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Triathlon is a discipline for only the very toughest, and for those who really want to live and breathe it. Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders are two outstanding athletes. Covering many kilometres both on the asphalt and in the water, the German and Canadian are keen to experiment. And if there is a world record at the end of it, the cheering will be coming not only from the top athletes themselves, but also from the professional tradespeople at Schneestern in Durach, without whose work the Tri-Battle Royale in Allgäu would not have been possible.

A long-distance triathlon has it all – a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180 km of cycling and a marathon. The thought of such exertion alone would be enough to leave many people breathless and sweating. But not Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders. They are world-class triathletes who have won world championships and Iron Man competitions and set records themselves. To achieve excellence they must constantly push their limits, often going beyond them. And they must train in all weathers, in all seasons, to prove in competitions that their preparation was worth it. Frodeno and Sanders love the challenge and are always looking for their next record, so the Tri-Battle Royale in Allgäu was the perfect test of strength for the summer. The two athletes competed against each other and the clock. The objective: To break the current 180-kilometre cycling world record.

The best solution: A ramp

To attempt a new record time, the two triathletes not only had to be on top form, they also had to find a suitable course. Federal Highway 19, which cuts through the middle of the Allgäu region, proved ideal for this, with several laps needed to build up the required number of kilometres. A suitable turning point was identified to ensure that the record attempt was not unnecessarily slowed down. And the best solution to save valuable seconds? A ramp. Made entirely from wood and similar to the steep banks used in track cycling, this guarantees a quick turnaround. And it was the perfect type of structure for Schneestern. To ensure clarity, the Tri-Battle organisers contacted Schneestern, an action sports specialist based in Durach in the Allgäu region, whose CEO, Dirk Scheumann, was keen to be involved. And while passionate about the idea, he also knew that a bit of wood and a few screws would not be enough. Owing to the kind of speed and load it would be subjected to, the bank would have to be sufficiently stable. After some initial designs, sketches and a prototype, the project began to take shape. Nineteen-thousand screws, 10.5 cubic metres of wood and 96 textured coated boards – that's how much material was required to support Frodeno and Sanders in their new cycling record attempt. At a length of 75 metres, a height of 4.5 metres and taking 300 hours to build, the "Canyon Turn" was anything but lightweight, and an exceptional piece of craftsmanship. Malte Ahrens, project manager at Schneestern: "It was massive – huge!" Construction of the steep banked curve on the approach to the closed main road presented a particular challenge, and took three days to complete. Although considerably quicker to dismantle and all done by the end of the same day following the Tri-Battle, the components for the challenge were transported to site already pre-assembled and then put together there in a building block system. There were several essential requirements: Everything had to sit in exactly the right place. Nothing was allowed to wobble, nothing was allowed to shift.

No sockets but plenty of power

The high-calibre tradespeople were aided by the best tools: Cordless circular saws and screwdrivers from Festool, as well as the new SYS-PowerStation. Their batteries were ideal given that a lot of power was required in the absence of sockets. Ahrens explains how well it worked: "We used a normal circular saw for a whole day with the SYS-PowerStation. It was the perfect tool for the job. It was enough to complete our work." We had professionals working for professionals on the "Tri-Battle Royale". Both the main players and the spectators were equally enthusiastic. "People are still talking about it," says Vanessa Zeller, responsible for marketing and design at Schneestern. It is clear that the company is well-known throughout the Allgäu region. The steep bank was a topic of conversation even on major German sports channels, despite the fact that this project was something completely different from the pump tracks, skate and snow parks created by the professional tradespeople to date.

The right material and the right tool

"The right material and the right tool – that's what it's all about," explains Rues, on the secret of their success. Mobility at work and the time factor play a crucial role. This is the same for all action sports projects, from absolute beginner to the extreme level. And let's not forget the passion that the action sportsmen bring to each and every project. Unusual projects can be great fun. Especially because we first need to familiarise ourselves with new things, before implementing them with the same professionalism we employ in all our projects. There was a good reason why the "Tri-Battle Royale" and the "Canyon Turn" were created in the Allgäu region. Schneestern would have built the steep bank differently anywhere else, but the Allgäu region has built an impressive reputation in the world of triathlon. Jan Frodeno and Lionel Sanders swam 3.8 kilometres in the Großer Alpsee lake near Immenstadt, then covered 180 kilometres on their bikes and lastly ran a distance of 42.2 kilometres – the landscape is almost made for this challenge and provides the ideal terrain for top athletes. Plus Jan Frodeno recorded a new record cycling time for a long-distance triathlon: He completed the 180 kilometres in 3 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds, breaking his own world record by a significant margin.