CLARA KOPPENBURG

The German all- rounder on baking and having fun as a teenager

Where’s home?

I live in the south part of Germany, in a city called Lörrach. It’s just on the border of Switzerland and France and is a beautiful area for riding.

What’s your favourite race?

In general, I prefer stage races and races with big climbs, so the Giro Rosa is quite highly ranked. I raced in America twice and I absolutely loved it, so I’m looking forward to racing there more often, especially the races in the mountains.

What’s your favourite climb?

Last year I did some riding in the area of Andermatt, which was awesome. The old ‘Gotthardstrasse’ with the cobbles was an unforgettable experience and I recommend every cyclist to put that climb on your bucket list.

Where in the world would you like to get lost on your bike?

If it’s summer then somewhere in Switzerland. You will always find wonderful places, friendly people, good food... and it wouldn’t be too far away from home if something serious were to happen to me. I have to admit I’m not such a ‘wild’ person; I prefer to know where I am and the way back home.

If you had one extra hour in the day what would you do?

I would spend it in the kitchen and cook or bake something.

I love being experimental in terms of cooking and when it turns out nicely, even better. If not, there is still my family or, worst case, my dogs who can eat it.

What’s the last app you downloaded?

Candy Crush. I’ve had to spend quite a lot of time on the indoor trainer lately and between intervals, I put in a quick Candy Crush session so that the time goes by faster.

What’s your best cycling hack?

Be creative and use your bike as storage. I hate having fully packed jersey pockets so I always wrap a Pactimo jacket around my stem, top tube or seat post. That won’t happen any more because we got sweet handlebar bags from Orucase.

What’s been your toughest day on the bike?

All the World Championships I’ve done so far were the hardest. The TTT Worlds in Bergen in 2017 as well as the road races in Innsbruck and Yorkshire.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

I wasn’t a cyclist at that time; I was really living my life. Don’t get me wrong, I was doing well in school, did lots of sports but also knew how to have fun and enjoyed some good parties. So the only advice would be to remember and appreciate the good times I had and be thankful for my family and the great life they’ve given me.

What result are you proudest of?

The first race I won, the Tour of Valencia in 2019. It was the most special moment since I had never been first before. When I crossed the finish line I couldn’t believe that I had really won. It felt so unreal but at the same time absolutely amazing.

“I love being experimental in terms of cooking and when it turns out nicely, even better. Worst case, my dogs can eat it”