Andreas Seewald – World Champion on 32 Inches

In this episode Peter Schermann and Björn talk with Andreas Seewald, who has just won his second Mountain Bike Marathon World Championship in Primiero San Martino di Castrozza – following his first title on Elba in 2021.

Andi started late: at 19, near the end of his apprenticeship as an electronics technician, at a mountain bike festival at Lake Tegernsee. He talks about racing at international level for years alongside his job, why he had almost stopped believing he would ever turn pro – and what it feels like when training suddenly becomes your job.

Then the season before: European champion, overall Marathon World Cup winner, German champion – and at the Worlds in Switzerland, of all places, his form tipped over. What changed afterwards: a season plan built entirely around the Worlds, an altitude block in Breckenridge around Leadville, a strong German Championships – and a 32-inch bike that Andi only switched to completely six days before the race. After a little over 40 kilometres he attacks on the climb and rides solo to the finish.

Finally, it's about ten years of working together as athlete and coach: why trust helps decide how well a body adapts, why Björn only writes training plans one week ahead, and why you shouldn't squeeze an athlete into your own model.