Despite coming off his bike on several occasions, Arne Janssens, the young mountain biker, had a great season, in the U23 - Promising category with the BH-Wallonia MTB Team.

The beginning of the season was synonymous with bad luck for Arne. “During a training session in Spain in January 2022, I fell on the last day, breaking three ribs,” Arne explains. Luckily, I recovered in time for the first important race in Marseille in March, where I finished 8^th in the U23 - Promising category.” Following Marseille, races took place, one after the other, all over Europe. At a World Cup race, due to taking too many risks to move up the rankings, he fell again, resulting in a concussion and a shoulder injury. However, Arne never gives up easily, he wanted to take part in as many races as possible, to collect as many points as he could and to book his ticket for the World Championships. In May, in Austria, he climbed onto the podium for the first time in his career at a Hors Catégorie UCI race. Following this, he trained hard for the Belgian Short Track Cross Country Championships where he finished as runner-up to the Belgian Champion. Shortly after this, he finished 17^th and was the highest placed Belgian in a World Cup round in Leogang, Austria. This was followed with a fine 6^th place in the European Short Track Championships in Portugal. Arne has continued training hard. “We train hard and impose a strict lifestyle on ourselves. We eat healthily and sleep like babies but this is not always enough,” adds the young cyclist. The road is sometimes difficult, but Arne successfully booked his place at the World Championships in Les Gets, France, in August 2022. He finished the event in 40^th place. At the beginning of September he took part in the World Cup Final in Val di Sole, Italy, and finished in 15^th position. At the end of the Belgian season, Arne finished 2^nd in the Belgian U23 - Promising category.

In 2023, KARL HUGO will continue to support Arne Janssens for his first season in the Elite Category. “Arne is a talented young mountain biker from our region,” says Bernd Hugo - Finance and HR Director. “He has the same values as KARL HUGO : open-mindedness, the drive to be the best, team spirit and respect.” The first important event in 2023 for Arne will be the 1^st round of the World Cup, which will take place in the Netherlands, close to the Belgian border, in Valkenburg. “I want to give my best in 2023,” concludes Arne. “I want to gain experience and score as many points as possible in the UCI rankings, so that I can reach my goals and  develop my professional career.” An ambition matching that of KARL HUGO!