Mountain biker Sabine Spitz has been working hard all winter, with one goal in mind: the Beijing Olympics. She is determined to win a medal, and has her training all planned to deliver herself in the best possible shape. Her successes in 2007 gave her additional motivation for the Olympic Games.
After a break in October, the German started her training on the island of Crete, putting in lots of time on the road. Then she went home for additional training, followed by altitude training in St. Moritz, working in both the mountains and the weight room. The 36 year-old then did cross-country skiing.
After all that snow and cold, she was ready for the sun and warmth of the Canary Islands – but not the beach. "I'm an active person. Not someone whose only activity at a beach vacation is to change their position on the beach chair every 15 minutes. I need movement." She and her husband/coach Ralf Schäuble are putting in long tours on Gran Canaria, with about 2,500 climbing meters each day.
Spitz will start her season with a stage race the end of this month, to be followed by the Schönbuch-Klassiker in Schönaich bei Böblingen on Easter Monday. After these road races, she will return to mountain biking with the race in Münsingen, also known as the "Paris-Roubaix for mountain bikers."
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