Blind flying cyclist in a time trial: Bissegger drives 60 km/h and hardly sees anything

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Stefan Bissegger (24) is a man of clear words. “I want to win,” he says. At the start of the Tour de Suisse in Einsiedeln, the man from Thurgau is one of the favorites. The competition is fierce: Stefan Küng (29), Remco Evenepoel (23, Be) and Filippo Ganna (26, It) will make life difficult for the European time trial champion. Bissegger is aware of this. “But in the end I only look at myself. When I call my performance, I know I can do it.”

Bissegger’s confidence has not suffered from the broken wrist he suffered in late March ahead of Paris-Roubaix in March. “I recovered from that and have been training for weeks without any problems,” he says. During a training session near his home in Felben-Wellhausen TG, “Muni”, as Bissegger is called because of his sturdy build, explains the secrets of time trials.

“Just Look at My Hands”

The decisive factor here is the body, often referred to as the engine in cycling circles. “If you can’t push the wattage needed, it’s all pointless,” says Bissegger. Aerodynamics are just as important to survive against the clock. The motto is as often as possible: Head down! “Most of the time all I see is my hands and the bike computer. I don’t know what awaits me.”

Bissegger’s athletic director of EF Education follows him in auto races. Without his instructions over the radio, Bissegger wouldn’t stand a chance – he’d drive straight through the slightest turn. The consequences would be fatal. «The time trial is a blind flight. I am often on the road at 50, 60 or even 70 km/h. If the radio broke down I would have to raise my head all the time to look up – the drag would be huge.”

He doesn’t want a scream in his ear

With stronger changes of direction, Bissegger leaves his aero position – he no longer leans on his forearms, but instead holds the handlebars including the brakes with his hands – only in this way can he steer his machine properly. As soon as the turn is over, he lowers his head again. “Even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, sometimes it takes a lot of effort. It’s also always about how early you open for a corner. It’s almost like diving as a kid – you wonder how much longer you can stay underwater.”

By the way: unlike other drivers, Bissegger does not want to be motivated by the sporting director’s radio. “I don’t want to shout in my ear, I want clear instructions and to be kept informed of the splits.” His motto? After the finish there is plenty of time to get rowdy – ideally on the podium.

Source : Blick