- Xross Team®
Since his first appearance at the Xross Challenge race, Matija Zec made it clear to the audience and to other riders, that he is the one you should keep your eyes on. It doesn’t come as a surprise that he was twice on the podium of our race, in second place in a very tough competition like Wade Young, Miha Spindler, and Philipp Bertl.
Zec is one of the best young enduro riders in the Balkans and he has strong results to prove that. Currently, he is preparing for the famous Erzbergrodeo where he ended in 34th place last year, and after that, he is coming to Tara mountain – probably with the ambition to finally step on the highest place on the podium. We talked with Matija about his and our favorite sport, check out what he told us.
To start, can you tell us something more about yourself – how long have you been riding hard enduro, why did you choose this sport, and did you practice any other sport before?
I am coming from Istra. I ride Hard enduro since 2014 when I got my first, real enduro bike. I started with extreme enduro because that is my favorite discipline and it suits me. I love inaccessible terrains with natural obstacles. In Istra, we have plenty of terrains to train – from rocks, and uphills to streams and hills. I haven’t practiced any other sports before.
You have a new sponsor this year – Betamotor. What can you tell us about that collaboration?
This year I am the official rider of Betamotor Slovenia. I got their motorbike. I am satisfied with the collaboration and I hope I won’t let down their expectations. I would especially like to thank Betamotor Adriatic team.
Matija Zec, Wade Young and Miha Spindler / Photo by Vladimir Mladenović
On what races have you participated, and what are your best results so far? What races do you plan to ride this year?
Last year was really successful for me. In Croatia, I won all three extreme enduro races – XL Race in Rasa, Hard Extreme Enduro in Otocac, and Land of the Wolf in Lika. From the foreign races, I rode Getzenrodeo in Germany and the legendary Erzbergrodeo in Austria where I ended up in 34th place. I am riding Erzbergrodao this year again and I hope that I’ll have a good result on the Prologue so I can get in the second row for the final race.
You are one of the best hard enduro riders in this region, what do you think – does Balkan have all the conditions for this sport to be on a professional level?
Extreme enduro is one of the fastest-growing sports and for sure Balkan has the conditions for development. In Croatia, it started really well but I don’t think there is enough understanding between organizers and local communities. I have been riding races in Bosnia and Serbia and I am pleasantly surprised with the organization, hospitality – so, yes, Balkan definitely has the conditions for this sport.
Hard Enduro is a pretty tough sport, both physically and mentally. Can you tell us how does your training looks like during the season and off-season?
My training and preparations for the season are really nothing special, I run a bit more, I ride my bicycle and sometimes I go to the gym. Everything else – I do on my motorbike, that is the best practice. For hard enduro, you have to be a complete rider – physically and mentally. With a good technique, you are faster, you make fewer mistakes, and you are gaining self-confidence, and that is how you are getting mentally stronger.
Matija Zec at notorious Mousetrap / Photo by Predrag Vučković
You were at the Xross Challenge race 2 times, and both times you were on the podium. What do you like the most about our race?
This will be my third time on Xross Challenge. And I am really looking forward to it. Everything is on a high level – organization of the event, people, audience, nature. The race is really good and those are three days full of adrenaline – really, really good. Both times I ended up in second place and I am really satisfied with the result.
Last year you told us the race was super hard, but the tough races are the one that makes you push your limits. What are some of the toughest moments you had to deal with races so far?
In extreme enduro, there is a saying “the harder, the better” and everything is said with that. It is tough in some moments when you are out of energy and you still have to ride 50-60 km, but everything is possible because there are some parts of the race where you can rest a bit. Xross Challenge has some really tough parts like the Mousetrap. Also, the conditions of the tracks are important, sometimes the easiest track can be the most difficult one.
Matija says: The harder the better / Photo by Predrag Vučković
You are often in the company of hard enduro riders that are more experienced than you – like Miha Spindler or Wade Young. Did you get any good advice from them?
I generally love to ride races with well-known, PRO riders. I have ridden a lot of races with Miha and of course, you always learn something new from experienced riders. Last year at Xross Challenge you had Wade Young who is one of the best in the world, and it was an opportunity for me to test myself. Finishing 3rd day of the race with only 3 seconds behind him, is a huge success for me, and in moments like that I know I have pushed my limits.
What are your plans for the future? Are there any races that you would like to ride?
I would like to ride a few more foreign races this season. Now I am mostly preparing for the Erzbergrodeo and I hope to good results in the qualification and better position for the main race. After that – I’ll see you on the beautiful Tara mountain in your country.
Thank you, Matija. Xross Team wishes you a successful race.
