Maloja Pushbikers rider Patrick Reissig had a stellar performance at Rund um Köln in Cologne, an iconic race in the UCI Europe Tour. Not only did Patrick make the breakaway with the major WorldTour teams, but he also claimed multiple KOMs and finished as the runner-up in the overall KOM classification. We had a chance to talk to him about the race and his life as a pro cyclist.

I’m on the Maloja Pushbikers UCI Continental road team, and had the honor of racing with the team at Rund um Köln. I’ve competed in this race once before, so I knew how tough the competition and the course are. The level is very high and the course itself makes the individual differences between riders even more significant. I knew that getting in the breakaway was my chance to survive the hardest parts, so that was the strategy we took.

The evening before the race I spoke to the guys, motivated them to race aggressively. It’s quite unusual for me to start fighting for position when the group is still in the neutral phase, but being in a good position before the attacks start is crucial. When we attacked, I immediately felt that this was the right move. Once I got in the break, I had to completely reframe my mindset: from riding aggressively to saving energy, from riding against the others to cooperating with my break comrades.

I knew there was a good chance the group would catch us eventually, so while we were out front I focused on the Sprint and KOM Points. It was amazing. Hearing the crowds cheering gave me goosebumps and some extra energy. My average for the race overall was 278W, and on some of the sprints I was over 500W. When the bunch finally caught us, I just tried to give everything I had left. Seeing exhausted WorldTour riders who gave it their all to catch us was a nice feeling.

The Argon 18 Sum performed incredibly on this course. It’s fast. That’s the first thing you look at as a racer. I like the versatility and the balance between aero and handling aspects. As an Allrounder, I need a bike which can handle every situation. In Cologne we had tricky descents on various surfaces, steep climbs, but also rolling terrain. Having a bike that can handle all of that is a big plus!

Being part of the Maloja Pushbikers team is an amazing experience. We’re one of the coolest teams in the pro peloton. It’s an honour to wear our jersey, ride our bike, have such amazing sponsors. In bad moments, the deep valleys of our sport, you can sometimes forget this – but then I take a deep breath, look at our jersey, scroll through our endless photos and videos and think: wow, this is just amazing. We’re more than just results. I’m convinced that the personality of this team influences my performance on the bike.

Outside of cycling I am a teacher in a primary school and a private school. Due to that I have a packed – but structured – life to keep everything working. I still have some pretty big goals for my cycling career. I think over the next few seasons you will see me as an experienced rider, maybe someone you don’t want to be in the break with because you know I’ll sprint you down on the finish line! I know I’ve got a lot left in the tank and I’m looking forward to reaching my full potential.

Ride like the Pushbikers