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Viktor Lindqvist becomes Umara ambassador

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3 min reading

One of Sweden's most promising MTB cyclists will collaborate with Umara during 2021. It is none other than Viktor Lindqvist! Multiple-time Swedish youth champion with a range of national team assignments behind him. 

- So Viktor, tell us a bit about yourself, your ambitions, and your winter training.

Viktor Lindqvist

My name is Viktor Lindqvist and I am 18 years old. I grew up and live just outside of Tranås, where I am currently in my third year of the Technical Program in high school. I compete in mountain biking and my main focus is on XCO. Throughout my upbringing, I have competed and trained in a variety of sports, with cycling always being closest to my heart, but it wasn't until I was 16 that I shifted my focus even more towards cycling. However, I still enjoy varying my training, especially now during the first part of the winter season, where I do a lot of alternative training in my base training phase. During my years as a youth and junior, I have won 11 Swedish Championship gold medals, and this year's rather unique season resulted in a 3rd and 5th place at two junior world cups.

I am driven to continually develop as a cyclist and take new steps in all areas that limit performance ability in a mountain bike race. It is a complex sport where there are always areas for improvement. You are never fully finished. I have high expectations of myself, both when training and competing, because I know where my goals lie and what I want to achieve. It is that drive that makes me willing to put in all the work required. I hope this leads to me having the opportunity to compete in a professional team abroad within a few years. The objective is to become a successful cyclist and achieve good results in international competitions, world cups, and championships.

Even though the Swedish winter weather in the south is not always that glamorous, the base training period is still something I always look forward to. I love to train, and when I perform well in an important competition, I often feel more satisfied with all the training I put in before the competition rather than the performance itself. During the base training period, I do a lot of distance training on the bike, but also a lot of alternative training as I mentioned earlier. For example, doing running intervals uphill with poles or intervals on roller skis/skis where you work with your whole body, I think is a great way to load the heart and thus improve oxygen uptake capacity. I do strength training twice a week. From time to time, I usually do a hard block focusing on a certain ability, for example, 6-7 VO2 max sessions in a week. This is very effective, but it's really tough and requires a recovery period afterward.

During these periods, nutrition is extra important. I usually go with sports drink during basically all tough training sessions, partly because I feel I can train harder, I feel it takes less of a toll, and I feel I can recover faster between sessions. Before certain interval sessions, I might fine-tune it a bit extra and down a glass of Intend beforehand to squeeze out a few extra percent on the intervals. Overall, it’s about getting a nutritious and balanced diet that provides the body with the best fuel possible to achieve the best possible effect from training.
Thanks & welcome Viktor. It's going to be an exciting, awesome 2021 together!