“There would be no one like me today”: Hollenstein is our cycling dinosaur

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He drives and drives and doesn’t get tired. “Cycling is my passion. I love what I do,” says Reto Hollenstein (38). Thurgau, who comes from Sirnach, has been doing this at the highest level for 15 years. If you add up the racing kilometers alone, he orbited the Earth almost four times. ‘I never thought about that. But it’s strange to hear it like that. It shows what the human body is capable of.”

At 38 years old, Hollenstein is the oldest Swiss in the WorldTour. He’s our cycling dinosaur! The name doesn’t bother him. On the contrary: “I am proud that I have been there for so many years. Not everyone believed I could do that, but I kept fighting. And of course, even at 38, I am still good enough,” says the professional from the Israel-Premier Tech team, smiling.

He works for others – and does it with pleasure

When you look at the numbers from Hollenstein’s career, it’s easy to get lost in them – there are a ton of them. But one thing is immediately noticeable: there is a zero. The cycling giant (1.97 m) did not win any of the 1052 races. In 2016, he fell four seconds short of winning the Tour of Belgium, became Swiss vice-champion in the time trial twice and finished ninth against the clock at the 2016 World Championships in Doha.

“I am quite good in many areas of cycling, but not excellent in anything. I realized that early on.” The result? He decided to become the best helper possible. “Others did not want to serve their captains, but did their own thing. Many of them are no longer there.”

“That’s too bad”

Hollenstein’s work ethic, conscientiousness and loyalty were and are valued in the professional circus. He continued to receive contracts even as his teams faded into thin air (2016 IAM, 2019 Katusha). His reputation preceded him: whoever brought Hollenstein knew exactly what he would get.

Hollenstein’s entry into sports was also special: he trained as an electrician, rode a bicycle, was an artistic gymnast and went into military service. At age 23, he was still working 50 percent. “Today we rely almost exclusively on young drivers. I think that’s a shame. In any case, there is no one else like me, with my path in life.”

Most recently, Hollenstein fell during the European Championship road race, hurting his ribs and thumb. “It’s not that bad,” he says. Instead of the Swiss time trial championship in Gansingen AG, he will compete in several races in Italy.

And then? Hollenstein does not yet have a contract for next year. “I did my best this year too,” he is convinced. “But unfortunately, people are increasingly looking at how old someone is instead of their work. In any case, I would like to keep driving.”

Source : Blick