Raphaela Richter is back

Raphaële Richter now rides for the Simplon Trailblazers. In her blog, she explains how switching to a new team has motivated her and what the year 2024 has in store for her.

During the 2023 season, Raphaela Richter let us take a look over her shoulder. In her “Racing is Life” posts, she didn’t mince words and provided an unfiltered glimpse into her life as an enduro pro. And that’s precisely what Germany’s fastest enduro racer intends to do again in 2024. Following the closure of her former race team, Raphaela kicks off her first report of the season with a retrospective of her winter and a preview of the new season.

Text: Raphaela Richter
Photos: Simplon

Or in my case – more like a jersey swap. In somewhat challenging times for the bike industry, I am super relieved to have found a spot on a World Cup team for the next two years. Allow me to introduce: The Simplon Trailblazers!

Aside from myself, our team includes the speedy Finn Tarmo Ryynänen and the Swiss up-and-comer Lars Büngen. Our team is rounded out by our staff Knut Büngen (Management), Bastian Stark (Marketing/Management), and my good friend Harald Bognan (Mechanic).

Having Harald as a mechanic, I’ve already competed in several EWS races in 2021 and I’m thrilled to have his funny yet calming presence around me again. Our media coverage is handled by our photo and videographer Andrin Janser.

I’m already fully amped to tackle the upcoming race season with the aforementioned team. I’ve also joined forces with Tarmo and Lars, two young riders with a seriously high pace. This pushes me to step out of my comfort zone during training sessions.

At the same time, I’m sliding into the role of the seasoned mentor for the guys as the most veteran and experienced athlete. Plus, Knut and Basti are highly attentive to their riders’ well-being and involve us in all decision-making processes. This maintains the core mentality and philosophy similar to that of my previous Ibis crew, which suits me well.

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We’ve snagged a true underdog in Enduro racing with Simplon, and we’re thrilled to show the world what these bikes are capable of! At our initial team meeting at Simplon HQ, we were welcomed with open arms, and the anticipation for the next two years is palpable for everyone involved.

Overall, our team partner setup feels very cohesive at first glance, and we’re proud to have managed to bring so many renowned sponsors on board with a completely new team. I believe this also shows that we’re on the right track.

Naturally, my focus remains on the World Cups and the German Championships. In addition, I’ve picked out a few smaller Italian and Slovenian races as pre-season prep, along with various other events, which means I’ll end up hitting around 15 races/events.

This is significantly more than I’ve taken on in recent years, but by doing so I’m aiming to avoid the typical mid-season slump. To stay mentally fresh, not all selected events are standard enduro races – I’ll also be mixing in some E-bike events or maybe even some downhill races such as Crankworx Innsbruck. So, I’m looking forward to some new challenges and a summer that’s fully charged.

Compared to last winter, I am currently much more at ease than before the past season. I believe that through the many ups and downs in 2023, I was able to learn so much about and for myself that now I can look forward to the upcoming season with a lot more serenity. By now, I truly feel seasoned in my beloved sport of Enduro.

Paired with immense gratitude for the opportunity to live the dream as a professional athlete for another two years, nothing can go wrong for 2024.