Stress plays a major part for many motocross riders as they prepare for an event. Many of them do not find it at all easy to mentally prepare for the race and forget all unsettling factors – after all, there are another 39 other drivers in the line-up at the start, who are equally as hyped up and pumped full of adrenaline. The degree to which a rider is able to fully focus on the race and switch off mentally just before the start is of paramount importance and absolutely vital to achieving a good performance.

In special fitness seminars, ADAC Sports Foundation coaches work with trainees to deal specifically with the issue and show the young guns tricks that will enable them to focus only on themselves, the bike and the race ahead. "We invite ADAC Sports foundation protégés to an introductory seminar on performance diagnostics before the start of the season. During this session, the riders are given valuable tips on how they can gain mental strength and control stress during the race weekend by using certain rituals. In this way, our protégés learn goal-oriented focus, because the key to our mental training methodology is that winning is always in your head," as Sports Foundation Coach Ralf Teltscher told us.

Luca Menger, Philipp Jungkeit and Niklas Schneider – all three ADAC MX Junior Cup riders – also have a special ritual that they deploy before joining the race line-up. "We use what we call hook-ups to help get stress under control. You fold your hands in a certain manner and then move them up and down your body. This exercise is especially for stress management and I can only say that it has worked miracles for me. My body goes calm automatically," said 14-year-old Luca.

In addition to doing hook-ups, 13-year-old Philip also listens to classical piano music for relaxation. In particular, the thought that he could disappoint family and friends by maybe taking a tumble triggers feelings of unease in the young rider. "That would give my ambition a severe knock, if I were to make too many mistakes through nervousness," he said. For 12-year-old Niklas, though, it is more the fear of the first corner that makes him sometimes feel queasy before the race: "I suffer from mild claustrophobia and I can feel a bit like a sardine with so many riders packed in together in one place," the young rider told us. ADAC MX Junior Cup driver Andreas Hiiemägi is anxious about jumping. "When I jump, it´s sometimes difficult to judge landing properly and that gives me bad feelings. However, I can usually focus on my ultimate goal and then my anxiety and discomfort quickly disappear," said the 13-year-old Estonian.

As far as ADAC MX Youngster Cup riders are concerned, the pressure is ratcheted up a notch, because the level is correspondingly higher. The two 18-year-olds Marco Fleissig and Marco König sometimes have to struggle quite hard with their body´s nervous reactions before the start. "My hands often begin to tremble – especially before competing on a sandy track. My method of coping is by hopping up and down and telling jokes. That brings me down, so that ultimately, I don´t have any more problems during the race," said Marco Fleissig, relating his successful method for dealing with unwanted emotions.

Marco König usually has to go to the toilet several times before the race and the palms of his hands begin to sweat in the run-up to a fixture. "I´m OK once the gate has dropped, but I perhaps put a little too much pressure on myself, as I´m always keen to get some words of praise from my dad," said the Youngster Cup rider. Philipp Kreis also has difficulty dealing with the pressure. The MX star, who lines up in the Youngster Cup like the two Marcos finds it hard to eat anything before qualifying gets under way. "I normally feel a little bit sick and just want to begin the race so that I don´t have to try and keep my mind off things any longer," said the 19-year-old. ADAC MX Youngster Cup rider Cabal George, though, has a more relaxed approach. The Romanian is of the opinion that you have to be completely relaxed as the start signal is given. "My nerves settle down once I begin to concentrate. It´s hard to believe, but it actually works very well for me," said the 21-year-old.

Motocrossers in the Masters class think the same. They have learned through long-standing experience and intensive training that nervousness in the race is only a hindrance and you should focus more on your strengths and not your weaknesses. Christian Brockel, for example, does not really care too much about failing. He is more concerned about whether something might go wrong with his machine. "I usually ask my mechanic to check everything again thoroughly before the race so that I can feel relaxed at the start," said the 30-year-old.

Swedish rider Filip Thuresson appears to really enjoy the feeling of edginess that comes from motocrossing. "I get butterflies in my stomach and that actually makes me feel quite high. But aside from that, I believe in fate, which is why it makes no sense whatsoever to get all worked up about things," said the 22-year-old.