Pssst! The latest insider news: Christian Knees before his Tour de France debut

 29/06/2024

 Dear Team MILRAM Fans,

The Tour de France is just around the corner. And I’ll be there! The fact that it has actually worked out and that I’ll be a part of the action in France is something that I wasn’t really expecting at the beginning of the season, although the first half of the season on a ProTour team went really well for me. My year began with the Tour of Qatar, and then continued with the Ruta del Sol, before the first season highlights of Tirreno – Adriatico and Milan – San Remo took place. I was part of the team at those races, and had to prepare the sprints for Erik or Alessandro, or make sure that the sprints came about. I really like this task, and it’s give your best for some of the best sprinters in the world.

During the spring I also got my freedom and was able to ride for wins. I first tried it at the Pfeil von Brabant race, but I ended up attacking too early and unfortunately the gap was closed. But it was there that I noticed that I was in good shape and that I had a chance to obtain some good results in the races. The Rund um Köln race the day after Easter was the most important race for me up to that point, mostly because it takes place in the region where I’m from. And the race was just as important for our sponsor, MILRAM. It was the first time that they were able to follow the team at an important race in Germany. So I just wanted to ride well and support our two sprinters. But things turned out otherwise, and I was able to make the most out of the situation by winning the race! That thought had never crossed my mind beforehand. It was a great success for me and of course for the entire Team MILRAM as well.

The next big challenge was the Giro d’Italia in May. Once again, it was my role to prepare the sprints for Alessandro Petacchi. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from the race after his crash. Because of that, the rest of the race wasn’t very difficult for me. I even felt really good during the last week. It was at the Giro that the team’s athletic directors first approached me and asked if I thought I was capable of handling the Tour. “Of course I can do it,” was my response. But I also know that it will be a lot of hard work. A lot can happen in three weeks. One bad day and already you’re struggling to make the time limit.

But I accept the challenge. After all, it’s like a reward for the work I’ve done so far. The athletic directors saw that I have been working hard for the team. I’m very happy that my performance was acknowledged and rewarded.

I’ve been intensively training for the Tour de France, primarily in the Italian Alps. I know that area well, from the time I spent there with the national team. We used to ride in the area a lot with Peter Weibel. I’ve been training for two weeks in Livigno and the surrounding area. I climbed 2,500 metres every day for two weeks. I hope that I’m now fit for the Grande Boucle, the biggest event that a racing cyclist can participate in.

I returned to Germany just before the German Championships in Klingenthal. I’ll enjoy the rest of the days at home until I head for France on Wednesday.

Keep your fingers crossed for all of us on Team MILRAM!

Christian