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Yannic Distel | Elite Cyclist

@quicknic

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Bike Racing | Training Insights | Dad Life
Chasing podiums between meetings & bedtime stories.
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CHAPTER CLOSED.

17 years of racing. And apparently I still haven’t learned how to start a race quickly. 😂

The final race of the 2026 season is in the books — and, once again, I fell short of my own expectations.

Hamminkeln was ultra-fast from the gun. And if there’s one thing that hasn’t improved over the years, it’s my quickness off the starting line. Some things apparently need another 17 years. 😅

16th place closes a road racing season that probably won’t be remembered as the best campaign I’ve ever had.

But there were still a few moments worth remembering.

🥉 3rd place at the uphill ITT
🔝 7th at my favourite race in Wuppertal
🦵🏽A strong performance at the spring classic in Breidenbach — not necessarily reflected by the result, but the power data was absolutely on point.

And then there was the goosebumps feeling of the post-tour night crit in Hamm. Racing through an absolute weather apocalypse with the bunch flying around you is apparently one way to remember why we do this. 🌧️

Now it’s time to step back. For the 17th time, I can officially call it an off-season.

It’ll look a little different this time around with our little junior racer at home. And honestly, I’m looking forward to a few weeks where I can come home from work without immediately thinking about the next training session.

No intervals.
No watts.
No race calendar.

Just family, coffee, mountains and a bit more time to switch off. Of course, I already know how this ends:

At some point I’ll want to ride again.
Then I’ll want to ride a little harder.
Then I’ll start looking at the power numbers.

And eventually, I’ll probably wonder when the first race of 2027 is. 😂

But for now: Season over. Thanks, 2026. See you on the other side.

Fotos: @holgersradsportfotos 🫶

#cycling #roadcycling #roadracing #cyclingseason #offseason racingcyclist bikeracing cyclinglife roadbike cyclist cyclingcommunity cyclingtraining cyclingsport racebike taken in Hamminkeln by @quicknic

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5 days ago

DNS IS NOT AN OPTION?! 👀

Apparently, after 16 years of racing, I’ve finally discovered that “DNS” is also an option. 😅

Weeks 37 & 38 were a bit of a mixed bag.

First: a weekend completely offline with the family in a cabin in the hills of the Sauerland. No notifications, no race stress, no watts. Just family time, mountains and a proper reset.

Well… apart from getting there by bike.

135 km. 2,000 m of climbing. Because apparently my definition of “switching off” still involves climbing mountains. 🚴‍♂️

And honestly? It was exactly what I needed. Balm for the soul, a solid training day and one more step towards the final two race days of 2026.

Then came last Sunday.

For the first time this year — and only the second time in 16 years of racing — I didn't start.

Why? - The conditions simply felt too dangerous.

And that's a weird feeling when you've spent most of your racing life thinking: “We are bike racers, no matter the weather, no matter the risk!” Especially after last year's crash there, I wasn't particularly keen on finding out whether the sequel would be even more spectacular.

Still, walking away from a race feels surprisingly wrong. You question yourself. You wonder if you should have just pinned the number on and gone for it.

But maybe experience isn't always about becoming tougher. Sometimes it's about knowing when not to be stupid.

So, no result. No DNF. Just a very rare DNS, a slightly bruised ego and a slightly guilty conscience for not giving all for the team that day.

One race day left in 2026.

Let's hope the weather department has received the memo. 🌧️🏁

👉 Have you ever decided not to race because the conditions felt wrong? And did you spend the rest of the day wondering if you made the right call?

#RoadCycling #RoadRacing #CyclingLife #CyclingTraining #Cyclist taken in Naturpark Bergisches Land by @quicknic

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12 days ago

The season finale is calling, and we're answering with race legs, questionable cornering decisions, and hopefully a little less suffering than usual. 😅

Two more race days. Two more chances to empty the tank, chase good results, and pretend the offseason isn’t just around the corner.

📍 20 SEP — Poller Wiesen Crit
Fast corners, high speed, and absolutely no time to admire the scenery.

📍 27 SEP — Rund um Hamminkeln
One more race to wrap up the season before the bike gets a well-deserved break.

Let’s finish this one properly. 🚴‍♂️

#Cycling #RoadCycling #BikeRacing #CritRacing #CyclingLife taken in Köln, Germany by @quicknic

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21 days ago

From deafening crowds to absolute silence — racing really does come in two worlds.

One night, you’re racing through the soaking rain in a bunch surrounded by WorldTour and ProConti riders, with an incredible crowd screaming from the barriers — so loud you can’t even understand your own words.

