Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer becomes a trainer at Picnic Postnl!

Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer becomes a trainer at Picnic Postnl!

Anna Kiesenhofer, the Austrian Olympic champion in the street race of 2021, has taken a new career path. She becomes a trainer at the Dutch team Picnic Postnl. The athlete made this exciting announcement on Monday via her Instagram account. Kiesenhofer sees the new position as an opportunity to put their knowledge into the service of young talents and is looking forward to learning from other experts. At the same time, she is preparing for upcoming time trials. Her decision to get involved as a trainer shows her commitment to cycling, even after her sporting highlight.

Last weekend Kiesenhofer crowned himself in Königswiesen, Upper Austria, the double state champion. She triumphed both in the individual time trial and in the street race. Kiesenhofer ensured a gripping competition in the street race. In the first round, she settled together with Valentina Cavallar. Despite several attempts to overtake Cavallar in the last round, Kiesenhofer remained confident and won with an impressive solo victory. With this she secured the title for the second time after she had already triumphed in 2019. Both athletes, Kiesenhofer and Cavallar, not only separates their sporting ambition, but also the main association Cookina Graz.

challenging year and Olympic dreams

The return to the top comes for Kiesenhofer after a disappointing year 2022, in which she had missed the title in Judendorf. However, Valentina Cavallar, who started in Tokyo for Austria in 2021, had recently had to take a defeat in the mountain ranking with the Itzulia Women. Kiesenhofer emphasized that it was "really cool" to be able to wear the master jersey again. With a professional contract with Arkéa - B&B Hotels Women since April she has established herself in the cycling scene.

In the men's race, Alexander Hajek won in the finish sprint with a second lead in front of Felix Großschartner. Riccardo Zoidl secured third place. These exciting developments underline the high level of competitiveness in Austrian cycling. The official nomination for the Olympic Games in Paris will be sent to the Austrian Olympic Committee by the association on Tuesday. A possible candidate who could support Kiesenhofer on the way to the Olympic TriiumPH is Christina Schweinberger, who was third.

The Olympic Adventure in Paris

In the meantime, the cyclists are preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris, which will take place in the coming year. Women's street races in the Olympics will be a crucial moment because the successor to Kiesenhofer is sought. At the games in August 2024, the US driver Kristen Faulkner will go into the race as a favorite after winning the gold medal in the street race. Silver went to Marianne Vos from the Netherlands while Belgian Lotte Kopecky won bronze.

The competition will be strong, with drivers such as VOS and Kopecky on the hunt for medals. In Paris, Kiesenhofer will not only be present as an athlete, but also strategically through her new coaching role alongside the next generation of cycling. Her return and commitment underline that she remains a central figure in Austrian cycling.