Five buddies conquer the Race24: team spirit and perseverance triumph!

Five buddies conquer the Race24: team spirit and perseverance triumph!

At what is now the 27th edition of Race24 in Kelheim, five friends impressively defied all odds and demonstrated their team spirit. In a thrilling competition, 118 men's teams competed against each other, and the “Zürich Versicherungen Bauer” team came in 35th place. The participants, consisting of Martin Stockert, Florian Mayer, Stefan Pollinger, Claudius Bauer and Markus Franke, were challenged like never before during the 24 hours on the race track.

Martin Stockert remembered his sleepless hours: “I slept between 3:41 a.m. and 4:03 a.m.” During the race, the athletes were not only physically but also mentally challenged. Florian Mayer, who started the race as the starting driver, admitted that he felt nervous before his first lap, but still managed the opening lap in under 24 minutes. Claudius Bauer spoke about the challenges that the darkness brought with it. And speaking of challenges: Markus Franke had to struggle with technical problems with his rear brake and additional stomach problems. He attributed these problems to an unfamiliar diet, which is not atypical in a long race.

The rocky road to the finish line

The team strategy of avoiding double rounds was crucial and proved successful. The lap times mostly remained under half an hour, despite minor difficulties such as a chain problem for Stefan Pollinger, who hardly lost any time. At the end of the race, the team was able to complete an impressive 49 laps. After this intense challenge, Florian Mayer was relieved and described the experience as “like a dream” – a feeling that can only be shared after such a marathon. The other team members are also already thinking about returning to the next edition of Race24.

An important aspect of such 24-hour races is nutrition, which influences both physical and mental performance. The challenges are well known: Endurance athletes need a special diet that covers their high energy needs. Especially during long races, it is important to consume the right mix of carbohydrates, fats and protein in order to conserve physical reserves and increase performance. Recommended foods include rice pudding, pasta with pesto and cakes to provide quick energy. Good hydration also plays an essential role in avoiding performance declines.

Tips for a successful race

• Trinken: Ausreichend Flüssigkeit ist ein Muss.
• Essenszeitpunkt: Zuerst lange zu verdauendes Essen, dann kleine Snacks vor dem nächsten Stint.
• Nach Schlafphasen: Kohlenhydratreiche Snacks zur Regeneration sind entscheidend.
• Vielfalt in der Ernährung: Auf den eigenen Körper hören, und Abwechslung ist wichtig.

The Arizona Diet, as it is often called among endurance athletes, plays a central role in preventing overload and ensuring optimal performance. It's not just physical fitness that is crucial - proper nutrition is also the key to success in endurance sports.

Overall, the team spirit and determination of the five friends were able to withstand the challenging race. So we can only hope that we will see them on the track again next year in Kelheim - maybe even in a better place.

You can find out more about the exciting details of the race and the culinary challenges in the reports from mittelbayerische.de, as well as in the nutritional tips from cyclingpirates.home.blog and eatsmarter.de.