Driving up to Sochi with Stefan Lantschner. Life on the road. Mission accomplished.

Feb 10, 2014

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 3449 times

When a sponsor asks you to do a special trip where you drive a company car up to the Olympic town called Sochi in Russia, you will probably say yes. You can hit spots along the way and for sure it'll be an adventure. Stefan Lantschner is currently on his way in the Fiat Panda but has hit up the snow big time. The adventure goes on but the riding is on hold for the BMX-er. FATBMX caught up with Stefan on his adventures. Read all about his trip.

Who came up with the idea to drive up to Sochi?
Stefan Lantschner: My friend Poldo from Facciosnao snow and surfcamps came up with the idea, than Fiat made an agreement

with Vice and they made a plan for the trip. The plan is to do a mix of meeting all different kinds of people and tell their story, the other half is hitting some snow, skate or bmx spots we find on the way.

How many kilometers is it?
Stefan Lantschner: It's allround 5000km............

How many hours of driving?
Stefan Lantschner: Way too long, the last few days there were snow storms all over and you could barely see the road, than there were the borders and with all the camera stuff it took us forever. When we drove from Hungary through Moldavia to Romania we waited 8 hours at the borders, than at 6 in the morning a truck was stuck in the middle of the road, we got to the hotel at 7 in the morning....

It's not straight there is it? What are some of the riding spots that you are hitting up on the way there?
Stefan Lantschner: It's pretty much all flat, Matthias would love it...joking :-) We found some good concrete parks on the way but for now only ski or snowboard spots, it's too cold here. I'm looking forward to go to Krasnador and Sochi, I heard there are some good spots!

How much better would this trip be if you could do it in the summer time?
Stefan Lantschner: 100 times!! haha

What are you going to do when you get there?
Stefan: We will go watch something from the Games, dunno what yet, go to a party and than fly home...

How's the vehicle. Comfy enough?
Stefan Lantschner: The Panda is by far the best car I drove on snow. Nothing stops that little 4 wheeler. I also figured out which fuse to take off to shut down the traction control and since than driving in the snow became a lot of fun :-)

How's your phone/internet bill looking?
Stefan Lantschner: It looked all good untill I crossed the Moldavian border. It's not European union and my 3 euros daily

package from 25min calls, 25 sms and free internet didn't work anymore. I spent 50 euros in 20min, than i switched it of......

Who are on board with you?
Stefan Lantschner: At the beginning there were two snowboarders, Stefano Munari and Markus Keller, Munari left after a few days to go to a competition, Markus left a few days ago and Dima a freeskier from Italy who speaks Russian joined us, without him we would be lost. There is also Gersin who does all the interviews.

A couple of weeks of "on the road food". Are you missing your own food already?
Lantschner: Whenever we eat in restaurants it's ok but there were a few days we just ate sandwiches. These days I wished I would just have half of the knoedel my girlfriend makes!! :-)

What's the top speed of the vehicle?
Stefan Lantschner: Top speed was 180km/h

I hope your bike is inside and not on a roof rack?
Stefan: Yes it's inside!!

Are you swinging by the Simple Session?
Stefan Lantschner: I got enough snow after this I think I will stay home :-)

Thanks to: Fiat, Nokia, Nitro and Beats by Dr. Dre, they support the Panda to Sochi project