Most motocrossers live and breathe for their sport, so they have little time for other leisure pursuits. MX gives them a sense of freedom and fills them with passion, so they want to spend as much time as they can riding their bikes. Nonetheless, many also find time for other activities, and these cover a wide range, because everyone has a different idea of how a non-motocross day can be spent.

For example 12-year-old ADAC MX Junior Cup rider Rene Hofer who attends a grammar school specialising in sports and regularly gets top marks in all his subjects. He is best able to switch off from motocross if he indulges in some other physical activity: "I'm a dedicated motocrosser, but sometimes I need something else to clear my head. In such moments, I like to play table tennis or football with my father."

Moritz Lotz is another ADAC MX Junior Cup rider whose two-wheel interests extend beyond motocross competitions. The 14-year-old also goes dirtbiking in the nearby woods or in Winterberg Bike Park. "What with going to school and competing in motocross at the weekends, I don't get time for much else," says the KTM rider from Steinfischbach in Hessen. "Obviously, I would also like to go out to parties at the weekend with friends, but motocross is my number one priority, so I spend most of my time on the racetrack."

Manuel Angel from Möckmühl in Baden-Württemberg sees it the same way. When he is not competing in the ADAC MX Masters class, Manuel works as a toolmaker, and his group of friends is almost exclusively made up of people who have something to do with the sport. "I'm a sports junkie through and through," says the 21-year-old. "If I'm not at a race or out practising, you'll most likely find me water skiing at Schwabach. Or I might go karting in the Czech Republic. I also go jogging to unwind."

ADAC MX Youngster Cup contestant Kevin Sayda from Aichach in Bavaria works in retail, but when the shop shuts at 6pm, the 19-year-old devotes the rest of the day to sport. He either jumps on his BMX bike or he goes to the gym, providing there is no motocross scheduled: "I'm not a big party animal, so I don't really miss that. And since most of my friendships were made in the motocross environment, we all share the same passion, so I hardly talk about anything but motocross in my spare time. Whenever we allow ourselves a break, we go on the Playstation and compete against each other that way."

16-year-old Arminas Jasikonis, who likewise competes in Class 2, uses his non-MX time to explore his new home in Belgium: "I moved here from Lithuania only a year ago because Belgium has better motocross tracks and I wanted to concentrate on my sporting career. I don't have all that many friends here, so I go out walking a lot, spend time by the lake or treat myself to the occasional massage. And of course, I also keep myself physically fit in other ways, for example cycling and swimming."

Sven van de Mierden from Valkenswaard in the Netherlands likes to relax in the sauna or go out with his girlfriend. In addition, the 19-year-old ADAC MX Youngster Cup rider makes sure that he doesn't neglect his friends. "I work as a mechanic, and with my busy MX training programme, I very rarely get any days off. But these few days are very important to me; I generally hang out with my mates and do something crazy. Every now and then, we play paintball."

Roy van Heugten, also a Dutch contestant in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, works three days a week in a bicycle shop in Achterveld. He has the same attitude to keeping up old friendships: "I live near Utrecht and I often join my friends for a night out in town. In winter, when I'm not racing, we generally go out to a party somewhere."

ADAC MX Youngster Cup rider Patrick Vos comes from Rosmalen in the Netherlands. The 20-year-old aims to have as much fun as possible in his free time, so he goes off to music festivals, and the most popular topic of discussion with his friends is girls. "If you're into sport, your whole life revolves around it. So obviously I talk about motocross a lot when I'm with friends. But there is also another world out there which I feel at home in, and I don't intend to miss out on that in my free time."