Beyond Standing Still
For many riders, Taunus Bikepacking is much more than a route through one of Germany's most scenic cycling regions—it is a self-supported adventure across hundreds of kilometres of gravel roads, steep climbs, and sleepless nights. As a sport science student and ultra-cyclist who joined Ergon through a Master's internship, Janek experienced this year's race from the very front of the field. In this interview, he talks about his journey into ultra-cycling, racing through the night, and the lessons he took away from three unforgettable days on the bike.
„It’s possible to do things I couldn’t imagine before“
How does someone turn into an ultra-cyclist?
Since I can remember, my dad was a cyclist, but in my youth, riding a bike was never more than getting from A to B. I grew up with a variety of sports until I started playing football. That was my main sport for quite some time, and I even played for about three years on a semi-professional level when I was 15. I started cycling during the pandemic, it all began as something we did with friends just for fun. I lived in Cologne at that time, and we did trips to the Netherlands, Northern Germany, or sometimes just overnighters around the city.
I also have a competitive side for sure, so I started to ride more and more and set myself new challenges from time to time. Doing 100k, then 200k, then maybe 150k for three days in a row. My passion for cycling grew very quickly, and I got obsessed with the mental and physical challenge of it, especially over long distances.
I would say it really escalated when I did an internship in a bike shop in Hannover and did a real deep dive into the gravel community there. In that period, I did my first real ultra project, which was a 370 km gravel ride from Hannover to Diez, where my parents live. That was kind of a sign for me that it’s possible to do things I couldn’t imagine before.
So, as you can see, it was never the plan to become an ultra-cyclist, but I fell in love with the sport, and my competitive drive pushed me more and more into that direction.
How was Taunus Bikepacking different from your previous rides?
My first attempt was very spontaneous and mostly just for fun. I got a spot as one of the last riders who applied and just tried to do it. The event turned out to be a blast, and even without a real competitive mindset, I got 7th place overall. That certainly stirred something inside of me up, and after a while, the idea of trying to ride it really fast just started to grow and grow.
Then last year, I was in good shape and felt really strong on the bike, but then all of this just to DNF because of a damaged battery eventually… My Di2 gave up somewhere mid-race, so I had to quit, unfortunately. It was mentally, but I already knew that the next year isn't that far away. In 2026, I really set myself the goal of being somewhere at the front and try to compete for the fastest time.
How do you prepare for an adventure like this?
It was definitely a planned event, and I trained a lot over the colder months. I live like 45 km from the Ergon HQ where I work and did a lot of riding to work and back, which turned out to be a game-changer, especially for the winter period. A few weeks before the start, I did a simulation weekend, and there I felt that I'm stronger than last year. This gave me a real confidence boost. The previous two events helped me a lot to shrink my equipment to the bare minimum, making me lighter and hence faster.
„…you can experience your home area in a completely new light“
How would you describe the atmosphere of the Taunus Track?
I have lived in that area since 2010 and saw many things around here, but my first time at Taunus Bikepacking was kind of eye opener for how awesome and different the whole area really is. It can be very remote, has stunning climbs, techy descents and just countless beautiful valleys. Jesko, the main organizer, really did his homework, and discovered so many places that you will never see except if you ride the event itself. It’s amazing how you can experience your home area in a completely new light. Combined with the fact how everything turned out, this year is just too much to put in words!
What was your favorite part?
The route is very beautiful, but to be honest, when you want to do it fast and have that race feeling, it is not really possible to enjoy it properly. I don’t really have a favourite part, but I had a least favourite one for sure. That was the Rheingau area on the first day with all those difficult climbs going up from the Rhine towards the vineyards. Not really climbs I would do again for fun anytime soon.
You once spent the night in a cemetery. Why?
To use cemetery in an event like this is more common than you would think. There is water, shelter and at some places even electricity. That’s more or less everything you can wish for in that situation! Being afraid in the dark is absolutely not a factor for me, it’s more like the opposite. You are in “civilization” and have walls around you which is definitely a positive feeling when you just want to close your eyes and get some rest. I stopped in one around midnight and left around 4 in the morning, so I think nobody even noticed me.
