Interview Georg Zimmermann: The professional cyclist on the Tour de France, dreams in black, red and gold and the racing bike boom
Andreas Kublik
· 25.02.2026
Georg Zimmermann's racing calendar for spring 2026
4 March Laigueglia
7 March Strade Bianche
9-15 March Tirreno-Adriatico
21 March Milan-Sanremo
6-11 April Basque Country Tour
19 April Amstel Gold Race
22 April Flèche Wallonne
26 April Liège-Bastogne-Liège
TOUR: Georg, you started the season at the Tour Down Under in Australia at the end of January. How did you experience the situation when it came to the headline-grabbing racing accident involving kangaroos?
GEORG ZIMMERMANN: Another serious accident that you could laugh about if bones hadn't been broken again. There have been wildlife accidents in cycle races before, and now it's been caused by a kangaroo. You can't really blame anyone for that.
The eventual overall winner Jay Vine crashed. What happened to you?
The race situation was already tense - and suddenly everyone brakes. I didn't understand what was going on. And when I had almost stopped, a kangaroo hopped across the road. It was quite a strange situation. But nothing happened to me.
Why have you started the season at the Tour Down Under in Australia in recent years?
It's the team management that lines up for the races. That's not my own decision. But of the World Tour races, it's a tour in which you can ride for the overall classification if you're not the great overall classification rider or not the very best climber. It's a nice race, a tactically open race with time bonuses, in which you can achieve a good overall classification with good racing instinct. It's a race that suits me as a racer.
But you have to be in good shape very early on...
Yes, exactly. The disadvantage is that you have to train all through December and the Christmas holidays because the level is very high early on in the year. You have to approach the new season more professionally than if you only start a month later in a race that is not part of the World Tour.
For you, this means fewer biscuits, less Christmas roast ...
Exactly, and less mulled wine.
After finishing 20th in the Tour of South Australia and the first seven days of racing, you are now in Colombia at an altitude training camp with your team-mate Jonas Rutsch. Why are you there to prepare for the rest of the season?
I once met a cyclist who comes from the place where I am now: Rodolfo Torres, who used to ride for Androni. He has since become mayor here. He takes care of everything and shows us where we can train well. If you have someone who really knows their stuff, then it's really fantastic here.
What makes Colombia interesting for an altitude training camp?
In Europe, only the Teide is coming now (on the Canary Island of Tenerife; editor's note) in question, in the Sierra Nevada (in southern Spain; editor's note) the conditions are also difficult at this time of year. And there isn't that much accommodation on the Teide.
On the plateau in the volcanic crater of the island of Tenerife, there is actually only the Hotel Parador at an altitude of 2,100 metres, where the professional cyclists crowd at this time of year...
And we are even higher here in Paipa, the house is at 2,700 metres, the mountains go up to 3,700 metres. But that's not necessarily an advantage because you just slow down and get even more out of breath. I feel comfortable here and can sleep well. And the weather is also quite stable.
What about security?
So road safety is not a problem. Drivers are not aggressive at all. It's not like in Italy, where cars are always driving past you far too fast and far too close. There is no speeding here. There is a speed limit of 80 everywhere, which is actually adhered to to a reasonable extent. Road safety gets a school grade 2 from me here. We are three and a half hours outside of Bogota (the capital; editor's note.). There are hot springs here, it's like the health resort of Bogota, a slightly more affluent area. I was here last year. So far I haven't seen any crime and haven't been in any unpleasant situations.
Additional motivation through black, red and gold
You are definitely recognisable on the road - in the white jersey with the black, red and gold breast rings of the reigning German road race champion. What difference does it make if you wear the jersey?
When I'm looking for motivation during training, I can look down at myself when I see the white jersey in the corner of my eye and I immediately have 50 watts more on the clock. Or in the morning when I get changed for training. I'm really happy about the beautiful jersey. I enjoy every day.
The special jersey is also more visible in the peloton than others. Teams like to have national champions in the team because of the conspicuousness. How is the title honoured?
