Q&A: Martha Lebentz (Team Tofauti Everyone Active)

Question and answer with 17 year old Martha Lebentz (Team Tofauti Everyone Active) who lives in Suffolk and has been racing since she was 7!

Q&A: Martha Lebentz (Team Tofauti Everyone Active)

Q: How did you come to race bikes?
Martha: My parents had always ridden bikes for fun and one day I decided to give racing a go and have loved it ever since. My first love was mountain biking, then I got into road and then cyclo cross.

Q: What has been the highlight of your cycle racing so far and why?
Martha: A highlight so far was winning the eastern region junior girls cyclocross league 2019/20. This is because it was a big achievement for me as I put in a lot of hard work and was only my third ever season. Another highlight was being picked for the eastern region MTB team two years running.

Q: What event has been the most fun to do so far in your cycle racing?
Martha: The most fun event has to be the Tofauti Everyone Active team training camp in Mallorca. This was an amazing experience getting to ride with the team and the legend that is Nikki Juniper. The week was full of awesome rides, lots of sunshine and of course ice cream!

Q: Did you get to race in 2020 and if so, what events and how did you find them?
Martha: Yes. I was lucky enough to do four cyclocross races (including the one and only national trophy) and three MTB ones. They were all very different as to what normal racing is with reduced numbers and lots of safety protocols to keep everyone safe, which is the most important thing.

Q: What was the hardest thing about not racing in 2020?
Martha: The hardest thing is missing the races themselves but it’s also the whole racing experience too e.g. the travelling, getting ready, the people and seeing racing friends.

Q: What was the longest ride and/or biggest challenge you had in 2020?
Martha: The longest ride (in time) I did was a cyclocross sportive with a couple of friends (when groups of six were allowed). It was a 100km ride that covered some of the South Downs in Kent. It was a very tough ride that took over seven hours as we had lots of mechanicals and other things go wrong but it was a lot of fun!

Q: What has been the best bike you have ridden so far and why?
Martha: All of my bikes once they have been through my dad’s workshop! My favourite has to be my Felt cyclocross bike though.

…. continued after the advert.

Q: What is the best thing about being part of a team like your one?
Martha: The best part of being part of Tofauti Everyone Active is the opportunities and the big races we get invited to. It is also a team full of great, supportive people and it’s great to work and ride with them.

Q: What event in 2021 are you looking forward to most?
Martha: I’m looking forward to doing any race available when they get up and running again as I miss racing a lot so will get stuck into any race I can find!

Q: How many hours a week do you do on average training?
Martha: It varies depending on if a race is coming up or if it is a recovery week but it could be anything from 7 – 12 hours but it can be very different every week.

Q: Where is the favourite part of your world you like to ride your bike?
Martha: My favourite places to ride are Mallorca for the best road rides and Wales for the best off road trails.

Q: If it is raining/snowing, do you have a rest day and put the feet up, or do the session on the turbo?
Martha: Always turbo although being a cross rider, the weather never puts me off so if it is safe enough to ride outside, then I will.

Q: What’s your favourite social media and why?
Martha: My favourite social media is probably Instagram as it is very visual and I like to see other people’s pictures, especially other riders and what they are up to.

Q: What’s the furthest you have traveled for a bike race?
Martha: The furthest I’ve travelled for a race was 260 miles to the Lake District for the national cyclocross trophy round.

Q: How do you keep warm (how much clothing) on the bike during a freezing winter like this?
Martha: I get very cold on the bike so I usually have to wear at least 5 layers as well as a few pairs of socks!

Q: The roads are icy, do you go off-road or stay inside?
Martha: When it’s icy, I tend to avoid the road as it can be very dangerous so I would choose either cyclo cross or MTB so I can still get outside as I much prefer to be outdoors when training.

Q: Finally, if you could win one race this year, which one would it be?
Martha: I would really like to win any junior road race as I haven’t before as there has been no racing.