sport. Their friendship, shared passion, and dedication eventually led to the creation of their current team, Speed Company Racing. We caught up with the duo to hear how the first half of their season has unfolded.
What motivates you to train?
LB: Crossing the finish line first knowing all the sacrifices were worth it, that feeling is what motivates me to train.
GE: My motivation to train is the improvement of personal strength, specific race goals and definitely also the nature and environment I am riding in.
How has the first half of your season been?
LB: The beginning of the season was typical with its ups and downs. Unfortunately we could not perform at the level we wanted to in Cape Epic but we found a good pace again in Croatia. We stick to the plan and try to make the best out of the rest of the season with a mixed calendar of gravel and MTB.
GE: My first races were solid in general. Nothing crazy has been pointed out yet, so I stick to the plan and keep the progress going. Motivated to show more of my capabilities in the second half of the season.
Any standout moments from your first races?
LB: Winning some stages at Croatia were the highlights so far.
GE: Lukas and I had a rough epic with Lukas being in very good shape but suffering a major mechanical problem early in the week. I was not there performance wise which resulted in quite a disbalance. We could already turn this around for 4 Islands Epic, which was super nice!
How do you manage recovery with a busy race calendar and training schedule?
LB: It’s all about finding the right balance between rest and training, and definitely taking some breaks if the body tells you to.
GE: It is always important to find a good balance between racing, training and chill phases. This year for example I have a pretty chilled time right now (mid/end may - mid June) where I focus on recovery and build up for the rest of the year
How do you fuel for training and racing?
LB: For me it’s more or less the same, I try to fuel the same during training and racing which is around 60 to 80 grams of carbs per hour.
GE: I fuel 120-150g of carbs in racing and 60-150g of carbs in training (60 for easy rides, 150 for full gas rides)- no crazy complicated nutrition plan, but some helpful input from MNSTRY, our nutrition partner.
What’s something people don’t see behind the scenes of racing and training?
LB: People have a wrong conception of glamorous professional cycling where you see competitors racing the world but nobody is talking about the pain and the suffering you have to endure 95% of the time on and off the bike. It is way less delightful as people might think. It’s a full time job and by full time I mean all day every day. Whatever you do is with the purpose of becoming faster, more efficient more proficient.
GE: Nothing crazy people cannot see behind the scenes of training and racing, but for sure something essential for Lukas and me. The life with our families - we are both dads (Lukas has a 1 year old son and I got a 6 year old daughter).
What's your favorite CIOVITA apparel item and why?
LB: The best item for training is the Supremo Series jacket (Strada Jacket) which is multipurpose, you can use it as a windbreaker, super helpful in the morning to keep warm but also during the descents. And my favorite item for racing is the woven lycra bibs (Apex Sentiero Bib Shorts), which give you such a nice feeling on the bike, no annoying seams, super comfortable chamois.
GE: For training it is the classy SCR official jersey and bib short combination, and for racing definitely the Apex MTB custom speed suit.
Follow Speed Company Racing to see how the rest of their season unfolds.
@speedcompanyracing
Photos by Moritz Sauer
