Former European champion speaks about structured preparation
Riding cross races as preparation for the upcoming season, the BMC Mountainbike Racing Team rider Moritz Milatz competed in the Run and Bike in Reute, Germany last week. After finishing fifth in the event, he talked about his buildup to 2014 and named his main target for the season ahead.
“The main focus is the World Cup next year, starting in March in Pietermaritzburg,” he said. “I did a lot of endurance training in the last weeks and in January I would like to focus on cross country skiing to do some different training.
“Then the preparation goes on in February in Gran Canaria, with a lot of mountains. Long rides in the mountains for the power endurance. And in March I will start racing in Switzerland with some smaller races as the last preparation for the World Cup.”
Milatz is a multiple German national champion and won the European cross country championships in Moscow in 2012. He also finished second in the MTB marathon championships that same season, and is aiming for a strong year in 2014.
He spent part of December training in Majorca, building condition with long hours in the saddle. “The weather there was good. It was warm and dry, so we could train a lot of kilometres until yesterday,” he said. “I am still tired, now I need some days of rest and I think the training can go on, preparation for next season. That is what is counting.”
In the video below Milatz speaks about the Run and Bike race and the reason why he makes it a regular showing, the benefits of riding cyclo-cross in the winter and also how it differs from his usual competition. He also speaks about his runner-up slot at the Roc d’Azur race in October behind Miguel Martinez, being critical of the latter’s switching of him in the sprint to the line.