It seemed like a flying start when Marius Mayrhofer made headlines in January 2023. Just 22 years old, he sprinted to victory in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. An exclamation mark - after all, it was the first one-day race in the programme of the most important cycling race series, the World Tour. An indication of a great personal future - and that German cycling can expect a new type of winner. However, two years later it remains the only victory as a professional for the racer from Tübingen. He believes he knows his strengths: "When I'm in good form, it's definitely these high-profile races where it comes to a sprint at the end." Sprints from small groups, chasing stage wins - that's what German fans can look forward to with this racer. His strengths have not been lost, but they have not led to the next big success recently. That should change.
First goal of the season: the classics on cobblestones
And he would like to make an exclamation mark this spring. "I want to perform in the classics. My personal goal is to develop towards the cobbled classics. I have the confidence that I can be successful there," he says about perhaps his most important goal of the season and his long-term development opportunities. The serious preparation for this begins with his first races of the season in Spain, at the GP Castellon (25 January) and the GP Valencia the following day.
Uncertain starting options
This year, the young German has not even competed in Australia, just like his current team - and it is not yet certain which races he and his new team will be able to compete in. He has been riding in the Tudor Pro Cycling Team jersey since last season. The team from Switzerland only has a second-class international licence as a pro team - and therefore no guaranteed right to start in the most important races such as Australia, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix or the Tour de France. The team of owner Fabian Cancellara has to hope for invitations from the organisers. "We just can't plan properly yet," says Mayrhofer, aware of the disadvantages for a pro team that has to hope for wildcard invitations from the organisers for the most important races of the year. With his previous employer, the World Tour team DSM, the starting opportunities for the team and riders were secure in the long term. Nevertheless, he has not regretted the change. On the contrary. "I am extremely happy here at Tudor and feel very comfortable," he emphasises.
Top stars as new team-mates
The year could set an important course for the 24-year-old Swabian. The following questions will be answered: Is he the type to win big races? Or will he possibly have to settle into the second row at the up-and-coming racing team? Is the talent enough for the absolute top of the world? These are questions that every young professional cyclist who has to find his place in the team and peloton in his first few years has to ask himself. In general. And perhaps in particular at Tudor. After all, the team has signed two top stars for the new season in Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi. Basically, this changes the hierarchy in the team, and it changes the opportunities that other riders get to ride on their own account. However, the new additions not only mean stronger competition internally, it also means better chances of competing in top races. In its fourth year of existence, Tudor is considered a possible candidate for a wildcard at the Tour de France for the first time. "Of course I dream of riding the Tour sooner or later, as probably pretty much every racing cyclist does," says Mayrhofer about the improved prospects. Whether this will happen is uncertain for the team and rider - the race organiser has not yet distributed its invitations for 2025.
Enthusiasm for the classics on cobblestones
Mayrhofer's advantage: The two top newcomers are unlikely to have any great ambitions in the races that Mayrhofer favours: the spring races on the cobbles. Alaphilippe and Hirschi are more likely to be favourites in the following, more mountainous races in the Ardennes. That should be fine with the young German. The climbs in the Ardennes seem too long for his strengths. And prioritising the stars for other races improves his chances of starting on the pavé: "What I like about these races: It's about more than just pure performance. When I watch a mountain time trial, at the end of the day the only thing that counts is watts per kilo! Watts per kilo! You can't compensate for that with something else like bike handling or tactics," says the professional cyclist. If it doesn't work out in the spring, he has other goals. Mayrhofer is focussing on a start in the Deutschland Tour, where experience has shown that the routes offer good chances of success for a racer with his abilities.
Teething problems in the new team
The most important goal for 2025: to be better and more successful than before. The first year at Tudor was difficult: crash and broken ribs at Tirreno-Adriatico, withdrawal from the Giro after illness. "I got off to a good start last year. I could or should have won races. I just lacked that little bit of luck," summarises the professional cyclist. He finished second in the Trofeo Andratx on Mallorca in January 2024 and third in Wout van Aert's stage win at the Tour of the Algarve in February. "The competition doesn't sleep either. Nuances can make a difference as to whether you're at the front," he emphasises in view of narrowly missing out on victories.
Marius Mayrhofer as Junior: First pursuer of Remco Evenepoel
Mayrhofer didn't come out of nowhere at the race in Australia. At the 2018 World Cycling Championships on the difficult course around Innsbruck, he won silver in the junior road race behind Remco Evenepoel. "Second is the first loser," he still says years later. He has high expectations of himself. He wants to get back to the top, to be first. After his victory in Australia, he cried with happiness - and was ashamed of himself shortly afterwards in the TOUR interview a little in return: "Looking back, it's unpleasant to see these pictures of myself. I say to myself: I wish you'd pulled yourself together a bit more! But it happened. I had a tough time behind me - it was just a very, very nice moment to win a race right at the start of the year. All that pressure falls away in a millisecond at the finish line. I've wanted to win a pro race for so long." Let's see what he looks like after his next victory, which would also come after a long dry spell.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
