Steffen Smets

Please introduce yourself briefly (name, age, place of residence)

My name is Steffen Smets (17 years) and I live in Kevelaer.

Who else is in your family?

My family includes my parents and my two siblings.

What's your profession? What do you like about it?
I am currently still at school but my dream would be to turn my hobby into my job and to drive in the Worldcup.

What do sport in general and mountain biking in particular mean to you?

Sport has always been very important to me, but mountain biking is a way of life for me. Whether on the trail or at home in my garage or on social media, it´s all about biking.

Is there anything else for you other than work and mountain biking?

Yes of course. I like to do something with my family and my  friends.

What memories/experiences have you had with MaXalami?

My memory is from the DHC in Bad Tabarz 2019 when MaXalami helped me out with the PTN noodles. The advice was very good and the protection against punctures was simply unbelievable.

How do you manage to reconcile your training with work and family or friends?

It works very well for me because my whole family rides mountain bike and supports me in everything. My father trains me and he is also my private mechanic on races. The school is still not neglected.

How many hours a week do you work and how many do you train?

I work 35 hours a week in school and 14 hours for the training.

Do you adapt your diet to your sport and what do you pay attention to?

I pay attention to a very healthy and balanced diet on every day. Before I go riding my bike or riding a race I eat a lot of carbohydrate-rich food like pasta.

What does a typical day during the week look like for you?

I am in school from 8 am to 3pm and then I go jogging. I usually learn afterwards and train on my roll trainer in the early evening.

What do you remember most about the past season?

My vacation at the Hafjell bike park in Norway with my friend. Just sitting around the campfire in the evening after a session in the bikepark was just amazing.

What goals have you set yourself for the 2020 season?

Quite a lot of goals but my two biggest are that I want to drive my UCI Downhill Worldcup 2020 and in the European Downhill Cup races in the top 10.

Steffen, thank you for the interview. Have fun!