Speed Company Racing Blog
Lukas Baum hits the podium at the worlds
Interview with Lukas Baum – Mr. “No Pussy Tactic”
The Speed Company Racing Team is turning the established world of mountain bike racing on its head. As friends with family support, Egger and Baum won the Cape Epic in 2022. In our Glasgow Goals series, the Speed Company Racing Team let us in on their preparation for the World Championships in Glasgow. And as befits a good series, there’s a happy ending here too. Lukas Baum rocks the Marathon World Championships and finishes third. Of course, we ask “Mr. No Pussy Tactics” for an interview after such a success.
What has happened so far on the Speed Company Racing blog:
Cape Epic Machines 1#: The Speed Company Racing Bikecheck. Cape Epic Machines 2#: Georg Egger Interview Speed Company Racing Blog: Off to the rev limiter.Lukas, congratulations on your bronze medal at the Marathon World Championships. You were in the lead for a long time with Henrique Avancini. Would have been maybe even more in it?
I make no secret about it: it was my clear goal to get the stripes on the chest and sleeves. I therefore approached the race offensively from the beginning. With an attack, I indirectly blew up the field long before the final stage of the race. You only go on the attack if you have a realistic chance of winning. I felt really good for a long time during the race. The dream of the title seemed to be literally coming true before my eyes. Unfortunately, I then ran out of the old familiar grains on the last climb. After more than 3.5 hours in the lead, I had to settle for 3rd place in the last 25 minutes. Seen in this way, I do not think that more would have been in it. I have tried everything.You became known with the expression “No Pussy Tactics” at the Cape Epic. Can a Lukas Baum also race with restraint?
Unfortunately, I’ve never really been forced to win races with purely tactical maneuvers. That’s probably the main reason why I can’t do that either. All my successes are the result of a combination of good legs and an offensive driving style. But maybe I rely too much on my talent. It’s quite conceivable that with a little more tactics, I could do even better. In the end, however, my offensive driving style has rarely been my undoing. On the subject, however, I always have an old saying from the Palatinate Sunday criteria in my head:.better die from the front than inherit nothing at the back.
But in the WRC it was not because of the driving that I ran out of gas in the last climb. I think there were other factors.
You were even world champion in cross country at the junior level. Which success means more to you? The bronze medal in the elite class or the rainbow stripes from junior?
Each success has something for itself. At the time as the first major international success and now as confirmation that talent then does not go away. Nevertheless, I also know that one is only as good as the last race. Now at this moment, the success in Glasgow means more to me..In the juniors you were the high-flyer. World champion, European champion and German champion in one season. After that, it became quiet around Lukas Baum. What was going on?
I philosophized about this question for a long time and of course wanted to find an answer to it myself over the years. To do the topic justice you have to pick up the podcast here. That’s where I really went into it in depth. To make a long story short: I, like many other successful young athletes, was burned out. I was no longer mentally able to get the best possible performance out of my body. Since my life was more important to me than racing, I pulled the ripcord at that time.What moved you after the phase to return to racing?
During Covid, I matured quite a bit. As banal as it may sound, I found myself during this phase. I got back on the bike and suddenly had an almost divine feeling. It felt as if my body was made for cycling. And all of a sudden the joy came back. With the joy came form pretty quickly, and with it the thought that I can’t just throw this potential away. Together with Georg was then Speed Company Racing and schwupp di wupp I was back in business.
Georg Egger and since at stage races now the top favorites. Would you rather have ridden the world championship in the second team?
I think the cards would have been even better for us then. I am firmly convinced that we are both hard to beat in the two team, especially in multi-day races. Of course, we don’t need to hide in individual races either and every personal success is also considered a success of our team. In the end Speed Company Racing wins and that makes me proud. When Georg wins a race is like when I myself would be the first to cross the finish line.
Your colleague Georg Egger has been trying his hand at the Cross Country World Cup all season. Is that not for you anymore?
I found out for myself that I need a realistic chance to win as a basic requirement to be able to fully focus on a race. Unfortunately, I have lost any UCI points due to my abstinence. For me it is hopeless to get a good starting position at a CC Worldcup. The good thing about marathon races is, here only the legs decide! In Cross Country it is very important to play the UCI points game to the full if you want to be in the front. I would also like to win the Cape Epic and Cross Country World Cups. But unfortunately, my name is not Schurter. The requirement profile of the disciplines is so different that I personally would have to choose one of them to be successful. Currently, the marathon simply suits me better. But you will still find me at one or the other XCO race. At the German championship I am after all become 5th .
You live in Andorra. Why did you turn your back on your homeland?
For me Andorra has a personal connection, as my wife comes here. And on the other hand, I simply enjoy the training conditions, like many other professionals in Andorra. I as a known nice weather rider have me therefore gladly the love and cycling because of the south drift..How must one imagine your life as a professional? Can you give us an outline of it in 3 sentences?
Many lonely hours with yourself to be the first to cross the finish line at day X. I am grateful to be able to push my body to the limit almost every day and to realize myself through sport. In large parts, however, it is more boring than one might imagine as an outside observer. For me, however, that is currently just right.
