Interview: Urs Huber winner of the Crocodile Trophy

Q. Urs, congratulations on winning back to back Crocodile Trophies. What does it mean to you to retain your title?

A. After a season with a lot of ups and downs it really means a lot to me that I was able to defend the title at the Crocodile Trophy – a nice finish to my 2010 season. To defend a title is always harder than to claim it the first time.

Q. Did you find easier to compete the second time around, knowing what to expect, or was it as tough as always.

A. It was not easier. I was familiar with the track from last year, but so was Brentjens. Also, the rider field this year was significantly stronger than last year. Going into the race it was hard to estimate what was going to expect me. After the first stage then, I faced the same duel as in 2009.

Q. You won by a margin of over 5 minutes to Bart Brentjens, did you always feel confident with the gap, or were you worried at times during the race?

A. My lead from the first stage was quite significant and I felt comfortable. Still, it wasn't easy. If I had experienced a bad day or had a mechanical just once, it would have been gone. Luckily, I felt so strong throughout the entire Crocodile Trophy, that I actually was able to rest and sleep well and never doubted my victory.

Q. The Crocodile Trophy is regarded as one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world. Can you describe to us what it's like to race out there?

A. It is definitely one of the hardest races that I know of and that I've done. For ten days there's nothing but heat and dust. To top it, the track is fairly flat. On this terrain, it is almost impossible to claim a gap among the lead riders and still you mustn't lose track of your goals. That means, on those sections of the track where you can make a difference, you have to be ready. To be able to claim a gap on a difficult section after 100 flat kilometres is not easy. It's like you have to be able to flip the switch. Also, most riders sleep in tents, have to be self-sufficient and in the ten days the whole field becomes like a big family. At most other races this is not the case, at least not among elite riders. At the Crocodile Trophy this is part of the experience and that's a good thing.

Q. Tragically Dutch rider Weit Heuker passed away before Stage 6. How did you and the other riders feel after this, did people want to pull out of the race?

A. That was a hard day. Weit Heuker's tent was right next to mine. When we headed out onto the stage to Mt Mulgrave, his tent was the only one still standing, with his bike in front of it. It was difficult to focus on that day; to neutralise the stage was absolutely the right decision. All day I kept thinking how quickly things can happen if life and was heart stricken by this fate.

Q. What would you say is the toughest part of racing in, and winning, an event like the Crocodile Trophy?

A. The most challenging thing is being able to recover mentally over and over again throughout the ten days. You have to relax after each stage and not stay absorbed by the race itself – somehow try to distract yourself from it, otherwise you use up too much mental energy. Of course you also have to be consistent over the ten days, a weak moment means instant punishment. And then the gear has to be reliable as well – luckily, at my second Crocodile Trophy I again didn't have any mechanical problems at all.

Q. How do you train for an event like this?

A. I don't do any special training for the Crocodile Trophy. From April until the end of September I ride at a long endurance race in Europe practically every week. The Crocodile Trophy then is the final event and concludes my season. If possible, I try to throw in the one or the other longer training unit (>6hr) in September.

Q. Coming from Europe, do you have any trouble with the tropical conditions that this race throws up?

A. It always takes me five days to adjust. After the long journey and the climatic change I feel worse throughout those first days than after the Trophy. After that phase it gets better, however, the different climate is always a very challenging factor. The conditions in the outback always push me to my limits and make the race even more demanding.

Q. Recovery must be an important part of racing such a tough event. What do you do to prepare yourself for the following day's stage?

A. It takes both physical and mental recovery. Physically that means a lot of sleep and resting, massages and eating well, just to stay well. Mentally that means to stop thinking about the race in between the stages, which requires a lot of energy and is tiring. At the Crocodile Trophy you are distracted by all the things that need to be done anyway, like cleaning and maintaining the bike, laundry, prepare the food and drink rations for the next day. Also, the camping life provides plenty of opportunities to socialise, to compare experiences and to distract yourself that way too.

And finally...

Q. Will we see you back for a three-peat next year?