Andi has chosen a very special event for his first stage race: the seven-day MTB Himalaya race in India, one of the most famous races in the world.
The twenty-four-year-old is a professional mountain biker and always at the forefront of races in Europe!
The race in India also went well for him: 2nd place in the overall standings, only the strong Portuguese Luis Leao Pintu was faster than him!
About Andis’s impressions about the race and about India you can read here.
Interview
Hello Andi, can you introduce yourself (name, age, occupation, place of residence)?
Andi Seewald, 24, electrical engineer, Lenggries Bavaria Germany
How did you come to mounatinbiking and when was your first race?
MTB was my means of transport to the mountains for mountaineering and climbing, then at some point they became pure bike tours and in 2011 at an age of almost 20 years I rode my first marathon at Lake Tegernsee not far from home, in the longest distance (what else?) and won the U23 classification.
What was your greatest success?
My victory in the Salzkammergut Trophy over 211km and 7000hm this year and the 16th place at the World Championships this year.
Why did you decide to participate in the MTB Himalaya in India, what were your expectations?
I wanted to do a tough stage race and get to know a new interesting country, my expectations were that the race wouldn’t be that hard (but I am happy that it was so hard) and I came to the race for winning it.
How did you prepare for the race?
Actually not very special, my form has been good all season, I tried to recover well before and then just let it come to me.
What was your first impression of India? What did you notice and remember?
The first impression of the taxi ride in Deli was pure chaos and still serenity.
Unfortunately, the waste problem that exists in most developing countries is pervasive.
But I definitely want to come back to India to get to know even more interesting people and to make contacts.
What are your impressions of the MTB Himalaya race?
At first it often seemed very chaotic, on the track traffic and cows can show up, so one has to be a little carefully. But the conditions are the same for everyone and that is India.
How do you find the tracks compared to tracks in races in Europe? Are there commonalities or big differences?
The routes are much more strenuous compared to Europe, you always have to be very careful on the road and expect everything behind the next turn.
What were the biggest challenges of the race in India?
Assess the risk correctly in order not to fall but still keep up.
You were accompanied by your mechanic and friend Rasti, what role did he play for you in the race and in India?
I think because of his presence I was much more relaxed from the head. There was nothing to repair on my bike except my lightweight carbon saddle, which I had been riding for two years but was not strong enough for India.
Do you want to come back to India to participate again at MTB Himalaya and explore other areas of India?
I definitely want to come back to the MTB Himalaya, preferably after visiting Manali for altitude training and then on to the Yak Attack.
What are your next goals or scheduled races?
I want to ride more races like this and get around the world.
Next year’s tour of the Dragon in Bhutan, Hero MTB Himalaya, Yak Attack are planned.
Thank you for the interview.
