Tim Boehme races cyclo-cross to stay fit during the mountain bike off season.(Image credit: Team Bulls)
Karl Platt trains on Majorca after recovering from shoulder surgery.(Image credit: Team Bulls)
Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm attended the Cape Epic 2010 Race Presentation.(Image credit: Team Bulls)
The Run Tour was a stage race on La Reunion island.(Image credit: Team Bulls)
Stefan Sahm cross trains with snow sports(Image credit: Team Bulls)
Thomas Dietsch in Greece(Image credit: Team Bulls)
Endurance mountain biker Karl Platt of Team Bulls is back in the saddle following shoulder surgery in October. The German underwent surgery to address the frequent shoulder dislocations he'd been suffering last season. He is doing well after recuperating from the operation and has returned to on-the-bike training.
"This is a completely new feeling on the bike. My right shoulder feels stable," said Platt. "I can ride without inhibition and am free to move in every way on my bike without having to worry about another dislocation."
"The long break to recover from surgery has been good. I asked a lot of my body in recent years - both in training and racing - up to 60 days per season. Now my battery is fully recharged and the 2010 season is coming!" said a motivated Platt, who spent some time recently training in Majorca.
Despite winter's firm grip on Europe, Platt's teammates have been busy training in preparation for the 2010 mountain bike season, too.
Frenchman Thomas Dietsch took a vacation to Greece where over 10 days, he explored Hellenic culture - on his bike, of course. A few days after his return, he was invited to participate in a five-day stage race on the French Island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean. There, he won two stages and finished sixth overall before heading to his native Alsace for some skiing.
Simon Stiebjahn logged some important training kilometres in the region around Alanya, Turkey, while Stefan Sahm has been entertaining himself with winter sports. In the Bernese Oberland, Sahm been snowshoeing and skate skiing and snowboarding.
"Cross-country skiing and snowshoe touring are a perfect balance to the many miles in the saddle and at the same time give endurance. You train the core and also cycling muscles - it's an optimal balance of stressing the whole body. And it's fun, too," said Sahm.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Teammate Tim Boehme has been racing cyclo-cross, and many of his fellow Bulls riders will soon join him in that endeavor. Platt, Sahm, Boehme, Stiebjahn und Marcus Nicolai will all race the German cyclo-cross championships next weekend in Magstadt.
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