A few days later, it’s just you, a mountain and the clock.

An uphill ITT — one of my favourite disciplines. No hiding, no wheels to follow, no excuses. Just embrace the pain and keep pushing until the finish. And last Sunday, it worked out pretty well: my first podium of the year. 🥉

In between? Shorter days, wetter roads and definitely less summer feeling. 🌧️

But the motivation is still there. Two races left. Two chances to finish this season the way I want to: two more good performances, and leave everything out there.

Which racing world would you choose — the chaos of a night crit or the pure pain of an uphill TT? 👇

And one final piece of autumn race advice: invest in a shoe dryer. Your feet — and your household — will thank you. 😂🌧️

Media Credits: Foto 1, 2 - Michael Schäfer @362streetfotografie; ITT Video - @borispetermueller 🤝

#cycling #roadcycling #raceday #timetrial taken in Germany by @quicknic

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a month ago

August really said: why have one storyline when you can have four? 😅

Mixed results. Mixed emotions. Mixed thoughts. Mixed photos.

August was a proper cycling rollercoaster — some days the legs delivered, some days my head said no and the results followed, and some days the camera roll definitely had more confidence than I did. 🚴‍♂️

But that’s racing: chasing watts, collecting experiences, learning from the bad days and celebrating the good ones. No perfectly curated season, just the real one.

So here’s the August mix — a little bit of everything, exactly as it happened.

What was your August highlight — on or off the bike? 👇

Credits for photo 1 & 2 go out to my friend @holgersradsportfotos 🤌

#CyclingLife #RoadCycling #CyclingPhotography #CyclingMotivation taken in Germany by @quicknic

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a month ago

Super tuck. Super motivated. 🤌

The last few weeks have been a good reminder of what’s possible — especially watching my teamies deliver some seriously strong results. Definitely fuel for the next block of racing coming up on Saturday. 🔥

Even better: after 13 years, I’m back doing training rides with my old teammate. Some things just pick up where they left off. It's good to have you back, mate. 🤝

And yes — this post also contains the best of my camera roll since my last raceday two weeks ago. 😅📸

How's your August going so far? Do you have a certain goal left in 2026 you're working towards?

#cyclinglife #lifebehindbars #lovecycling #cyclingmotivation #rennrad taken in Naturpark Bergisches Land by @quicknic

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2 months ago

The story of a raceday.

Especially on days as hot as last Saturday, the race starts long before the start line. Pre-hydrating is just as important as the warm-up, so the work begins hours before the flag drops.

Then it's the usual routine: pinning on the numbers, getting the legs ready, dialing in the focus, and staying locked in until the finish.

The race went off hard from the gun. I managed to follow the decisive move at first, but after about 25 km I had to let the break go. From there it was all about staying committed, racing smart, and getting the best result possible.

P7 isn't exactly what I came for—I had my eyes on the podium—but after the longest mid-season break I've ever taken, it's a result I can build on. More importantly, it felt good to be back racing.

And it was even better to line up alongside my good old teammate again, who crossed the line just one place ahead of me. Looking forward to chasing a few more results together. 🚴💚

What's one part of your cycling routine you never skip? Let me know in the comments. 👇

Credits to Photos 1, 4, 5: Odette Karbach.

#RoadCycling #BikeRace #CyclingLife #rennrad #lovecycling taken in Wuppertal, Germany by @quicknic

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2 months ago

Time to pin on a number again. 👀

Next weekend I'll be back on the start line after the longest mid-season break I've ever taken.

The last four weeks have been the most structured training block I've had in a long time. A lot of work went in, the motivation is back, and the legs should be ready. ⚔️

I also realized two things about myself:

A) By now I’m just not very good at racing with a "this is only a prep race" mindset. If my main goal is still ahead, my head is already there. Instead of fully committing to the race I'm in, I'm thinking about the next one. So this time I skipped the warm-up races, stuck to the plan, and kept my focus where it belongs.

B) Every lactate party needs a pizza party. At least once in a while. 🤌

Now it's time to freshen up after a big training block and see if all that work pays off.

The goal for Saturday is simple: race for the podium.

What's your favouritetrainingsession - shredding for an hour or long and relaxed? Let me know below. 👇

#cycling #roadcycling #cyclingtraining #cyclinglife #rennrad rideyourbike taken in Naturpark Bergisches Land by @quicknic

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3 months ago

⛰️ Back home. Back to training. But part of me is still in the mountains.

