The number speaks for itself: Matthias Bettinger has competed in the Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon in Kirchzarten 16 times, and it has been an intimate, passionate relationship for years: "I stood on the course as a child and cheered on Mike Kluge, the winner of the first two years. It's a childhood dream of mine to take part here," says Bettinger.  The dream came true, and what's more, the 39-year-old triumphed several times. Bettinger won the Power Track (80 km), which ran from 2006 to 2019, four times in a row and the Ultra Long Distance (116 km) once in 2012. "The Ultra Bike is the absolute highlight for me every year, there are always lots of friends along the route. It's a huge advantage to have such a well-organized race on your doorstep."

Bettinger, who competes for the Singer team, explains: "I always rode my bike from my home in Breitnau to the power track start in Hinterzarten in the morning. I was able to set everything up at home in peace and quiet, then rolled for a quarter of an hour and was able to warm up a bit."

The marathon specialist, like thousands of amateur mountain bikers, asks himself the question every year: how do I manage my training in the months leading up to the race so that I am in top form for the Ultra Bike in Kirchzarten? March and April are the months to build up a good foundation in the basic endurance area. Bettinger recommends long, multi-hour units adapted to the performance level, "but you should also incorporate fast, intensive stimuli from time to time". The closer race day gets, "the shorter and more intensive the sessions become". The intensity of the training can be increased with different programs. "20 seconds of exertion, 20 seconds of recovery" is a variant that Bettinger likes to include in his training program, as well as strength-oriented, ten-minute cranking on the mountain with a big gear.

Multiple intervals with three or five minutes of exertion followed by active recovery are also efficient for building up form. The basic endurance can be preserved in this phase with one or two longer units per week. It is a big mistake to try to make up for missed time and train too much in the week before the competition. "In the week before the start, you should maintain the tension in your muscles with a few targeted sessions, but otherwise: "Strength lies in rest," says Bettinger. The family man fits his training around his working day: he rides the 45 kilometers to his employer in Schwenningen by bike in the morning - and then back home again. After work, he has the opportunity to extend the route as he pleases. 

By the way, the lowest entry fee rate for the ultra-bike event is still valid until the end of February. More than 700 mountain bikers have already registered for the 24th edition of the classic on July 14 at www.ultra-bike.de. There are four routes to choose from: Ultra (118 km/3509 m elevation gain), Marathon (81 km/2250 m elevation gain), Speed Track (54 km/1288 m elevation gain) and Short Track (46 km/943 m elevation gain). A new addition is the Hero series ranking, which the Ultra Bike forms with the Hero Südtirol Dolomites (Italy) on June 15 and the Iron Bike Race in Einsiedeln in Switzerland on September 22. 15,000 euros in prize money underlines the importance of the new international marathon race series. In order to be included in the ranking, the long distances of the three events must be completed. 

Competitions are not for everyone, however. For all those who don't want to put themselves under time pressure, ultra-bike race director Sebastian Eckmann and managing director Britta Schreiber are currently working with the organizing committee to develop a variant that focuses on the pure experience of getting around on two wheels in the nature of the southern Black Forest, as well as on socializing. More information will be available soon. 

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