Anna Kiesenhofer will join the Lotto Soudal Ladies team next year. The 25-year-old Austrian rider participated in triathlons and duathlons till three years ago, but an injury made her choose for cycling. At first she took part in cyclosportives, at the end of 2015 she decided to start road racing. This season Anna rode for the Catalan team Frigoríficos Costa Brava – Naturalium and not without success: she won the Copa de España and a mountain stage to Mont Ventoux at the Tour de l’Ardèche, where she got second on GC.
Anna Kiesenhofer: “I started focussing on cycling after I had an injury. I decided to ride some cyclosportives. My friends told me I should start racing and so I did. As of this year, I started racing on a higher level. My Spanish team participated in national races, but I also rode the Tour de l’Ardèche.”
“I set some beautiful results this year. I knew from riding with a powermeter that my numbers were quite good, but when you race in a peloton it’s intimidating at first as you think everyone is much stronger than you. On paper it looked like I was able to do well, but it’s a different thing in reality. I couldn’t believe it when I won on Mont Ventoux, that was so incredible.”
“I discovered my love for climbing by riding cyclosportives and doing long trainings in the mountains. Next season, I want to perform well in hilly races and mountainous races. I like time trialling as well. It’s an honest discipline, it all comes down to your own strength. With my climbing and time trial skills I should be able to set good results in stage races in the future. Like I did this year in the Ardèche.”
“I also want to learn everything else about cycling. That will definitely be the case at Lotto Soudal, with all the knowhow the team has. I’m looking forward to racing in Belgium. The Flèche Wallonne should suit me. I’m sure I will be able to develop myself further at Lotto Soudal.”
Photos: VCVRA (Vélo Club Vallée du Rhône Ardéchoise)