The first four rides back on local roads are already done, with temperatures pushing close to 40°C. My legs have found their rhythm again, but my mind is still wandering through the mountains. 🫶

The past days were filled with long climbs, endless views, and the kind of riding that reminds you why you fell in love with cycling in the first place. Beyond the bike, it was about making the most of every moment outdoors with the family, soaking up the fresh mountain air, and ending the days with quiet evenings, an Aperol in hand, watching the sun disappear behind the peaks. 🤩

Now it's back to the routine, carrying a little piece of that mountain energy into every training session.
Swipe through to see some of the moments that are still stuck in my head. Which slide is your favorite? 👇

#cyclinglife #roadcycling #cyclingadventure OutdoorLife CyclistLifestyle AperolViews taken in Lana , Südtirol by @quicknic

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3 months ago

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 🚴‍♂️

Four weeks without posting. The longest social media break I've ever taken. The truth is, I needed it.

This season has been a tough one so far. Another two DNFs, performances nowhere near what I know I'm capable of, and a constant feeling of fatigue. At some point, cycling started adding stress rather than helping me escape it.

After Cologne Classics, I decided something had to change. Even easy rides felt hard. Not physically demanding hard, but mentally exhausting. So instead of forcing things, I hit pause.

My mid-season break wasn't planned as a training camp or a reset with hidden intervals. Quite the opposite.

The goal is actually to stay off the bike as much as possible. To stop thinking about training, fitness, power numbers, and race results. And if I go for a ride, it do it because I genuinely wanted to—not because it was written in a training plan.

No structure. No expectations. Just riding when I feel like it, where I feel like it, and however I feel like it.

As competitive athletes, we're often wired to believe that more is better. More hours. More intensity. More focus. But sometimes that mindset makes us forget why we started in the first place.

Right now, I'm not trying to become faster.

I'm trying to reconnect with the part of cycling that made me love the sport long before I ever pinned on a race number. Because I believe that the strongest version of an athlete isn't just physically fresh—it's someone who genuinely enjoys what they're doing.

And if I can find that joy again, the performance will eventually follow.

Have you ever had to step away from chasing performance to rediscover your love for the sport? Let me know below 👇

#cyclinglife #roadcycling #cyclingmotivation #endurancesports #bikeracing taken in Naturpark Bergisches Land by @quicknic

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4 months ago

The Power of Thoughts in Sports 👇

DNF – Did Not Focus. Did Not Finish.

Some race days leave more than just tired legs behind.

Usually, I can park a race by the next morning — good legs, bad legs, good result or bad luck. Eyes forward, onto the next one. But this one stayed in my head a little longer.

The state champs turned into a real mental battle: rain, sketchy corners, crashes everywhere, and a course that demanded full commitment every single lap. And the truth is — if your mind is anywhere but fully locked in, you’re already losing. The level keeps rising every year, and if you hesitate to fight for position or take the risks that come with it, you end up with a DNF. Just like I did.

Is it fear? - Not really. Is it a lack of dedication? Not at all. Is it a shift in priorities? - For sure.

The older I get, the more I realize racing isn’t only about watts, fitness or training volume anymore. It’s about what’s happening between the ears. Because you can feel amazing in training, but if your head starts overthinking once the chaos begins, the result sheet usually tells the story.

Not the result I wanted — but definitely a reminder I needed.

Ever had a moment where the mental side beat the physical one? 👇

#cycling #bikeracing #mentalgame #roadcycling #raceday taken in Bocholt, Germany by @quicknic

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5 months ago

Raceday Recap - Started slow, finished strong…

...just a bit too late. 🏁

Tough as nails this one — a proper rollercoaster from start to finish. And once the rain set in, it got pretty sketchy out there… slippery roads, nasty corners, and full focus needed the whole time 😅

Got off to a pretty rough start, not gonna lie. But the longer it went, the better the legs started to come around 💪
By the end of 1:40h, I was actually finding some good rhythm — even if the result doesn’t fully show it. P24 on paper, but honestly happy with the power I could put out. Definitely something to build on 📈

And yeah… I guess the face says it all — we left everything out there on those climbs that day 😵‍💫⛰️

Big congrats to my team mate @richard_vb.05 on P8 — seriously strong ride! 👏🔥

What’s your go-to move when the race starts going south early? ⬇️

Photo Credits: Thomas Laut (riedgras.de) 2026

#RoadCycling #RaceDayVibes #CyclingLife #PainCave #RideThroughIt taken in Breidenbach by @quicknic

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5 months ago