Michael Storer explains the origins of his nickname 'Destroyer': "It reflects the races I won in the Vuelta by leaving everyone else behind"

Michael Storer might not strike you as a rider who would obliterate everyone in his path on a way to victory, but little did you know that the Tudor Pro Cycling's Australian is knowing as "Destroyer" within the cycling circles. What are the origins of this amusing, yet terrifying nickname?

"It was back when I was with Team Sunweb, now known as Team DSM – Firmenich, that the nickname "Der Zestörer" was born," Storer remembers in a story on Tudor's website. "I was with with Nico Denz during having a successful Vuelta a España, where I won two stages. It was after one of these victories, during a celebratory dinner, that Denz coined the nickname."

Zestörer is derived from the German word for "destroyer," and it's noticeably similar to Storer’s real surname. Among English-speaking cyclists and friends, the English variant of Storer’s nickname got adopted.

"I embrace the nickname," he says. "It reflects the races I won in the Vuelta by leaving everyone else behind." However, when Storer moved to FDJ, my nickname changed to "Mich Mich," and "Der Zestörer" faded a bit into the background. "For them it was an easier way to call me, I believe."

Now at Tudor Pro Cycling, no one calls Storer "Der Zestörer" yet. But that might change after this week’s racing, the third week in the Giro d’Italia. "Who knows," the 27-year-old smiles. "If I manage to pull off something special, the nickname might make a comeback."

"A stage win might be challenging since I’m well-positioned in the general classification. So, the GC will be my goal. I hope to achieve a top 10 finish after three weeks of racing."

This would be a radical change in Storer's approach to this Giro d'Italia, where stage win appeared to be the Australian's main objective while he was only stealing glances at the overall classification, willing to risk everything for that stage. Coming into the last week, he sits 12th overall, three minutes behind Jan Hirt who is rounding up the top 10 at the moment.