Interview Franziska Koch: The German road cycling champion finally wants her own successes

About Franziska Koch

Franziska Koch comes from a cycling family in Mettmann, where she grew up as the youngest of four children. Under her maiden name Stegherr, her mother Petra took part in the women's Tour de France twice in the 1980s and finished twelfth in the 1983 World Championships. Her brother Michel, born in 1991, was one of the strongest German cyclists of his age group and was German champion in the junior individual time trial in 2009. He competed for the Italian Cannondale team in 2013 and 2014 - but had to end his professional career at the age of 25 due to a lack of offers. Franziska Koch currently lives in Girona/Spain, where a large community of cyclists has formed. She is in a relationship with Canadian professional cyclist Riley Pickrell, who most recently rode for the Israel-Premier Tech team and is now under contract with Modern Adventure Pro Cycling.

TOUR Franziska, in an interview with ARD after the World Championship race in Rwanda, you said that you know the new world champion Magdeleine Vallières well and owe her a cake. What kind of cake did it turn out to be?

FRANZISKA KOCH I've already baked one, but then I didn't manage to meet Mag. I hope it works out soon after the team training camp. In any case, the cake hasn't been forgotten. We had agreed on chocolate cake.

How do you know each other?

I got to know her through my friend (Canadian professional cyclist Riley Pickrell; editor's note), both of whom used to work at the WCC (the UCI's youth development centre; editor's note). She also lives here in Girona. I am now good friends with her myself. When we are both in Girona, we also train together or go out to eat together.

You took part in the World Championship race and finished a strong twelfth. Were you surprised by your Canadian girlfriend's success?

For many outsiders, she wasn't one of the favourites. But I already knew how strong she was and how well she had prepared for the World Championships. But of course it was a surprise. It's also motivating for me that she became world champion. It showed that races can go differently than you think and that the favourites don't always have to win.

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How do you personally see the 2025 season?

I'm definitely very satisfied. I think I was in the best shape I've ever been in - and I got the chance to show it. For example, with more freedom in the Tour de France. On paper, there was no remarkable result. But for me it was good to know how I could shape the races and how active I could be in a race. My twelfth place at the World Championships was a good result. I surprised myself the most at the European Championships.

They finished fifth on the difficult course - not far from the medal places ...

Yes, it really was a climber's course, I got over the climbs with really good climbers. That definitely gives me self-confidence. I now know what I'm capable of.

In 2019, at the age of 19, you competed for Germany for the first time in the women's road race at the Road World Championships in Harrogate, England. Why did it take you so long to reach the top of the world rankings?

It felt a bit slow for me too. On the other hand, I have to remind myself that 25 is not necessarily old. Of course, the trend these days is that young people are already winning races at 20. They come from the juniors and are directly at the highest level. Of course, looking back I ask myself: why didn't it work out earlier?

And - what conclusion did you come to?

I would say it's always a puzzle. I haven't changed much in the last two years. But I've simply matured. I've grown up more. My view of racing has changed a bit. And I've become a bit lighter, which helps on the climbs. And I haven't been ill for a year and a half, I had a really good winter before that (2024/25)and no major fall during the season. Injuries and illness can cause you to stumble. That was the case from 2019 to 2024. If you can work continuously and don't have any major obstacles in your way, then your body can continue to develop. And everything was also good in my private life. That's always an important piece of the puzzle too. The moments when I'm at my best are always when things are going well in my personal life. Then you have the chance to work in a focussed way without it feeling like work.

You say your view of the races has changed. In what way?

When you're young, you naturally accept that you're just a helper. But at some point I wanted to get closer to the finish line. The inner fire was rekindled.

Why was now the right time to change professional teams for the first time after seven years?

I felt really comfortable in Team Picnic. But sometimes it's like this: if you feel too comfortable, you need a new impulse. I was ready for a change of scenery. Even in training, I can't ride the same lap several days in a row. After seven years in the same team, it was time for a new round.

What was the deciding factor?

I also learnt a lot about myself and needed a team that would give me a bit more freedom. We know from Picnic that they have their structures there. When you come there as a young rider, you can learn a lot. I've reached the point where I want to decide things for myself.

Why did you choose the French team FDJ-Suez?

