How long haven’t you boarded an airplane or sat in a car for hours?
The last time I actually flew was the UAE Tour in the Emirates exactly five months ago. I have never had that in my long professional career. But I don’t miss the eternal travel as part of cycling. But by car I was at my parents’ house in Eschborn last week.
Did you train on your 16 kilometer round of the house between Kelkheim and Hofheim, which was covered many times in your youth?
No. But I went up the Feldberg a couple of times because I trained intervals. This route is not a great pleasure in rush hour traffic.
At the beginning of August, professional cycling should start again, starting with the Tour de l’Ain (August 5 to 9). Do you already have an idea of what everyday racing will look like between corona tests and isolation?
No, I’m extremely excited to see how this will really work. Especially at the Tour de France, it will initially be a shame if there is no contact with the spectators. Because that’s what makes the tour. But I can also imagine that in the second or third week of the race you are sometimes very happy about the unusual calm. I hope that this will go hand in hand with more safety for us drivers.
You’ve had some tough racing accidents in the past few years. Did you become a daredevil or unlucky on your old racing days?
I’m certainly not a daredevil. But I keep my front wheel in the gaps that I have to keep in. During my violent fall at the Vuelta last year, six men were lying on the floor – and I’m the only one who can’t get up. That falls into the bad luck category. Basically, I have often proven that I quickly got back on my bike and got a good level of performance after an accident. Except for a broken spine, I mostly got off lightly compared to some other drivers.
Are the aspects of safety and your falls partly responsible for your thoughts of retiring at the end of the season?
Yes, definitely. I still enjoy sport a lot. I noticed that again in the lockdown phase, when for a long time nobody could know what he was training for. I never lacked motivation. I discovered a new side of cycling for me. Without the otherwise all-important performance concept, but for the fun of cycling. I felt like someone using their vacation to travel somewhere to ride a bike. What I could never understand before why you do that (laughs).
Do you see your actions with different eyes?
Yes. Despite the knowledge of the corona-related negative effects on cycling, I can say for myself: It was positive for my relationship with cycling. Like in a partnership: When the partner is gone, you can tell that it wasn’t bad after all. I got into myself with the question: How would my life be without cycling?
How about?
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