inTERVIEW Words: Francois Flamengo ǀ Photos: DO IT NOW Media

IntervIew wIth Legendary

MountaIn bIker

Max knox

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do It now caught up with South africa s legendary mountain biker, Max knox, to find out where he has been, where he is going, and what all the hype is around his new sponsor, eaI.wIth the SeaSon gettIng underway for you wIth a great wIn at barberton, how dId you feeL afterwardS and dId It Set the tone for your goaLS thIS SeaSon?Yes, my season got off to a very successful start at Barberton, where I won for a record fourth time, which was a great honour as there are some legends of mountain biking with three wins, including Mannie Heymans and Jacques Rossouw. Setting a record in the Lowveld, where I grew up, made this achievement all the sweeter. I hope this sets the tone for the year ahead, but as you know in cycling, there are many surprises that lie in store. 

you pLaced thIrd at the SabIe worLd Marathon SerIeS and had a dnf at the grape eScape. waS It a Setback goIng Into the cape epIc?This year's Sabie World Marathon Series had less climbing than in previous years, making it a little more tactical and this didn't play in my favour. So even though I did not clinch the win I had hoped for, I was still happy placing third overall because I fought hard and gave everything I had. Then it all went pear shaped the following weekend at the Grape Escape, where I took a nasty spill and hurt my knee, which has been giving me hassles on and off for the last few months. It was not the ideal preparation leading up to the Epic, the hardest and most competitive stage race in the world. But you need to make the most of anything that is thrown at you in cycling.

how dId you feeL joInIng forceS agaIn wIth japaneSe natIonaL chaMpIon koheI yaMaMoto, and what waS the Strategy to Support chrIStoph SauSer and jaroSLav kuLhavy?It was very special joining Kohei to ride the Epic again. He is a fantastic rider and ranked in the top 20 in the world, not to mention that he is the Asian and Japanese Champion. So motivation was high from both Kohei and myself. Strategy wise, as a team, the main thing to do was try to stay as close as possible to the front and out of trouble. Mechanicals can be the difference between winning and losing the Epic. Thankfully, everyone on the team knows how to fight hard, even in the face of technical challenges. 

It MuSt be aMazIng to race In a teaM that haS So Many chaMpIonS?Now that you mention it, yes was quite interesting. Kohei is, I think, six-time Japanese Champion, and Christoph and Jaro both have Olympic titles, world titles, and national titles to their names.

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what waS the tougheSt day durIng thIS year'S epIc and why?I think the first long stage on day one was the toughest for me. We exchanged wheels with team one (Christoph and Jaro) early on in the stage, as they had a small problem with theirs. This set us back about 15 minutes from the front of the race at the first tech zone. The next 60 km was really unpleasant because there was loads of sand to get through. This forced the riders to get on and off their bike often, and I really struggled with this due to my sore knee. I was very happy to be out of those dunes on stage one and back into mountain bike country for the next few stages. 

expLaIn the feeLIng In the teaM after fIghtIng back hard to recLaIM the gc and then goIng on to wIn the race?What an achievement! I am pretty sure that most people had written off the team after so much bad luck. I think Christoph and Jaro were really motivated by their 'never quit' attitude, which Burry was well known for. They attacked hard at the beginning of the stage and fought all day, and finally some luck went their way. They won the stage into Wellington and took back the coveted Yellow Jersey. This was just what they needed and that winning feeling took over the entire team camp - it was awesome. From that point onwards, there was never a moment of doubt in their minds and they rode like deserving champions. Hard from the beginning to the end!

waS there a bIt of a party afterwardS?Naturally, not only were we celebrating a win but the fact that in the 10 years the Epic has been going, no one has gone on to win after falling so far behind in the standings. What an honour to have been a part of this story. 

how dId you feeL when you had to puLL out of the epIc becauSe of your knee, and how bad IS the daMage?For me, pulling out one day from the end was very hard. But having said that, the cycling year is a long one and there are still important races ahead, so I think it was the right choice. Kohei fractured a bone in his hand and my knee was very swollen and sore. We had done all we could for the Yellow Jerseys, our time was over. We watched the last stage live on TV from Lourensford and were there to celebrate when Jaro and Susi arrived.

After the race, I saw some specialists about my knee and the diagnosis was not as bad as initially thought. The swelling in my knee has turned to scare tissue, meaning that one knee will be fatter than the other for a while, as scar tissue can take a long time to leave the body - provided I don't crash and injure it again for the rest of the year. A tall order I might add. Thankfully, no ligaments on the bone have been damaged.

you'have ceLebrated your bIrthday at the epIc for a nuMber of yearS, So what waS It LIke ceLebratIng It wIth your faMILy for the fIrSt tIMe In yearS at SabIe?Yes, I've raced on my birthday at all seven of the previous Cape Epics I've entered, which in some ways is fun, but in others it's not so cool. Fun because you are with all your friends out on the bike, but sometimes when you are pushing in 40°C plus heat, in the Karoo, for five hours, I do think that relaxing on a beach could be a better way to spend the day. This year's Epic was held earlier, so I was able to eat my birthday cake with family and friends and enjoy a bike-free day, but it did feel strange not to be on my bike for five hours in the mountains and dust.

