In the aftermath of a Scandinavian success on the Tour de France which left for a few weeks rather under the popular verve of this geographical unit ,our attention is now focused on this region which never fails to bring all-terrain talents to the international peloton . It is on these bases that we went to meet Markus Hoelgaard who tells us about his first months in the World Tour .
Cycling Times : Hello Markus, could you introduce yourself to our readers ?
Markus Hoelgaard : I am a Norwegian cyclist from 27 years, and I run for the Trek-Segafredo team. I am married, father of two children, and I live with them in a small town called Ålgård, in the southwest of Norway.
CT : Why did you choose cycling as a sport ? Did you have other desires such as practicing Nordic sports ?
MH : I grew up practicing Nordic ski touring. I started cycling with the aim of doing complementary training in the summer, but I really preferred to do this, and that's why I started 100% in this sport.
CT : What category of cyclist do you think you belong to? ? What are the areas where you would like to progress? ?
MH : I like hilly and hard races, and I think the Classics or races similar to them are the ones that suit me best. I am not a sprinter, so I would like to improve my explosiveness a bit.
CT : How was the transition to the World Tour ? What fundamentally changed for you? ?
MH : Firstly, coming from a norwegian team (perform well in time trials.), the biggest change was coming to an international team. Secondly, this team is also bigger, with more support and a larger number of runners. For the rest… It hasn’t changed much in short. My daily routine in terms of training has remained the same, and the races are also almost the same.
CT : How do you analyze your start to the season? ? And what are your goals for the end of the year? ?
MH : During the first half of the season, I had to fight against illnesses and therefore I had a lack of form. My objective for this end of the season is to find my best form to perform like the last two seasons..
CT : During the last world championships (2021), you were able to compete with the best runners on the planet. Did you feel in the best shape of your career that day? ?
MH : Last year's Worlds was definitely the highest point of my career, and I had an incredible experience that day.
CT : What is your favorite race ? And why ? And what races do you dream of winning one day? ?
MH : The Tour of Flanders is my favorite race and also a big goal for me, even though I have never participated in it in my career. I think it's a race that corresponds well to my qualities and I love racing in Flanders with all this public gathered at the edge of the roads.
CT : What is your first memory on a bike? ? your worst memory ?
MH : I can't remember my first memory anymore, but I have lots of good memories training with friends when I was young. My worst memory must be my fall on the Tour d'Alsace (2017), when I wore the leader's yellow jersey, and that I was in a good position to win the general classification.
CT : Among all your new teammates at the Trek-Segafredo, who is the one you admire the most ?
MH : There are many strong men, good runners in this team, but as a classics rider, I admire the exploits that Jasper has done (Stuyven) a Mads (Pedersen) in recent years.
CT : How many KOM's (climb records on Strava) do you hold in your area ? Do you have a favorite climb ? And what are the peculiarities of this ascent ?
MH : I don't particularly chase Strava KOMs in training anymore., so I really don't have many. My favorite climb near my home is the one up to Skykula mountain. This is a climb that leads to a military base, and the last part of this climb is closed to cars. So we can climb the mountain without the presence of traffic, and this offers us a very beautiful panorama.
CT : Markus, thank you very much for the interview !
