Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer, an novice on the time, despatched shockwaves by means of each the biking and wider sporting communities when she gained Olympic gold within the girls’s street 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 time Olympic gold since 2004 and their first in biking in 125 years was gained.
Kiesenhofer has gone from novice to skilled within the years that adopted, now racing with Israel-Premier Tech Roland. The historic gold has, nevertheless, added a weight of expectation that has considerably marred her tenure as reigning Olympic champion.
“To be sincere, it did have an effect on the expectations each from different folks and myself. Myself not that a lot as a result of I do know that, genetically, I have not modified because the Olympics. It is simply that different folks know me now, however I am the identical person who I used to be earlier than. It would not make sense to assume 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 folks assume that,” Kiesenhofer stated in an unique interview with Cyclingnews.
“It is virtually like a reproach after I solely got here fifteenth or no matter, folks assume you need to win since you’re the Olympic champion – it simply would not make sense in any respect. I have not essentially modified as an individual, my genetic make-up is identical. It was typically arduous to cope with 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 sort of come to phrases with it, and I simply take 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: my very own progress and never getting distracted by what different individuals are doing or saying.”
Whereas the victory will stay one of many biggest in Olympic historical past, Kiesenhofer admits that, maybe not like others, the dream of changing 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 actually. “It would sound a bit unusual, however it 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 novice, and now I am an expert bike owner, I see the worth extra as a result of all people desires to be on the Olympics. In that sense, there’s sort of further motivation to be there simply because I see how a lot all people desires 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 persistently racing on the prime degree and being immersed inside a group.
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 current contract has supplied a contrasting expertise.
“Typically, girls’s biking has simply developed a lot, so it is very arduous to match. In 2017, after I signed with Lotto Soudal, I did not truly do many races as a result of I used to be in a foul second in my life basically. 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 in opposition to the very best on this planet in a number of street races, not simply the Olympic Video games. It was utterly completely different from what I had executed earlier than. The entire group dynamics, racing in opposition to the massive groups, all of that sort of factor, I would by no means had this publicity earlier than.”
It was a blended season this yr for Kiesenhofer nevertheless, 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 prime 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 arduous 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 an amazing expertise, and I realized a lot although 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 received some good outcomes there, in order that additionally made me pleased on the result facet 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 short 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 favored the 2022 Vuelta. I wasn’t actually in a UCI group final yr however I signed with Soltec for a brief interval so as to race the Vuelta. That was sort 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, however it 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 street racing one other go.”
Her learnings previously two years have spanned past skilled racing, and the significance of simplicity is one which has been significantly bolstered.
“Generally confirming that what I had been doing was truly proper within the sense now I’ve extra alternatives [has been important]. I may do a number of fancy stuff, for instance, with coaching and utilizing many fancy instruments, after which I realised that lots of that’s truly a distraction. Simply doing the fundamentals like I did earlier than Tokyo is definitely an important 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 quite than defending the street race title this time round.
“Austria has two locations for the time trial and for the street 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 wish to put any strain on myself, and as I stated, the primary focus for myself would be the TT. Nonetheless, we’ve one other very robust Austrian, Christina Schweinberger.
“Within the street race, it is going to be extra about supporting her as a result of I feel on this course she has a lot better probabilities than I’ve. The time trial, I like all time trial, so I will be advantageous!
“The street 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 swimsuit Christina. We will definitely struggle for the medals,” she added proudly.