How was your relationship with the other riders?
There is no big story here, really, because especially at the front, you spend most of your time alone, minding your own business and concentrating on the ride. It was on the ferry where the vibe was a bit more competitive, because all the fast guys were present. But for example, I met Kristian, who was second last year, around Rüdesheim on the first day, and he turned out to be absolutely friendly and open.
But it is important to note that everyone in that "Taunus community" is very nice and friendly. I love the time in camp before the start, meeting some familiar faces from previous years and welcoming the new ones. That is a special vibe that Jesko created from the beginning, and it's something that is a really, really big part of Taunus Bikepacking.
What was on your AirPods playlist?
I love to listen to podcasts or audiobooks, because it’s relaxing and it can help to distracted from riding a little bit. Among my favorites are a lot of German podcasts, from storytelling ones to just dumb talk shows. The fifth Harry Potter audiobook was also in the mix this year. I know it quite well, so sometimes it helps me, knowing that certain sections in the book will last for a certain amount of time, and I know how much ground I can cover during that period.
What happened to your bibshorts?
Just ripped it at a fence, nothing special. But then I got a pretty bad sunburn through the hole, which left a mark on my butt to this day.
„…it felt natural to put our own gear to the test at an event like this“
How did Ergon come into the picture?
As of now, I’m working for Ergon, and we are developing bike saddles, amongst many other things. It felt quite natural to try our own stuff in an event like this. My colleagues welcomed the idea, and at a lunch break, we just chatted about the Taunus, and I somewhat jokingly mentioned that they could follow me around and take pictures.
The joke turned to reality, and it was a match made in heaven, because ever since I joined the company, I thought this event, and bikepacking in general, would be a perfect way to showcase how our products and our work perform in somewhat extreme conditions. And as a bonus, I got some nice images, too.
„I knew the Feldberg was waiting for me near the end“
Did it feel like a race to you at any moment?
Before the start, it was already clear that the ferry would force everyone to take a break 255 km into the journey. The first checkpoint was on the other side of the Rhine, forcing the riders to cross the river to register, then cross again to move on with their journey. So, the first day was more or less set in stone, and the only goal was to get to Lorch – the village at the ferry – with a good pace in order to get enough sleep. I managed that quite well, only going a little bit too fast in the first few hours, but I knew that this would probably happen with all the excitement and euphoria after the start.
The second day started with the ferry crossing, and I think we were around 15 people on the ship. It was a nice moment, and everyone was hyped, including me. The race feeling was there for sure. The whole day was very good. I was really fast and gained an advantage of around 2.5 hours. I laid down somewhere in a little hut and tried to sleep for three or four hours. At three in the morning, the second-placed man passed me because he rode through the whole night, and after seeing his lights, knowing that he overtook me, I could not sleep anymore. I got nervous, got up, and started riding through the night as well. Thinking back, and with like a five hour advantage at the end, it was a little bit of an overreaction. But hey, racing isn’t a rational endeavor all the time!
On the last day, which was about 160 km for me, I knew the Feldberg was waiting for me near the end as the last real climb and the biggest one of the route. At that time, I knew that I was going to be first, and for my own motivation and for "fun," I rested a bit longer in the morning, then went full power to the top of the Feldberg! I knew the route from my first year and knew it can be very annoying! In order to avoid overthinking it too much, I thought riding hard would make it easier in a way – which may sound dumb, but it worked out perfectly.
What are you taking away from this event?
In these three days, one of the most important metric for me was to have as little standing time as possible. To be honest, when you do long rides like this with a focus on speed, that’s the only number you care about. I reduced my stopping time where I could. I didn’t worryabout power, heart rate, or carb intake. I just did not stand still.
When you do stuff like this, you just stop worrying too much about the things that you cannot control. I think, it’s a perfect life lesson: go with the flow, listen to your body, and focus on the things that matter the most – even if they are just small things.
Photos: Ingvar Vollprecht, Jakab Rokob