Interview Lennard Kämna

If you like to tune in early to your favourite cycling tours, then it's very likely that you will often see Lennard Kämna in  the break. The 25 years old German enjoys being in the front and already often crossed the line first at his age. Already in his first year in the World Tour he became worldchampion in the team time trial. Stage wins in smaller & grand tours and a national title followed after. Lennard Kämna became one of the faces of Bora-Hansgrohe and through this interview we get to know what he feels on the bike himself. 

You already won a stage in the Giro & Tour. Do you dream about winning one in the Vuelta as

well?

The Vuelta is one of three Grand Tours and of course it would be an honor to become once a rider to win at least one stage of all of those races.

 

You had a few good GC rides and and won stages as well, in which path would you like develop in the future?

I know I want to try to go for GC in the future, but together with the team we didn’t set plans yet when this might be. It is a little different approach and especially from a mental side it’s much harder as you need to be focused every day.

 

What is your favourite food to eat before the race?

Nothing special to be honest. We need to load enough carbohydrates before the race and normally I eat porridge to do so. I also like to have an omelette sometimes.

You became German national time trial champion this year. How did it feel to wear the ersey for the first time in a race?

It was a goal this season to get back to some good TT results. I was good in TT as a junior but didn’t invest a lot of time the last years. This year I put more effort into TT preparations and I am very happy that one could see the improvements immediately. To win a German National Title is always an honor, but in general I am happy with my progress in this area as it is also a piece of the puzzle for GC ambitions.

What kind of weather benefits you the most?

Like most people I’d say I prefer to race in good weather. It doesn’t need to be too hot but something like 30 degrees is fine. But I have to say also in bad weather conditions I am able to perform well. So it’s not a big deal for me.

 

You've been part of 10 breakaways this year. How does it feel to be in the break and how do you prepare for the final?

Well, it is fun to ride offensive, at least from my point of view. But also all those races and how people act are different in some ways. So you learn something new every time about racing but also about yourself and that’s interesting. Of course I want to win and my style of racing favors to try that from a breakaway. But I also look for those opportunities to learn something about myself.

You took part in 5 grand tours. Which one was the hardest for you and which one did you enjoy the most?

It’s difficult to say which was the hardest one. Probably my first one as everything was new and I didn’t really know what to expect. When you got some experience it is definitely easer to prepare for that long journey. But to choose the best one is easy. That’s this year’s Giro. It is really special to be part of the team that wins the Giro. The atmosphere among the team was amazing and I also got a personal reward with a stage win. This for sure was a special journey we experienced together.