Interview Elisabeth Brandau (EN)

Interview Elisabeth Brandau

For many years, she has been one of the most consistent faces in the higher rankings of the sport. The most special is that Elisabeth Brandau has combined this with 3 pregancies. The now 39 years old German also made it to the Olympics where she took part as a mountainbiker. Nowadays, she mainly works as a coach, where she tries to make other people better by her own experiences & knowledge. In this interview, she tells you more about her carreer and about all the succeses & challenges that came with it.

You're an experienced cyclocross rider. How did the sport evolve during this time?

I like that the sport always got more approval. It's really regretable that Cyclocross mostly takes place in the Benelux-countries, but I believe that the UCI aims to expand the sport more internationally. I remember still the time when the youth still didn't have their proper races. We did the first test race back then - and as a junior I wasn't even allowed to take part in the World Championships. Today, the sport is already much more professional in the junior categories. Especially the possibility that cyclocross might one day become an Olympic sport gives me hope

You took part at the Olympic Games in the Mountainbike race. How did the whole Olympic experience and the build-up towards it feel to you?

I can write a whole book about that. It wasn't only joy, but also with many dissapointments. Specifically about the treatment of women, who return after a pregnancy, there many gaps in the system. Every time, I had to start again with zero points on the world ranking. There was no clear system, how mothers after a baby break could enter again. Other sports are already much more advanced in that. There athletes can continue with their previous gained points again, but not in cycling.

I still managed to fight my way into the top 8 within a year. That was a highlight. But there were also a lot of setbacks. In 2016, they said you had to be present for the entire Olympic cycle - but I took a break due to my pregnancy, even though I was actually qualified. I could have been well prepared in 2020, but then coronavirus hit and the Games were postponed. In 2021, I fought for the starting place myself - even two for the team. When I then fell ill and signaled that I needed a break after the first spring races in 2021, this was ignored. Instead, they tried to push me out of the team when I wasn't as fit before the Olympics and one female athlete was better. That was disappointing. Even more so because the athletes themselves showed no respect. Nina Benz called me two days before I was due to leave and told me to let her go, that she now had the spare ticket because she was one race faster. I wouldn't have dared to do that.

I pushed through and said: I'm going. But that Olympic flair that you hope for wasn't there for me. That's why I actually wanted to go for it again in 2024. Physically, I was quickly strong again after the third birth - sometimes even stronger on the climbs than some of those who rode to Paris. But I had difficulties on the downhill, perhaps due to hormonal changes or simply the enormous strain of being a mother of three without sponsors. I had to manage everything at the same time: Training, everyday life, children, finances.

Looking back, I realized that I was often fighting against a system that left little room for strong women - especially in the German Cycling Federation. Many people don't talk about it, but I'm not the only one with such experiences.

You combine motherhood with sports at a high level. Which advice would you give to other riders who want to do the same?

You need a good environment and strong nerves - but it's doable. I organised everything on my own, without a team behind me. That was very tough. No team believed that I could race for the victory. And when the time came, I was unsure myself whether it would even be able to combine children and racing in an UCI team - I was often told that children weren't allowed to come along or that I would have to stay overnight separately

In hindsight, I think I should have just done it. The older the children got, the more strenuous it became - I hadn't planned for that. There are times when you would love to be a professional cyclist again without children. Life as a pro is a great life - free, clearly structured. Children take you out of it for a while. The balancing act between family and high-performance sport is extremely demanding. But: I love my children - they have also given me a lot of strength in difficult times. And sometimes the necessary serenity. I'm just grateful for how everything turned out.

For more than 10 years, you Always have been at least in the top 40, of the UCI ranking. What is your secret to stay at this high leIvel for such a long time?

There is probably no real ‘secret’. I think the most important thing is to keep your motivation high in the long term - you can only do that if you allow yourself to take breaks and listen to your body. I love cycling. For me, cycling has always been a feeling of freedom - ever since I was a child. It's more than just performance. It's nature, independence, distraction, speed, technique.

Over time, the sportive goals and the desire for self-optimisation came. I became more and more interested in biochemistry, mental training and body processes - it became really exciting. I also trained as a mental health coach and have been working on this with athletes for some time now. You learn that the more you know, the more questions arise.

But the key thing is to listen to yourself and not allow yourself to be put under too much pressure from outside - neither from associations nor from any standards. A down-to-earth attitude, personal responsibility and a fighting spirit have helped me a lot.

What are your plans for the coming Winter?

I announced my retirement after the World Championships. I took my home race as my final race. I don't know whether I'll ride in a few more PR races - maybe if I feel like it. The last two years have been very chaotic and I've had to reorganise a lot of things in my life.

I deliberately took time for my children in the summer. And I had to cut back anyway due to an injury during a children's race with my daughter. Racing without good preparation makes no sense for me - it would be neither fair nor fulfilling.

In the meantime, I have started my coach training A and want to pass on my knowledge. I am happy when new talents come along and I can accompany them.

What is your most beautiful memory in cyclocross?

Definitely the World Championships in Valkenburg. It was a total mud fight – more running than riding, really. I started from the back row, but still managed to finish fifth. That was shortly after my second pregnancy. No one believed I would come back so strong. My mobile phone was broken, I had no distractions – just my kids and my sport. It was an intense, pure moment. I would have liked to have continued in that form, but with increasing family responsibilities, it wasn't so easy anymore.

Many succesful road cyclists have a past in cyclocross. Do you think that the sport is a great way to improve yourself on the road as well?

Absolutely! I have always been convinced that multisport is important. I ran a lot, swam a lot, and also rode a mountain bike. I got into cyclocross via road cycling – and later, cyclocross helped me enormously with my riding technique. As a child, people always said I was too slow downhill. After taking a break from my career following my junior years (2003), I switched to MTB in 2008. That was very challenging in terms of riding technique and took a lot of courage. But in return, I became much better at CX and road cycling. And now I only have hurdles in MTB, but the development in that direction has also become very extreme.

Cyclocross provides VO₂max training, strength and technique – ideal for winter. Sure, the strain of travelling can be exhausting. But for me, it has always been the best sport ever. If it had been an Olympic sport, I would have focused entirely on it.

How did you discover the sport by yourself?

I have always enjoyed cycling, especially with my father. My introduction to cyclocross was rather coincidental. After competing in my first road races, I joined the association and simply rode with the boys in winter, on a mountain bike, in snow and mud. My first race was in Wangen, where it was extremely cold, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Back then, there were no girls' races in cyclocross. As a junior, I wasn't allowed to compete in the World Championships – they were only for women. When I switched to mountain biking in 2008, I reintroduced cyclocross into my winter training. My former coach, Wolfgang Ruser, who later became national coach, had a big influence on me – as did Udo Kolross. Both challenged me, but also encouraged me. I owe them a lot.