Interview with Nils Politt
TOUR: Last season you could see the old Nils Politt, the one who gets excellent results out of his potential. Was that also the best season for you so far with the Podium in Flanders, Fourth place in Roubaix and impressive performances for Tadej Pogačar in his Tour victory?
Nils Politt: Definitely. I slipped into the team really well, felt good at the first races in Mallorca and simply realised that I had made a step over the winter. And that's how I got into a flow that I already had in 2019...
TOUR: ... when you finished second in Roubaix ...
Nils Politt: ...and then it went a bit by itself.
TOUR: Looking back, that sounds perfect. You seemed downright liberated after some rather mixed years at Bora-Hansgrohe. Have you blossomed as a result of the team change?
Nils Politt: (Politt laughs, thinks a little) Well, as I said, I feel very comfortable here. I think the mentality in the team is great. And of course it's also a bit easier when you're riding in the most successful team in the world. I also realise that it's better for me personally when the pressure isn't on me alone, but is spread across the team. Then my head is a bit freer.
Harmony in the team
TOUR: How is that noticeable in the race?
Nils Politt: 2024 at the Classics was simply harmonious with Tim Wellens. We talked a lot, forged a lot of ideas. He's a very clever rider and you can try out a lot of things with him. He always stands behind his opinion, just like me. And it was an extremely good match.
TOUR: Can you give some examples of this?
Nils Politt: At the Nieuwsblad (Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, in which Politt finished secondHe said: "Watch out, I'm trying to prepare an attack here now and if you get away, you get away." At the next race, I then said: "Watch out, yesterday was my day, today is your day."
TOUR: That was exactly 24 hours later, and Wellens came second. Does that mean that the power density is an advantage for everyone in the team? And the enormous strength of Tadej Pogačar, who perhaps also plays on this in training, doesn't put pressure on your mind?
Nils Politt: No, not at all. It's extremely relaxed, extremely laid-back. Tadej is like that too. We have a lot of fun together on the bike. And well, he lets us suffer a little now and again.
New training methods
TOUR: What has changed for you in training?
Nils Politt: Some new things have been added, such as heat training and training at high altitude. That also worked well. I also have to say that I've never prepared for a tour in such detail before. I wasn't somehow pushed into races that I said I didn't know whether they were one hundred per cent suitable for my preparation. Everything can be discussed in the team and you are open to everything. Of course, some things can't be changed, but many things were changed for me, such as simply putting in a training block or training specifically for the classics. We then also worked specifically towards the tour. After the classics, I only rode Frankfurt and the Dauphine and then the Tour. So I was super fresh for the Tour and I think that simply made a big difference.
Between helper and
TOUR: What do you actually enjoy more: riding hard in the classics, which really suit you, or giving your all for Tadej in the mountains?
Nils Politt: I like both. I think it's a good change to go all out in the classics first. And then I actually like being a helper and getting everything out of my body to give the best possible performance for a team. And that was a lot of fun for me at the Tour this year and I think everyone was able to see that on TV.
TOUR: Do the UAE helpers have the ambition to exceed the team management's targets in the race? That you don't just lead the agreed first two thirds of the climb, but mobilise everything to get over the crest from the front?
Nils Politt: We're all pretty open with each other. And we got on extremely well on the tour this year. We just knew what we were doing. For example, Tim Wellens didn't have a good day on the Tourmalet. It wasn't planned that I would ride completely from the front. But then you just jump into the breach and pull it off.
Nils Politt on his goals for the 2025 cycling season
TOUR: What are your goals for the coming season?
Nils Politt: I just want to pick up where I left off and try to win a road race.
TOUR: So second place in the Tour of Flanders, third place in Roubaix and victory in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad?
Nils Politt: Yes, that would be nice. But let's just see how it works.
TOUR: Are you relieved that Tadej Pogačar has ruled out Paris-Roubaix, at least for 2025, so that there should be more room for you on the team?
Nils Politt: Of course, our own goals take a back seat when he is at the start. But I don't see that as a problem in terms of not being able to achieve good results ourselves. At the Tour of Flanders, for example, we had four people in the top ten. I think good Classics results are still possible, even if Tadej is at the start. And having a leader like him also means that you are even more concentrated, even more focussed. And when he's at the front, you can relax and the pressure is completely on the other teams.
TOUR: Pogačar's victories last season were met with a lot of admiration, but criticism and doubts about his performances have also increased. How do you deal with this yourself?
Nils Politt: I see him every day and I train with him every day here at the camp. He is simply an extremely strong rider, an exceptional case with this talent and this agility. You can tell the difference even in the off-season.
TOUR: What difference?
Nils Politt: Anyone who tries something in training is already hard on the tap. And they enjoy cycling. And you notice that he always has that extra ten or fifteen per cent.
