About the person: Antonia Niedermaier
- Nationality: German
- Born: 20 February 2003 in Rosenheim
- Size/weight: 1.62 metres, 53 kilograms
- Place of residence: Walchsee (Austria)
- Teams: Team Mangertseder Bayern (2021), Canyon//SRAM Generation (2022), Canyon//SRAM (since 2023)
- Important successes: 2 stages and overall victory Tour de l'Ardeche (2022), stage Giro d'Italia (2023), U23 world champion EZF (2023-2024), sixth Giro d'Italia and Tour de Suisse (2024), world championship fourth EZF (2024)
TOUR: You had a very successful World Championships and were able to complete your set of medals with bronze in the U23 classification of the women's race - after gold in the U23 time trial and silver with the mixed relay. What is your balance sheet?
Antonia Niedermaier: All in all, it was a successful World Championships for me. I am happy with my results. The road race was extremely demanding. It was super cold the whole time. That's not the kind of weather I like. Under the circumstances that came together here mentally and physically, we achieved a good result at the end. It was more important today to get to the finish in one piece without crashing.
TOUR: You hint at the mental strain caused by the death of the young racer from Switzerland ...
Antonia Niedermaier: It was difficult to get that out of your head when you're travelling on the same track where someone had an accident. You could tell during the race that the girls were all driving carefully.
TOUR: You were able to defend your title as U23 world champion in the individual time trial and only just missed out on a medal in the elite category. Does the joy at what you have achieved outweigh the disappointment at narrowly missing out?
Antonia Niedermaier: I really wanted to defend the world champion's jersey in the individual time trial - I managed that well. But I didn't expect to ride so well in the elite. Of course, there is a drop of sadness that I missed out on the podium. But I was super happy with my performance. I couldn't have ridden a metre more at the finish. I'm super happy that I was able to defend the U23 title.
TOUR: And then the heart-stopping final for the World Championship title in the mixed relay ...
Antonia Niedermaier: 0.8 seconds, that's obviously super close and annoying, but I think we got everything out of it as a team. Unfortunately, we lost Franzi (Franziska Koch, editor's note) relatively quickly, but she made a really fast and speedy start. The plan was for her to ride longer. And Lilly (Liane Lippert) unfortunately had a bit of a stomach problem. That's why I rode in front most of the time, which of course costs time and energy. If everything had gone a little more smoothly, we could have made up the 0.8 seconds.
TOUR: Now you have the rainbow jersey of the world champion, which you can never wear in the race because there are no time trials for the U23 women. What do you do with the jersey?
Antonia Niedermaier: It's a shame that you can't wear it in races. I would like to see more time trials during the season.
TOUR: How will you handle it?
Antonia Niedermaier: I'm the world time trial champion. That's why I only wear it in training when I'm on the time trial bike. And I'm still proud of it.
TOUR: You have made an enormous leap in performance this year. How do you rate that yourself?
Antonia Niedermaier: The World Championships were one of my season highlights - the plan was that my form would be good there, also because I knew that the course suited me. But I didn't think I would be so strong. I think I can also be confident for road races and approach them with courage.
TOUR: How do you explain your development? In the past, you were often set back by crashes, injuries and operations.
Antonia Niedermaier: We've made my training a bit more intensive this year, I've done more volume training. I'm still young - you make progress every year and can do a bit more every year. And I learn something new every time in terms of technique and race tactics. I'm also getting better and better at technical time trials and have more courage - especially on descents and in corners.
TOUR: Among the men, many time trial specialists are often tall and strong. You are 1.63 metres tall and weigh 52 kilograms. What is the secret of your success in the time trial?
Antonia Niedermaier: I can't answer that exactly. I believe that I am physically very well equipped, that I can handle it mentally and that I can also struggle very well on my own. I learnt that from ski mountaineering and mountain running, that I'm fully with myself, in the tunnel. And because I'm very small, I'm also very aerodynamic. I think a lot of training, hard work and mental strength are crucial when it comes to time trialling.
TOUR: You only switched from mountain running and ski mountaineering to cycling a few years ago because of knee problems. Now you put a lot of pressure on the pedals. What problems do your knees cause in cycling?
Antonia Niedermaier: None at all - fortunately! Since my second knee operation in February last year, I haven't had any problems at all.
TOUR: What drives you in cycling?
Antonia Niedermaier: It's super interesting how far you can push yourself, how much mental strength is behind it. That fascinates me again and again. And my Canyon//SRAM team is like a second family to me. The successes with the team are the best.
TOUR: How important are mountains to you? You come from near Rosenheim and now live in Tyrol in Austria ...
Antonia Niedermaier: I'm naturally very spoilt because I grew up very close to the mountains. I couldn't imagine my life outside the mountains. My home means a lot to me. You'll never get me away from there. When I come home from a race and see the mountains, I'm really happy. It's a place of peace for me, where I can sort out my thoughts and recharge my batteries.
TOUR: Moving to warmer climes or to the heights of Andorra is out of the question for you?
Antonia Niedermaier: No, I want to stay in Austria or Germany. That's my corner.
TOUR: You now know more about your potential in cycling. What are your plans for the next few years? Your first start in the Tour de France?
Antonia Niedermaier: I hope to be there next year - I would definitely be motivated to take part. It's also a goal for me to achieve a good result in the Tour de France. You have to wait a bit, be patient and put in a lot of hard work and training.
TOUR: Ralph Denk and Willi Bruckbauer - the team boss of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and the owner of Bora - also have their roots in your home club RSV Götting-Bruckmühl. When will you start lobbying them for a women's racing team?
Antonia Niedermaier: I don't think I can do that much about it. I actually know Ralph quite well - he's a good friend of my dad. I think he's a bit of a fan of women's cycling. At least he writes me congratulations. But I'm not going to use any persuasive powers to convince him. He has to think it's cool on his own.
TOUR: The next winter is just around the corner. What role will ski mountaineering still play for you in the future?
Antonia Niedermaier: I still want to do something, but not as intensively as before. I don't have the time because the cycling season starts again relatively early. If things work out, I'll take part in a few races as the mood takes me.
TOUR: What role does it play as training for cycling?
Antonia Niedermaier: It's good balance training. It's fun, you're out in the fresh air, in the mountains. I couldn't imagine a winter without ski touring.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