I've always noticed FDJ for the way they race: very aggressive, especially in the classics. I found that very fascinating because it was a bit of a different approach to what we often had. We usually had a leader who we rode for. And then of course there's the fact that I know Juliette well.

You and Juliette Berthet, née Labous, used to ride together for a long time in your old team ...

The FDJ-Suez team simply has very, very nice girls. The team atmosphere is important to me. And in discussions with team manager Stéphen Delcourt, it became clear that they saw a lot of potential in me. Of course I thought that was great, for example with regard to the time trial, which was always swept under the carpet a bit at Picnic. And with Specialized you also have a good machine under your bum.

They say they are looking for freedom. But it is well known that FDJ is determined to win the Tour de France with Demi Vollering. To what extent does this project play a role - including in your personal plans?

You have to see how your form is closer to the Tour de France. But the goal for me would of course be to be included. It would be mega cool to be on the Tour de France-winning team. It's very motivating to have a good GC rider on the team - even if you know that you'll definitely be riding in the support role and don't necessarily have a chance of winning on the day.

Mum was already a tour participant

You come from a cycling family. Your father, mother and siblings were racing cyclists. How did that influence you?

I was born with passion. Passion is a very good word, it means a deep love for what you do. The bicycle has always played a role in my life. We never travelled anywhere by car. We always took the bike. It was our number one means of transport. When I sprained my ankle once, my parents didn't take me to school by car; I sat on my mum's pannier rack and she took me to school on her bike.

Not bad: they were brought to school on a bike by a Tour de France participant ...

Of course, it's very cool that my mum also rode the Tour de France. It's not that she would brag about it. I first realised it when I was rummaging through an old photo album.

Have you learnt from a photo album that your mother was a successful cyclist under her maiden name Petra Stegherr and took part in the predecessor to today's women's Tour de France in 1985 and 1987?

Yes, there were two pages from my mum and then it said Tour de France. "Hey mum, what's that?" Next to it was the result and I said: "Huh, you came twelfth? That's really cool!"

What did that mean for you as a cyclist?

It helps if the parents can understand what you're doing and how it feels. And I'm also very grateful that they come to so many races to watch. That always gives me a lot.

Female cyclists like your mum used to receive much less attention than female cyclists today. Have you talked to each other about this development?

My mum always says that she never rode professionally back then. It was at the highest level, at world championships and on the tour, but she couldn't earn any money with it. She still did a normal job. That's the biggest difference. Cycling is a real job these days. Fewer and fewer women have part-time jobs. And you notice that in the field too. All women are getting faster and faster, stronger and stronger.

Did you think about career alternatives at the beginning?

I got straight into cycling after school. But my parents said to me: Hey, you need a plan B! I have to laugh now when I hear that my 2019 contract was supposed to have been a professional contract. That's why I tried to do a distance learning programme on the side at the beginning. That didn't work out so well for me. When my parents saw how much stress it was causing me, they thought it was really okay for me to do cycling properly first. That gave me a bit of peace.

Despite your talent, one can understand your parents. Your brother Michel was one of Germany's best young riders, but didn't manage to make a lasting name for himself in professional cycling ...

It influenced my parents a bit more than me. I realised that my parents were a little more cautious. We saw how difficult it was for my brother to find a job. At so many job interviews he had, he was told: "You don't have any professional experience, you're too old at 25." And when my friend was without a contract and the team didn't give him a race, I realised that that also stressed my parents out a bit - because they had seen the same situation with my brother before. A young talent is being shovelled into the ground.

Let's look ahead: Your personal goals for 2026?

It would definitely be a goal to finally stand on the podium at a classic race. That's a dream of mine. Another dream is to win the German champion's jersey for a third time. And otherwise, in principle, to continue to build up my form. I hope that I can pick up where I left off last season. I want to race aggressively again, shape races. That's one reason why I want to race! In the end, it would be nice to win a race. And to become world champion for once, that would be really cool!

Which classics fascinate you?

I like short, crisp climbs, narrow roads, the hustle and bustle. Het Nieuwsblad, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix - these are the three classics that I find very cool. And I almost forgot, because it's new: San Remo is a mega-cool race. For the men, it's known for its length. We women don't have to ride 300 kilometres, but 200 would be pretty cool. To be able to see these four races on my palmarès at some point, that would be cool.