Professional cyclist Lennard Kämna in an interview: "I have to work my way up there first"

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At the age of 22, Lennard Kämna , 22 years old, is one of Germany's biggest cycling talents ever since his World and European Champion titles in the time trial in youth. At his first Tour de France this year, he finished 40th place and was second best German behind Emanuel Buchmann. Just a few days before the start of the Germany tour on Thursday, Buchmann's team Bora-Hansgrohe announced the commitment of Kämna as of next year.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Kämna, a few days ago your change from Team Sunweb to Bora-Hansgrohe became known. You said you want to take the next step there. What does that mean in concrete terms?

Kämna: I want to improve in the time trial, because I have weakened a bit in the last few years. The same is true for mountain driving. Since I want to confirm my performance of this year and maybe further expand.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why are the chances for Bora better than Sunweb?

Kämna: I do not know if I can say directly that the chances are much better than Sunweb. I think I have fair chances with both teams. That was a gut feeling that made me decide to change.

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SPIEGEL ONLINE: Specifically, the exchange rumors were after the Tour de France, which went very well for you. In particular, your performances on the last Pyrenees stage, when you finished sixth, and at the Galibier in the Alps, when you finished fourth, were impressive.

Kämna: I totally surprised myself. I knew I was in good shape, well trained and able to achieve a good finish in a breakaway group. But that it often goes so well, I would not have expected.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you have good contact with top rider Tom Dumoulin at Sunweb?

Kämna: This year I had relatively little contact with him because we had very different racing programs. It's not like I'm calling him and asking how he's doing, or the other way around. We get along well, but that's a professional relationship.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Even at a young age you were certified great talent. But last year you also experienced a setback and had to take a break of several weeks. what happened there?

Kämna: I had a lot of health problems at the beginning of the year. I walked from one illness to the next. I then burned myself and was mentally exhausted, so I said I need a break from competitive sports. That was six or seven weeks that I was not on the bike. Can you also call summer holidays. Then I got back in normal and was a bit fresher in the head. Since then it's going better.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Last week, Marcel Kittel ended his career. He said he had lost fun and motivation and talked about mental issues. Was your situation comparable?

Kämna: No. Marcel Kittels and my situation are very different because my break was a consequence of many illnesses and setbacks. I felt like I had to give my body that break because it was too much. I think Marcel Kittel has come together a lot, which in the end meant that he did not want to drive anymore. That was not a disease-related trigger, it was more mental stuff. They also came from my physical weaknesses, but at a different level.

• Professional cyclist Marcel Kittel points out: "I have lost all motivation to torture myself on the bike."

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Kittel said that in his view, his team Katusha-Alpecin had put too much pressure on him. Now, after the strong Tour de France, expectations may rise. How do you deal with that?

Kämna: I think I'll handle that well. But I also think that the pressure will not be too great because we have a lot of other very good drivers in the team. First of all, I have to work my way up because I am a bit lower in the hierarchy. Therefore, it will be perfectly legitimate that I will not get the big results in the beginning.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: You seemed very euphoric after the heavy Galibier stage. What do you find great about torturing the mountains?

Kämna: It's been like that since my childhood days. What I followed as a kid was the mountain stages in the Tour de France, the breakaway groups, the whole game. That's what fascinated me about cycling and why I said I want to do it on a performance-related basis. And being there at the front is what I've always dreamed of, so that made me very happy.

Check out this post on Instagram

Curtains closed. Awesome three weeks came to an end on sunday. My first @letourdefrance what a good one and it will not be forgotten quickly. So my part time marriage with @roche_nicholas ❤️ #alleidenbock

A post shared by Lennard Kämna (@lennardkaemna) on Jul 31, 2019 at 7:37 PDT

SPIEGEL ONLINE: You are a pretty good time and mountain rider, two components that make up a good rider. Do you want to become one?

Kämna: I think so, that I want to go in the direction of overall classification. But first only for one-week tours to prove myself there and out top ten results. And whether it will be enough for more or not, you will see.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: At Bora-Hansgrohe, Emanuel Buchmann already drives a very strong round driver. Have there been any plans for the coming year in the contract talks? Are you going back to the Tour de France?

Kämna: No, I do not know yet. We briefly talked about what one, two cool races would be. But we have not talked about the Tour de France or the race program for next year. That's all in October and November.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: From Thursday is the German tour for you. Will you say goodbye to Sunweb?

Kämna: Afterwards I am still at the Münsterland-Giro and in a race in China. So I still have a good program. I want to drive as well as I can, and be a loyal helper. I just want to race, as always.