Christina Schweinberger in an interview: "I wanted to prove that I'm worth it"

The Interview was led by Andreas Kublik

TOUR: Please tell us: Did you have to pinch yourself the morning after the individual time trial? After all, the whole world was surprised about your third place behind Chloé Dygert and Grace Brown. Were you too?

Christina Schweinberger: Everyone was surprised - me most of all! It feels strange when I look at the medal lying next to me on the bedside table. I still can't believe it's mine.

TOUR: After the 36.3-kilometre distance, you were 2.1 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Anna Henderson. To what extent was your pacing geared towards winning a medal?

Christina Schweinberger: During the race? Not at all. Stefan Sölkner (the national coach; editor's note) talked to me on the radio, that was great. After the last intermediate time he said: "Christina, this is going to be a mega race. If you can keep going like this, it'll be a top finish!" It was actually about Anna (Olympic road champion Kiesenhofer; editor's note) or me finishing in the top ten so that we could get a second time trial starting place for Austria at the Olympics. At the finish, my sister followed the split times closely, was very happy early on and started crying. I thought to myself: I have to stay calm until the last one crosses the finish line. I've never been on a podium before.

TOUR: The name Schweinberger has not stood for success at world level so far. Why are you so strong now at the age of 26?

Christina Schweinberger: I don't know. I've been asked that several times now. I have no explanation. My sister and I work equally hard. My Fenix-Deceuninck team certainly has a part to play in that. When I didn't have a team in autumn 2021, they gave me the chance. I was grateful and wanted to prove that I was worth it. And I finally stayed healthy last winter. Everything just came together. I hope it continues like this now.

TOUR: It went on well straight away. In the final lap of the World Championship road race, you were in the lead after an attack twelve kilometres before the finish. What goes through your mind at a time like that?

Christina Schweinberger: I've never been in this situation before. Third place in the time trial was certainly a lot of motivation and gave me the confidence that my form was right. I was really happy that I made it to the last lap with the six riders in the first group. I wanted to try something, we had agreed that in the team. I was going for victory - for something really big.

>> All world champions on the road

TOUR: In the end you came fifth - could you have done anything better?

Christina Schweinberger: I don't regret that I tried something. I was a little disappointed at the finish that I didn't manage to win a medal. But in general, I'm proud of my race and satisfied.

TOUR: In the end you were 34 seconds behind the winner, Lotte Kopecky. What do you think of the new world champion?

Christina Schweinberger: I have an incredible amount of respect for her, she is 100 per cent deserving world champion - and not just because of her performance on the day. She's been building up to it all season.

TOUR: Austria is the land of surprises in women's cycling. First Anna Kiesenhofer's Olympic victory two years ago, now your World Championship medal. Have you felt the Kiesenhofer effect?

Christina Schweinberger: The Olympic victory has already given the Austrian association a boost. But my sister Kathrin and I have been supporting each other for a long time. And Lisa Brennauer, who was Kathrin's team-mate last year and with whom we still have a lot of contact, is a great inspiration for us: a great role model as a person and racer. If I can sneak a tip from her, then I'll do it. So it doesn't necessarily have to be Austrian women from whom you get inspiration.

TOUR: Speaking of inspiration: your sister Kathrin is also a professional on the Ceratizit-WNT team. How did cycling start for the Schweinberger sisters?

Christina Schweinberger: We skied from an early age until 2011/2012 and Kathrin was in the Tyrolean national squad. We got into cycling through fitness training in the summer. We would have had to go to boarding school in Saalbach for skiing - but we were too attached to home.

More about Christina Schweinberger

• Born29 October 1996 in Jenbach (Tyrol/Austria)
• Size1.72 metres
• Weight: 67 kilogramme
• Place of residenceJenbach (Tyrol)

Teams

Health Mate-Cyclelive (2018-2019), Doltcini-Van Eyck (2020-2021), Multum Accountants (2022), Plantur-Pura /Fenix-Deceuninck (since 2022)

Successes

Austrian road and EZF champion (2022), fifth in Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Thuringia (2023)