Kai Pflaume in an interview: "And then it went poof!"

The man is omnipresent! Kai Pflaume is a workaholic and is one of the most popular German TV presenters. The giant (1.90 m) has been in show business since the 1990s. He was born on 27 May 1967 in Halle (Saale) and began his television career in 1993 with the programme "Nur die Liebe zählt". In addition to presenting entertainment and game shows, the passionate hoodie wearer is also involved in social projects and is known as a keen sportsman. Running and cycling are among the 57-year-old's favourite pastimes. Attributes such as down-to-earth, fair, charming, correct, his social commitment and the fact that Pflaume has been happily married since 1996 have made the man from Munich one of the most popular figures on German television. We met Kai Pflaume in the new Canyon concept store in Munich.

TOUR: Why are you here, Kai?

Kai Pflaume: I ride Canyon bikes myself and am a big fan of the brand. I live in Munich, so it's exciting for me that the first Canyon store is opening here.

Which bikes are you interested in, which ones are in your garage?

I'm interested in all of them. I have a road bike, a gravel bike and an e-mountain bike in my garage. In the south of Munich, you have all the options - especially with a road bike. I just have to pedal out the front door: Ammersee, Starnberger See, Tegernsee, Sylvensteinspeicher. The Olympic ski jump in Garmisch, for example, is exactly 100 kilometres away. In short: the road bike laps are marvellous, I get on my "Ultimate" and off I go!

Can you go cycling undisturbed as a celebrity?

(Laughs) Basically, yes, because I'm wearing a helmet and goggles. But I'm always recognised by one thing: my airbag rucksack. And then people shout: "Hey Kai, what's up!"

You ride with an airbag?

Yes, and I'm very consistent about it, I always wear it. I don't know what the bike community thinks about it now. At first I was ridiculed for it. People said to me: "It's cool that you ride a road bike, but why don't you leave your hydration pack at home?" Nobody realised that it was an airbag.

Airbag rucksack - like a suit of armour

Why the airbag if you're wearing a helmet?

The airbag primarily protects the upper body. When it inflates, it surrounds you like a suit of armour. For me, it's about protecting my labour. My diary is full. I do 170 shows a year.

Have you ever fallen with it?

Last autumn. A typical October day, slightly damp. I had to get off the cycle path and onto the road, then back onto the cycle path. There was a dropped kerb. By the time I saw it, it was already too late and I fell flat on my face. It happened in a flash. And then there was a poof! I had my hands on the handlebars and fell onto my shoulder with full force. Or rather: ... would have fallen on my shoulder. But by then the airbag had already deployed and cushioned the impact. This is normally the classic scenario for a collarbone fracture or an acromioclavicular joint fracture.

And?

I only had a small graze on my thumb. The airbag cushioned my fall really well and prevented any injuries.

So the part works.

It works - I've already found that out before, which caused a lot of laughter. It happened on a ride with Patrik Lange, the three-time Ironman winner. We were at his home in Austria, riding a mountain bike circuit in Fuschl am See. Quite unexpectedly, there was a technical uphill ramp in which I got stuck. I didn't know the terrain and my friends hadn't warned me. I tried to get going again on the steep section, got stuck with the cranks and tipped over. I managed to prevent myself from rolling down the slope with a lunge. But the tipping and the lunge triggered the airbag. I was standing there in the terrain with the inflated airbag around me - and Patrik was laughing his head off. But the airbag did everything right. We made a little video about it, which then went really viral.

Advantage of the airbag: safety. Disadvantage: The airbag betrays you on the tour.

(Laughs) That's right. People come up behind me and shout: "Hello Kai!" And if I don't change gear straight away - and say: "Huh? How did you recognise me?" Then I hear: "Kai, we recognised you by your airbag." But that's not a problem at all, it's the nice thing about the cycling community - they're all very relaxed.

Are you travelling alone or with other celebrities? The comedian Harry G is also travelling by road bike in the south of Munich.

I've already been running with Harry G, but we haven't cycled together yet. Of course, I also have friends who I cycle with. But my diary dictates when I have time - during the week or spontaneously. As everyone has a different work schedule, it's difficult to find someone. So I'm often travelling alone.

You're considered super fit among presenters. What is your secret?

I do something, but it's not like sport takes up my whole day. This week, for example, I wasn't able to do any sport at all because my workload was far too heavy. There was no time left. My training always depends on what my next goals are.

What kind of fitness training do you do then?

I do a lot of stabilisation training. So I do less weight pumping and more training with my own body weight. I do a lot with Hans-Friedl from Corox. Hans is the head physio for the German Cycling Federation and he has his own performance centre.

Kai Pflaume has been doing 100 push-ups a day for some time now

So you don't have a specific daily routine. For example, you do 30 push-ups after getting up.

Yes, I have been doing 100 push-ups a day for some time now. I have a good friend, Florian Gschwandtner from Austria. Florian developed the Runtastic app. Now he has a new app. It's called 100 Pushups. You put your mobile phone on the floor next to you and it counts. It's great for me because I can do it anywhere: between two programmes, in the cloakroom, at the airport, wherever I happen to be. I don't do the 100 in one go, of course, but spread it out throughout the day. It's a great core workout.

You are 57 years old, do you feel your age when you get up in the morning, does it already hurt somewhere?

No, nothing hurts me yet. I've played football all my life. I was lucky enough not to get injured. Since I've been doing stabilisation training, I haven't had any back problems or joint pain. I also run a lot. You can immediately feel any imbalances and whether something is wrong with your body. Running is the sport where you feel the weak points the quickest. I'm lucky that nothing is wrong with me.

What is your tip for a nice weekend tour?

I really like the road bike tour from the south of Munich out to the Ammersee because it is very varied. There are 960 metres of elevation gain and you have the advantage of being able to ride on many small roads. I cycle to Pullach, through Forstenrieder Park to Olympiastraße, to Starnberg, up the Söckinger Berg. I usually cycle via Wörthsee to the northern tip of Ammersee and then back via Andechs Monastery. That's about 120 kilometres.