Most professional cyclists are not paid a bonus, but a fixed salary. I think my market value should have risen a bit and I've shown the team that it's good to have me. Maybe it will help a bit with the next round of contracts.
Merger of Lotto and Intermarché
So it's more of an investment in the future. In fact, you have just undergone a change of sorts. Your previous team, Intermarché, has merged with the traditional Belgian Lotto racing team. From the outside, it looked as if the future of the new team was not certain for a long time. How difficult was the situation for you?
It was actually a good fit for me. My boss since 2021, Jean-Francois Bourlart, let me know early on that I didn't need to worry too much and that he would like to continue working with me. But because the UCI doesn't issue the World Tour licences until mid-December, we had to wait so long to see if the merge (Merger; editor's note.) was successful from the UCI's point of view.
Would you have had a plan B in the event of failure?
No. That would have had to be worked out. But something would have come up.
What will change as a result of the merger with Lotto-Intermarché?
The team manager Bourlart and the Head of Sports, Aike Viesbeek, have stayed on. The Lotto side tends to predominate in the squad. But really good support staff have joined from there - nutritionists, sports managers, mechanics. The new camp in Belgium, which we took over from Lotto, is also much bigger and much more organised. Those were already good influences.
Your goals for the 2026 season?
I'd love to win a bike race before the German Championships - I'd like a good photo of myself hands-free at the finish line in black, red and gold. That would be the goal for the first half of the season.
The Tour de France already in focus#
What significance does the Tour de France have for you this year?
The Tour de France is the highlight every year. The big goal is to be nominated for the Tour de France again. It's the biggest race of all, the really big stage. That's why I'll be focussing one hundred percent on the Tour de France every year. Everything is timed right up to the Tour: every race day, every training day, every travelling day. I already have a precise protocol in front of me, how I want to tackle what and when I want to push myself and how, when I want to go to which training camp and where. After the Tour de France, I always take two to three weeks off and regroup. There are currently no plans beyond July.
In the past, you have often acted as a helper for your South African captain Louis Meintjes at the Tour. He finished seventh in the 2022 Tour de France and has now ended his career. What could your role look like in the future?
What I've done for Louis Meintjes in recent years is now planned for Lennart van Eetvelt. He has already won two World Tour races (UAE Tour and Tour of Guangxi in 2024; editor's note). He may not be quite as consistent as Louis, but he is perhaps even more talented and has even more potential.
Are you still pursuing your big goal in life, a stage win at the Tour?
Only time will tell. I will prepare as well as possible for the Tour de France every year. And then it always depends a bit on the tactical constellation. But if I get even the slightest chance, I would be very happy to take it.
There are plans to bring the Tour de France back to Germany. There is talk of 2029 or 2030, in the east of Germany. To what extent is that an incentive? There are plans to bring the Tour de France back to Germany. There is talk of 2029 or 2030, in the east of Germany. To what extent is that an incentive?
The Munich Olympics are still up for discussion. But that's almost unrealistic - in 2032 and then with regard to the few starting places at the Olympics. But the Tour de France in Germany in 2030, that actually sounds very realistic to me, that I'll still be pedalling at the very highest level. I narrowly missed Düsseldorf (where the Tour in Germany last started in 2017; editor's note). I wasn't a professional cyclist then. So I would be delighted if it worked out.
You get the impression that professional cycling in Germany has been given a tailwind by Florian Lipowitz's third place at the last Tour. How do you see that?
The development actually started before that. Cycling has been getting a lot of attention since 2021. It's not just that people are following the sport, but that they are actually actively practising it. There are more road cyclists on the road than ever before. During the coronavirus pandemic, I had the impression that the whole thing had really diversified again. Before, there were also road cyclists, but most of them were 50-year-old men on average. And now I have the impression that many more women, many more young people, including those from other cultures, are discovering cycling for themselves. I'm most pleased that so many people are currently finding their way into this wonderful sport.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
