Due to the pandemic, the motorcycle sports season also ended before it could even start. How to train in a lockdown? The athletes Priit Biene, Meico Vettik, Marko Rohtlaan, Mihkel Osula, Hardi Roosiorg and Harri Kullas share their experiences.
Priit Biene, enduro
“My training plans did not change so much,” says Biene. “I completed my training camp abroad nicely and arrived home on time. When I got here, I got an order from the team to hold back a bit on cycling and do more general physical training. On the general conditioning side, only so much changed that we moved with coach Ants Kiisa from Audentes indoors hall to the Hiiu forest, where training continues at full speed.”
Biene is even satisfied that the current situation gives him time to concentrate on general conditioning – longer training sessions have been undertaken again, and as soon as it becomes clear when the first round of the World Cup will take place, the training plans can be changed accordingly.
Harri Kullas, motocross
The opening round of the British Championships in mid-March was canceled and Kullas still managed to travel to his Belgian home from there and is now in “quarantine” in Belgium. To ride or train motocross is currently not possible in Southern Europe. In Belgium/Netherlands/France, all tracks are closed, as well as all motocross races until May 3rd.
Therefore, to keep in shape, Harri engages in general physical training – cycling on the road or off-road, running, and exercises in the house and in the backyard. “Since the season doesn’t start until May, if not later, I’m taking it a bit more easy now,” says Kullas. “There are many options, as long as you have the will,” he does not let the situation discourage him.
Training alone is also not unusual for him, because he is used to doing it on his own. There is so much time now that you can also take care of repairing and maintaining motorcycles and cars.
Watch a video of how Harri and his girlfriend Lisett have spent their first week of the pandemic. NB! Harri promises to update his corona diary every week.
Meico Vettik, motocross
Vettik, who earned 5th place at the European Championship round in Britain at the beginning of March, has a short answer: “We’re still training! The barbells and dumbbells are at home, riding is still allowed in Estonia, it’s quite good that we are at home!”
Marko Rohtlaan, head of the Vihur Motosport club
“At the moment we have taken a break from training. We will wait and see how things develop,” says Rohtlaan. “Riding practice is the best option at the moment, riders are wearing helmets and the track has the required distance. But there are no official training sessions at the club.”
He adds that it is easier with general physical training since it is always possible to go for a run.
Mihkel Osula, circuit racing
“Since pre-season training is aimed more at increasing endurance, there are several alternatives to training in the gym and other closed spaces, such as cycling and running,” says Osula. “Also, for a time now, I have arranged my running workouts so that there is an outside gym near them, where it is ideal to train the upper body in addition to cardio work.”
It was still possible for Osula on Monday. But since in the situation where indoor gyms are closed, the outside facilities also started to get buried under hordes of people, and it was sometimes difficult to exercise there if you got there at a “bad” time of day, the city of Tallinn decided to close outdoor gyms together with other outdoor facilities such as playgrounds.
Hardi Roosiorg, motocross
Roosiorg, who arrived in Estonia from abroad, was immediately put in a 14-day quarantine. He lives in the countryside, so the general physical training can still be done by running and various exercises. “I try to move as much as possible and be active so that boredom does not set in,” says Roosiorg.