Interview with Igor Acs: Plans for the new bike season

Megatrend: Hello Igor, first of all, we congratulate you on a successful cycling season in 2022, we know it was exciting, so please, could you briefly tell us what happened :)?

Igor: Hello and thank you for your support through 2022. First, I would single out Vanja’s and my performance at the “4 Islands Croatia” race, where we performed for the “Megatrend Mtb team” and successfully finished the race in 26th place in the Men’s category, which was not at all easy considering that our Croatian race became part of the biggest Epic world Mtb series and gathers the best Mtb riders from all over the world.

Megatrend: Although we followed everything that was happening, we are interested in how it looked from your perspective?

Igor: It was a great honor for us to take part in the domestic race together with the world’s mountain biking elite. In addition to top competition and organization, the location is something special – the race runs through the most beautiful tracks and landscapes of our islands of Krk, Cres, Rab, and Mali Lošinj! It’s true, we as competitors are very focused on the race itself and the result, so we don’t get to see nature that much :), but I believe that the spectators enjoy it.

Challenging cycling year

Megatrend: You said that, in addition to a lot of good results, you also had some downfalls last year, what is that about?

Igor: Unfortunately, yes, that’s part of the sport too. Unfortunately, I had to withdraw from the national championship in the marathon due to sunstroke, which was difficult for me because, after so much training and giving up, something happens that you cannot influence. I have to congratulate all the participants here because the conditions with extremely high temperatures were truly not easy for anyone. Congratulations to everyone who successfully finished the race.

I also had one serious fall at the “Wild Bear Stage race” in Serbia where I fell at a fairly high speed at the beginning of the first stage and injured my right elbow. We managed to finish the stage on the podium and celebrate 3rd place (which, with that fall, was beyond all expectations). However, the next day, after the start of the second stage, I had to give up because of too much pain. I only found out later in the hospital that it was a severe wound infection, which caused me to be on antibiotics for the next 40 days to recover.

Megatrend: It sounds amazing that you finished the race on the podium even after the fall, congratulations on that!

Igor: Thank you, we were defending the colors of the “Megatrend Mtb team”, and we always fight for that 110% 🙂

News and plans for this year

Megatrend: What are your plans for 2023?

Igor: I have a lot of plans and news, my calendar is literally already filled until the end of the year. I would like to single out that I became a member of the German Wilier-Chaoyang MTB team, for which I will ride in 2023. And recently I also became a student of kinesiology majoring in cycling coaching, so when I’m not at work or behind the wheel, I’m behind a book.

Megatrend: What are the first races you will compete in 2023?

Igor: The first races are at Mtb zlik, the championship of Istria and Kvarner, and after that, I have a camp with the Wilier-Chaoyang team, during which we will participate in several races in Croatia right at the beginning of the season. After that, we have the national championship in the marathon and two weeks later the 4Islands Croatia race where Vanja Somođi and I are again riding for the Megatrend Mtb team, and we thank you very much for your support this year as well.

Megatrend: Can you tell us a little about how you prepare for all that?

Igor: I left that part to my trainer Susanne Buckenlei, with whom I have been working for several years, and I know with full confidence that she will get the most out of me because she is a top trainer.

Future plans

Megatrend:  We see that you are also thinking about your coaching future?

Igor: For now, I’m still focused on my training and racing, but everything will come in its own time.

I am currently enjoying the process of education and absorbing new knowledge from a field that interests me, and in the future, I would like to promote a little more mountain biking, which is not so popular in Croatia but is a wonderful sport. We have a lot of young talent in Croatia, and with good promotion and quality staff, I think we can get even more young people interested in cycling.

Megatrend: Great, thank you very much for your time, and see you on the islands this year, fingers crossed, and rooting for the best possible result.

Igor: Thank you for your invitation, support, and sponsorship this season. 🙂