Interview Nico Denz

He grew up watching Jens Voigt, today he's a new breakaway hero himself. Nico Denz won 2 Giro stages this year while he initially started as a domestique. After that he had one big suprise attack left in the streets of Madrid, where he & his breakaway companion suprised us another time. Now, in October, it's time to look back at this phenomenal season. The 29 years old German rider tells you how he experienced his first season with Bora-Hansgrohe and how he already looks forward to new goals in the future. Get to know a rider who you might see more & more in the breakaway of your favourite grand tour.

This season you won 2 stages in the Giro d'Italia. How did you experience those 3 weeks in Italy?

A crazy week, crazy 3 weeks, 2 stage wins, totally unexpected. I came in support for Alexander Vlasov & Lennard Kämna. With Lennard, we really worked good together till the end. Alexander sadly dropped out due to Covid-19, but it also gave me freedom to go in the breakaway in these 2 days. Yes, I'm obviously super happy and more then happy to take home these 2 stages and overall 3 very wet weeks but it suited me and really good memories to these 3 weeks.

In La Vuelta you almost did the same in the final stage. How did you experience that crazy ride in Madrid?

Madrid was also pretty special. We didn't have a result in mind. We just wanted to have fun, enjoy, go full gass. Honour the Vuelta and finish it in a good way. When these other guys bridged to cross, it got serious and we gave it all. It was pure suffering till the line. No regrets as well there. Third place against Ganna and Kaden Groves in the sprint is more then good. Happy about this one as well.

This season you made the transfer to Bora-Hansgrohe. Did this change made you set another big step forward in your carreer?

When you change teams, it always gives special extra motivation, because you want to perform, and show the new team that it was a right decision to believe in you & to hire you. That was also what I had in mind when I came to Bora-Hansgrohe. I wanted to be there to perform and do well in races and off the bike as well. Sure, also the way that I was welcomed by everybody played a huge & important role for me. I just felt integrated from the very first day when I met everybody in Ötztal, already in the off season, last year. That obviously helped a lot to feel part of this team. All the other riders are super nice to me, then it's always easier to be there for them.

You're in the best years of your carreer now. What are your personal ambitions in the sport now?

My personal ambition is to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm enjoying my job. I'm enjoying riding my bike. I'm enjoying to be part of Bora-Hansgrohe and I have one more year of contract. So I just hope I can continue doing the role that I already had. Help the team, help the leaders to be good in GC, in grand tours, and whenever itself presents a chance for me, I'm also really happy to go in breakaways and repeat what I have done in the Giro. If I can just continue what I'm doing, I'm super happy.

You took part in grand tours every year since 2017. Would you like to make your Tour de France debut next year?

It's true but I haven't been at the Tour de France yet. Off course it's a very big dream to make my debut there. If it's next year, I'll be glad to take it. If I have to wait another year, it's also fine. But I definitly want to do the Tour de France before I stop cycling and hopefully I still have couple of years to go there.

During your childhood, you grew up in the Alps. Did that make you the strong climber that you are today?

I grew up in the Black Forrest actually. There are not flat roads, it's just up and down. I moved to Chambery, in the French Alps for the AG2R Development Team, which is located there, as soon when I quit juniors. I went to the let's say climbing school there with big climbers coming out of this team like Romain Bardet, Pierre Latour, Victor Lafay, like all these people, Benoit Cosnefroy etc. There I went into the climbing school and learned a lot.

You were a child when Erik Zabel & Jan Ullrich were big stars in the sport. Did they inspire you to become a cyclist yourself?

Of course, you look up to other big German cyclist. Of course they also inspired myself to come into cycling. I was actually a big fan of Jens Voigt back at the time. That's also kind off my riding style. Always in the attack and just suffering yourself to the finish line. That's one guy who inspired me a lot in my childhood.

How will you spend the Winter season?

There will not be much changes, I think. But the detailed plan is not made yet. First I have to finish the season, what will be after the Tour of Turkey. After that I will take time off the the bike and I will spend time with family & friends and do all this stuff that I can't do during the season. Then I will of course have focus on the bike pretty early. It will also depend on where I will start my season next year. I'm planning also to go to Gran Canaria again, maybe in January. We will also have team camp in Mallorca, in December. Depending on the weather, I will also decide to move into the south to be able to train properly and prepare the season in a good way. Further plans have not been made at this point.

 Interview Jelena Eric

When you saw the Serbian colours in front of the peloton, you problably spotted Jelena Eric. The 27 years old rider is is already setting strong performances in the national champions' jersey since 2014. As part of Team Movistar she took part in some of the biggest races in the world. After a difficult Spring impacted by injuries, she had a  strong second part of the season with a stage win in  the Baloise Ladies Tour after an intense breakaway. Get to know a rider that is both fast in sprints and on hills. 

This year you won a stage in the Baloise Ladies Tour on an incredible way. What came t your mind in those intense final kilometers?

It was a very hard day and in the last km when we took off fighting for the stage I just thought I had to go all out as long as possible and hoped to still have that kick in the last hundred meters and it worked.

How do you look back at this season?

It was again a complicated start of the season for me, after last years injury on my shoulder i had to undergo a surgery and it took me a lot of time and effort to recover from it. So it was a challenging year and im very happy i could come back to my best level at this end of the season.

You're the only Serbian rider in the pro peloton. How did you discover cycling?

Well my brother used to race and my cousins too, so i come from Cubric cycling family and it was the way i got to know cycling.

You showed yourself both in flat and hillier races. What kind of races suit you the most in your opinion?

I consider i defend myself well in all kind of terrains, only long climb finishes are maybe not my thing haha. I give my best version when the course is technical and tricky.

 

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I think the highlight was the Baloise Ladies Tour stage win this year

You're just ahead of your best years now. What are your ambitions?

The Olympics in Paris are definitely my big goal next year, and of course keep progressing on World Tour level and achieve a victory in one of the "grand tours"

What would you have liked to do for living if you didn't become a cyclist?

I was always very active so I think I would have competed in other sports or ended up working in something connected

How will you spend your Winter season? What can we wish you in the final months of the year?

I'm going to focus first on recovering from this hard end of the season and than start preparing for next year in area of Benidorm✌🏼 I think best wish is always to be healthy✌🏼