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Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, an beginner on the time, despatched shockwaves via each the biking and wider sporting communities when she received Olympic gold within the ladies’s highway race at Tokyo 2020. It was a narrative for the ages as she crossed the road 75 seconds forward of Annemiek van Vleuten, who herself celebrated with out realising the gold had already been claimed.
Within the course of, Austria’s first summer season Olympic gold since 2004 and their first in biking in 125 years was received.
Kiesenhofer has gone from beginner to skilled within the years that adopted, now racing with Israel-Premier Tech Roland. The historic gold has, nonetheless, added a weight of expectation that has considerably marred her tenure as reigning Olympic champion.
“To be trustworthy, it did have an effect on the expectations each from different individuals and myself. Myself not that a lot as a result of I do know that, genetically, I have never modified for the reason that Olympics. It is simply that different individuals know me now, however I am the identical individual that I used to be earlier than. It would not make sense to suppose that now, magically, my watts will massively go up solely as a result of I’ve an Olympic gold medal; that is not the case, however individuals suppose that,” Kiesenhofer stated in an unique interview with Cyclingnews.
“It is virtually like a reproach once I solely got here fifteenth or no matter, individuals suppose it is best to win since you’re the Olympic champion – it simply would not make sense in any respect. I have never essentially modified as an individual, my genetic make-up is similar. It was generally onerous to take care of that as a result of something I did was framed as a disappointment – everybody was measuring it with Olympic gold,” she defined candidly.
“I’ve type of come to phrases with it, and I simply have a look at myself and my progress. Possibly I’ve come full circle to how I used to be earlier than the Olympic Video games. It was very a lot the identical: taking a look at my very own progress and never getting distracted by what different persons are doing or saying.”
Whereas the victory will stay one of many biggest in Olympic historical past, Kiesenhofer admits that, maybe in contrast to others, the dream of turning into an Olympian, not to mention a gold medalist, was by no means a lifelong ambition.
“Earlier than Tokyo, I did not actually purchase into the hype across the Olympics,” she stated truthfully. “It’d sound a bit unusual, but it surely was by no means a childhood dream of mine to turn out to be an Olympian. Now that I am extra within the sports activities bubble earlier than I used to be an beginner, and now I am an expert bike owner, I see the worth extra as a result of all people needs to be on the Olympics. In that sense, there’s type of extra motivation to be there simply because I see how a lot all people needs to be there, I see extra of the hype.”
The Austrian signed an expert contract in 2023 with Israel-Premier Tech Roland which has given her a primary style of constantly racing on the high degree and being immersed inside a workforce.
The 32-year-old was beforehand on the books at Lotto Soudal Women again in 2017, though she admits that the change within the biking panorama, in addition to her private circumstances since, have meant that her latest contract has supplied a contrasting expertise.
“On the whole, ladies’s biking has simply developed a lot, so it’s totally onerous to check. In 2017, once I signed with Lotto Soudal, I did not really do many races as a result of I used to be in a nasty second in my life on the whole. I wasn’t actually match sufficient to race neither mentally nor bodily, so it wasn’t actually a correct expertise,” she stated.
“This yr was my first yr racing at this degree towards one of the best on the earth in a number of highway races, not simply the Olympic Video games. It was fully totally different from what I had executed earlier than. The entire workforce dynamics, racing towards the massive groups, all of that type of factor, I would by no means had this publicity earlier than.”
It was a blended season this yr for Kiesenhofer nonetheless, within the latter half, the time trial, now her most popular self-discipline, was the place she actually shone. She ended the season on the high of the rostrum at Chrono des Nations and Chrono Gatineau and moreover added a fourth Austrian ITT title to her palmarès in June.
“The primary half [of the 2023 season] was very onerous for me, however I feel that is additionally regular as a result of it was my first yr racing at that degree, so it was a little bit of a shock to the system. That additionally made it a terrific expertise, and I realized a lot regardless that it was robust.
“The second half was very a lot targeted on time trialling, which has been my favorite self-discipline for a few years now. I acquired some good outcomes there, in order that additionally made me completely happy on the result aspect of issues. The primary half was actually about studying, after which the second half, I additionally had some outcomes,” she stated on reflection.
Earlier than signing for Israel-Premier Tech Roland, she loved a quick stint with Soltec, which allowed her to race on the 2022 Ceratizit Problem by La Vuelta – a race which turned out to be one in all her favorite racing reminiscences within the years after her Olympic victory and spurred her on to proceed racing.
“I actually appreciated the 2022 Vuelta. I wasn’t actually in a UCI workforce final yr however I signed with Soltec for a brief interval to be able to race the Vuelta. That was type of a enjoyable race as a result of I do not know why, however I simply felt actually robust bodily. I did not actually get any nice outcomes, but it surely was enjoyable to be within the combine and assault and really feel robust. I went on this loopy breakaway, 160kms by myself, and it felt cool to race like that, and it was additionally my motivation for giving highway racing one other go.”
Her learnings prior to now two years have spanned past skilled racing, and the significance of simplicity is one which has been significantly bolstered.
“Typically confirming that what I had been doing was really proper within the sense now I’ve extra alternatives [has been important]. I might do a number of fancy stuff, for instance, with coaching and utilizing many fancy instruments, after which I realised that a whole lot of that’s really a distraction. Simply doing the fundamentals like I did earlier than Tokyo is definitely crucial factor. Being a minimalist regardless of the brand new alternatives is one thing I’ve realized since Tokyo.”
As eyes flip to Paris 2024, now simply seven months away, Kiesenhofer has her sights set on the time trial reasonably than defending the highway race title this time round.
“Austria has two locations for the time trial and for the highway race. That is actually cool as a result of I really like time trialling. I hope I can get one in all these two spots, then, my focus will likely be extra on the time trial. I do not need to put any stress on myself, and as I stated, the primary focus for myself would be the TT. Nonetheless, now we have one other very robust Austrian, Christina Schweinberger.
“Within the highway race, will probably be extra about supporting her as a result of I feel on this course she has significantly better possibilities than I’ve. The time trial, I like all time trial, so I will be high-quality!
“The highway race, on paper, would not actually play into my playing cards. In fact, if all people has forgotten who I’m, then I can win once more [she laughs], however on paper, it ought to go well with Christina. We will definitely battle for the medals,” she added proudly.
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