After the great successes of the past year, Wolfgang Sacher is working hard for a comeback in the national team this year.
At a two-week training camp in Mallorca, the 55-year-old has already covered 1,400 kilometers.
Wolfratshausen – For most people, the ascent to Puig Major is just an easy mountain road.
For racing cyclists, however, the pass in the north of Mallorca is one of the most well-known training routes.
The narrow strip of asphalt climbs 14 kilometers up to the Serra de Tramuntana, the largest mountain range on the island.
Far away from the well-known bathing beaches, it goes up from the sea to almost 1000 meters.
There is still mass tourism - but on two wheels: Hundreds of cyclists romp around on the serpentine route every day in spring to get in shape for the season.
“The weather here is significantly warmer than in Germany.
And the many climbs in the north of the island are perfect for working on your strength,” confirms Wolfgang Sacher.
The disabled cyclist from the ranks of RSC Wolfratshausen has cranked up the Puig Major countless times in the course of his career.
At the beginning of April it was that time again: “I was in Mallorca for two weeks together with the Bavarian Disabled Cycling Association.
In a way, the trip over the Puig Major was our king stage,” he says.
Sacher covered a total of 1,400 kilometers in ten days - a distance that many do not even manage in a whole year.
Out of nowhere: EM bronze in the time trial
Wolfgang Sacher is now 55 years old.
However, the training schedule of his Mallorca stay shows that the gold medal winner of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games is still highly motivated.
After finishing third out of nowhere at the European Championships in the individual time trial last year after a nearly ten-year break from competition, he tasted blood again.
“It's great that I can still fight for medals at an international level despite the long break.
Somehow it appeals to me to see whether there might be more to come," he says.
That's why Sacher worked harder in the winter than in the previous season: in addition to cycling, he went to the gym three times a week to work on strength, endurance and core muscles.
"But not only the activities in the weight room, but also the units on the bike I have significantly increased compared to 2021.
Only a cold at the beginning of March led to a short forced break.
Otherwise I feel healthy and fit.”
A lot of hard work in the gym and 5000 km in the saddle
His workload since the beginning of the year: more than 5000 kilometers on the racing bike.
Sacher's ambition is no coincidence: After winning a medal at the last European Championships, he wants to make it back into the German national team this year.
As a “free starter”, he had to finance his competitions last year out of his own pocket.
"This year I want to approach things more professionally and benefit from the structures of the national team.
I've proven that I can still be fast at the age of 55," he says.
Two World Cup starts in May
In order to qualify for the German selection, however, Sacher needs results.
If possible, he wants to do that in the coming weeks: Among other things, two starts at the World Cup races in Ostend, Belgium (May 5th to 8th) and in Elzach, Germany (May 12th to 15th) are on the program.
A first highlight of the season should then be the Paracycling European Championships from May 25th to 28th in Upper Austria - the race in which he managed to return to the international stage in 2021.
"If I can show good performances in these races, then I definitely have a good chance of being nominated again by the German Disabled Cycling Association.
That would be a great story,” says Sacher.
If he succeeds in making a comeback, the 2024 Paralympics in Paris will be his long-term goal.
"I may not be the youngest anymore,
Sacher would then be 57 years old.
Another participation in the Paralympic Games would be the highlight of Wolfgang Sacher's second career.
In any case, the RSC athlete laid the foundation stone at the beginning of April: when he was getting in shape on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca - including on the serpentine route of the Puig Major, one of the most famous training routes for racing cyclists.
Werner Müller-Schell
Also read:
Sacher's surprise coup: Bronze at the European Championships in Austria