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you joIned a new teaM thIS year and now drIve around In a fLaShy grey MInI wIth a red racIng StrIp. teLL uS More?Yes, what an exciting new phase for me. The crew at EAI share my passion in striving for excellence and going above and beyond. As market leaders in their field of expertise, the software market, it makes our partnership one of logicality. To be involved with a young bunch of expert individuals who are driven and motivated is such a treat. And to add to that, all avid outdoor enthusiasts. It makes representing the brand a huge honour. And I think the Mini makes a great statement with regards to what we stand for, 'Serious about racing, serious about business'.   

what are the goaLS for the new eaI cycLIng teaM?Our main goal is to be the first South African team to win the Epic. Other smaller goals have also been put in place for the short- and medium term, with the aim of building up to winning the Epic. Having small, achievable goals that build up to one big goal is key to reaching the top. Winning becomes a habit and building confidence up over a period of time is important. By putting the right support structures in place, then testing and reviewing them along the way, will ensure that winning is not only a possibility but a reality. 

doeS your fantaStIc wIn In cLarenS Mean that you are back In wInnIng forM?Yes, winning at Clarens was a very sweet victory for me and I loved every second of the race. This year, the course was shortened a little bit and we had some European Pro riders racing too, which meant that there would be very small time gaps between the lead riders. This led to some seriously tactical racing and loads of suffering, but sometimes winning a race by 30 seconds leaves a better feeling than winning a race by 10 minutes. In a tight race, there is no room for error, so to come out on top in Clarens was great. 

you foLLowed the wIn In cLarenS wIth another great wIn In weLLIngton, a week Later. were you part of hIStory In the MakIng?Yes, after Clarens the national series went to Wellington in the Cape. It's a real tough place to race your bike and I had a score to even as I'd crashed out of both the Grape Escape stage races and the Cape Epic in Wellington. The race worked out perfectly for me and I was able to ride away on the last big hill and take the win.

No one else has managed to win two MTN National Marathons on consecutive weekends, so that was also pretty cool. But there are still some big goals to be faced in the run up to the end of this year, so there's no time to celebrate that just yet.

wIth the SanI2c foLLowIng a week Later, you MuSt have feLt confIdent joInIng forceS wIth your cLoSeSt rIvaL, nIco beLL?Yes, sani2c is another one of South Africa's greatest events. It is the biggest fully self-serviced stage race in the world, attracting more than 5,000 riders. Having won it once before, I really wanted to win it again and knew that my best shot would be to team up with another good rider. Straight away Nico came to mind. Even though he is one of my main rivals, I knew he was also hungry for a win. In the national series we are ranked first and second, and both of us have good experience racing 100-plus kilometres. Barring any bad luck, I was confident that we would be in with a great shot for the win!

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dId everythIng go accordIng to pLan durIng the three-day race at SanI2c?Yes, the game plan we had in place worked out perfectly for us. The win is what we set out to achieve and that's what we did. But as with everything in life, there are always some small hurdles to be cleared. Day 2 saw Nico and I take a few big spills, which resulted in Nico hurting his back and I landed very hard on some rocks - and where else but on my injured knee. I had four stitches on my knee cap after the stage finish. My ego was also a little bruised after I crashed, as it took me a while to get motivated in stage two. It was raining and cold, and my knee swollen and numb, but thankfully our experience paid off and we took the win in stage two and created the time gap needed to win the race overall. A really great feeling!

Sa chaMpS MuSt have been a dISappoIntMent wIth the race not goIng your way, can you eLaborate what happened durIng the race? Yes, off course. In my head and heart I had hoped to defend the title, especially so close to home. Sometimes mountain biking is a very cruel sport and an array of small things that normally go your way can go the other way. Unfortunately for me on the day that was not the case. Huge congratulations to the new champion who rode the smartest race on the day and deserved to win. After all, that's what sport is about: delivering the best performance on the correct day!

wILL you be pLannIng to race overSeaS after the Sa chaMpS or wILL we See you In More LocaL raceS?I will be racing in the Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships. Racing overseas requires a big effort, as the competition is fierce and if you're not 100%, it can be too much. However, I'm progressing nicely and if I’m 100% ready, I will definitely be going all out for a win. There are also some big one-day races and stage races in South Africa that are coming up and which I wouldn't miss for the world! The season is still young and there are some good races up for the taking!

what other Stage raceS can we expect to See you race In thIS year?The Cape Pioneer Trek immediately comes to mind, along with some other smaller stage races and big one-day races. 

aS Stage racIng requIreS a teaMMate, can we expect a Second rIder In the teaM anytIMe Soon?One unique element to mountain bike stage racing is that you always ride with a teammate. This can be very rewarding, but also it means that there is double the chance for something to go wrong. You have to help your partner during the tough times and he has to help you when you're struggling. It really teaches you some good life lessons, and having a good partnership with your riding partner, both on and off the bike, is crucial.

We have found the perfect partner to fill this role, Hanco Kachelhoffer. •

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