Anton Palzer opens up about tough transition from ski mountaineering to professional cycling: "After the first year I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with it"

In his Red Bull helmet, Anton Palzer inevitably stands out in the bunch. And his story as ski mountaineer turned professional cyclist adds up to the 'irregular' aura surrounding the 30-year-old rider. Talking with WielerFlits, he opens up about the step into unknown with BORA - hansgrohe and recording impressive VO2max values among others.

"It was a very tough transition, but I wanted to do something new," said the German climber. "After the first year I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with it. It was a kick in the ass. These guys ride a bike so fast. But now I am very happy that I persevered, it is important to trust the process. And the process is still here, it's still getting better every month. I'm happy with my new life as a professional cyclist. I enjoy every minute with the team."

"I had to start from scratch, that was clear. But I did have a good dose of motivation. Sometimes you need some new challenges in your life to keep that motivation going and to be happy. And the most important thing in my life is to be happy. I don't know if I will ever win a race on the bike, but I believe in it and we will see what the future brings."

"Before I became a cyclist, I did five to six thousand kilometers a year, as training in the summer. But for the rest of the year I could only be found on the ski slopes. To suddenly ride more than 30,000 kilometers from one moment to the next is a major shock to the system. That is why those figures do not say everything," he refers to the impressive values he recorded at testing, and which got him offer from the German World Tour team.