On this page I want to guide you through important stages of my sporting career. What follows is a look back, not a textbook, and above all it should show how many sides elite sport can have.
When an athlete spends many years traveling to competitions, the days sometimes blur into one big stream of trips, training sessions and races. Only in hindsight can the single drops be told apart again. Some of them were bittersweet, others shone brighter than any trophy. I decided to hold on to a few of these special moments so that they are not lost.
Disciplines at a Glance
I was at home in track and road cycling. The two disciplines are closer than many think, yet they call for very different skills. The table below tries to put that difference into words without losing the charm of either one.
| Discipline | Character | What It Gave Me |
|---|---|---|
| Track cycling | Precise, short, highly focused | Discipline, explosive power and a feel for lines |
| Road cycling | Long, tactical, enduring | Patience, overview and courage at the decisive moment |
| Time trial | Lonely, honest, merciless | Concentration and trust in my own strength |
Important Sporting Stages
A career is built from building blocks. Some of them are large and visible, others small and unremarkable. Both matter. Here I would like to bring a few stages closer that were special to me.
- First international races at junior level, which showed me what competitive sport really means.
- Admission to the national squad and the first joint training camps with the best in the country.
- Successes at national championships, which gave me a tailwind for the bigger challenges.
- International track meets in the arenas of Europe, with their unique atmosphere and fast changes.
- Demanding road races and stage races, in which form, tactics and luck have to come together into one result.
- The Olympic Games in London in 2012, the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
Stations Away from the Course
Many stages of my career did not take place in the spotlight. They happened at training camps, in rehab phases after injuries, in long conversations with coaches. Here too I won, sometimes more than in a race. I learned to handle setbacks, self-doubt and my own exhaustion. Anyone who practices elite sport honestly knows that these quiet phases are often the most important ones.
The altitude camps and the intense season preparations were especially formative. There I found out what it means to go to your own limit and still get up again the next morning. Anyone who has had to breathe thin air while the legs were already burning knows that sport demands a lot not only physically but mentally. These experiences carry me through many situations to this day.
What I Take with Me from This Time
From my active years I take not only results but tools for life. I can handle pressure, because I have experienced pressure often. I can put setbacks in perspective, because they were part of my everyday sporting life. And I know what it means to function in a team without losing yourself. These qualities are at least as valuable in ordinary working life as a medal.
If you are interested in how my journey in sport began, take a look at My Career. If you would like to know which people and institutions carried me along the way, you will find detailed words on the page Supporters and Partners. And for personal words of farewell, head back to the home page.