Felix RosendahlFelix is the youngster in the team but already has some big wins at competitions under his belt. Now he needs to learn how to deal with the pressure of being a pro rider and accept that he can’t win all the time. He is really motivated for the next season and I look forward to seeing where this can take him.
Scott Voltage 'B' TeamSimon Kirchmann DE
Mischa Breitenstein CH
Pascal Breitenstein CH
Fred Austruy FR
Benoit Chauvet FR
Martxel Allibillaga Spain
A Different Kind of TeamTimo has been competing in BMX, Dirt and Freeride for 15 years. His extensive firsthand experience in everything a young rider needs to know makes him the perfect team manager, but his insight goes even further than the obvious. Timo plans to not only teach the guys how to market themselves, communicate with sponsors and treat their fans and other riders, but also plans to also pass on his passion for the importance of health, fitness and working through injuries to maximize their performance for years to come.
| The average top level rider has around 16 big events a year where they give 100%. With this it's normal to sustain a couple of concussions and nasty crashes a year as well as one big injury every 1-2 years. This is why I want to focus on more than just riding bikes with this team. I'll show them how to introduce yoga, nutrition, other sports and specific doctors to their lifestyles to help them learn how to strengthen their bodies and work through injuries while they are still young so they can have long and successful careers. - Timo |
Everyone is looking forward to seeing what this new kind of attitude can do for SCOTT Team Voltage.
The Photo and Video Shoot - Words by
Timo PritzelThe team met in Berlin to film a video and shoot some photos. The plan was to ride all the good trails and Spots around Berlin (there are many!) and mix it with a little Yoga, but then it rained for 4 days straight! I wanted to show those sides of being a Bike Pro that are important in my eyes and in my experience anyway so we also went to my Osteopath, and to my friends Cross Fit Studio. We also did a Yoga session with my wife Julia. It went pretty good and the riders were surprised that Yoga is not just a hippy thing on a sheepskin, it's really quite a workout.
I like how the the Scott Voltage Video starts in this unusual way, because I find it really important to talk about the subject of Injuries & Health. It is a negative side of being a pro rider that is rarely talked about.
Pinkbike asked Timo a couple of questions to sum up his thoughts on professional riding: What advice would you give to anyone out there who wants to be a professional biker?
Love what you do! Have Fun! Respect others, don't walk around with a big Ego, just because you are a pro biker. And understand that you have to work, organize and communicate and not only ride your bike.
I sometimes see riders that are not nice people but are really good riders... it might work for a little while, but not long, bad Karma always comes back!
I wish that more riders would understand what consequences big crashes have to your Body, it's so important to learn to listen to what your Body tells you and have good Body Workers! (Physio-Osteopath, Natural Medicine etc) If you want to compete or just ride for a long time at a top level you have to do your homework with stretching your Body and learning what is right thing to do after crashing and doing the right exercise next to cycling.
Any last words?
Injuries are something we have to deal with... it's important to listen to your stomach feeling-your body and know your limits! Example: you rode all day, you are tired, and your friends are pushing you to learn a new trick, or at a contest you wanna try a new trick on a shitty jump because you are hyped up... in my experience that's when you get hurt.
When you have Fun on your Bike and listen to your body it all flows good.
When you have or have had an injury, really take your time and do everything possible to make it better! From good Food to Swimming to stretching exercise etc...
Riding is often mental... so when you stress injuries or other personal things... chill, try to have fun on your bike, and don't stress big tricks.
That's what it's about, riding with friends, not who does the biggest trick.
Enjoy Life.
THE most impressive, stylish trick I've ever seen is Timo's double-can hand-swap thing where he is totally off the side of his bike... in NWD4? I can't remember. He was honking into some big gaps with Cowan, shot in black and white and great slo-mo. You can keep your corked flips etc, Timo's is still my favourite trick of all time.
I hope this team does well. Timo really seems to be a good ambassador for riding.
-haha... I was talking to my DR. one day and he told me that... ( i was quite young ) so I looked at him puzzled.. huh I said. We discussed it further and at the end he simply looked at me and asked. " does it feel good ? " I said yes.. he finished with, well keep doing it then. haha. cool.
ArmyFork - There is no ONE right way. Each ailment and each body may require a unique approach. Please take you over opinionated comments elsewhere.
There may be natural medicines out there that are effective in treatment of certain ailments, but that doesn't mean that they are superior or even equal to modern drug equivalents. The best way to approach any form of medicine, standard or alternative, is to do your research on both of the options carefully, and through unbiased sources on the subjects, which do exist. There are many skeptical organizations that deal with medicine every day that only care about what the science says about a treatments efficacy, and that should be where you start.
Steve Jobs believed he could be saved by alternative medicine and undertook a diet over nine months to rid his body of his cancer, and in that time what was a relatively easy to remove cancer grew and spread, and became inoperable. And although Chiropracty is not Osteopathy, neck and spinal manipulation is common in both practices and it's what caused Kevin Sorbo (actor of Hercules fame) to be afflicted with both an aneurysm and strokes after a chiropractic manipulation.
Sources:
journals.lww.com/neurologynow/Fulltext/2011/07050/Hidden_Hercules__Actor_Kevin_Sorbo_reveals_his.15.aspx
www.skepdic.com/osteopathy.html
www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/chiropractic-vertebral-subluxations-science-vs-pseudoscience
skeptoid.com/blog/2011/10/05/a-lesson-in-treating-illness
www.macrumors.com/2011/10/20/steve-jobs-regretted-early-decision-to-delay-cancer-surgery
scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/03/dr_dean_ornish_turn_away_from_the_dark_s.php
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