Cycling: Interview with Thomas Rohregger, World Championships track representative:

Thomas Rohregger is responsible for the courses of the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Innsbruck. In an interview with SPOX, the former state champion in the individual time trial tells us which factors are decisive for the routing and explains why Peter Sagan is also one of the favourites in the Tyrolean mountains.

In addition, the 35-year-old ORF expert and winner of the Austrian Cycling Tour 2008 talks about the feedback that the riders give him on the World Championship course and evaluates the medal chances of the Austrian professionals.

SPOX: The World Cycling Championships in Innsbruck are in full swing. Are you happy that, after months of planning, the time has finally come or is organisational stress predominant?

Thomas Rohregger: At major sporting events, five years later, one would still have ideas for improvement. Primarily, it is important that we create a great world championship with exciting races and offer the fans a good week. In addition, the television pictures should look good and all means of communication should be used optimally so that a super product is presented.

SPOX: You are the official track manager of the World Championship. What can one imagine by this role?

Rohregger: I was there right from the start, designed the tracks and assembled the puzzle, so to speak. Then I slipped into the role of ambassador for the World Cup – on a national, but above all on an international level. This included many travel activities in order to exchange ideas with the officials of the UCI (Cycling World Association, note) and to stir the advertising drum. We’re trying to get people to come in here and create a good mood.

SPOX: What do I have to consider when planning my route?

Rohregger: It’s about three parameters. On the one hand, the course must be of sporting value. We have imposed the credo on ourselves: We want a tough World Cup. Tyrol has many mountains, which we would like to show you, because driving around in the Inn valley would make little sense. The Höttinger Höll section in the finish of the men’s road race with a gradient of up to 28 percent is the central element.

SPOX: The courses are certainly not a honeymoon. What second aspect played a role in the planning?

Rohregger: The route should be of tourist value. The tourism is one of the big donors, they want to see beautiful pictures and also give fixed points in the race.

SPOX: Nice TV pictures: Check. Last but not least?

Rohregger: The most important point: it must be possible to implement the route operationally. This must be agreed with the authorities. You can’t paralyze the entire city of Innsbruck, block hospitals or the like. We try to keep the interference in the public space as small as possible.

SPOX: How much does the UCI specify for the routing?

Rohregger: In principle, world championships take place on a circuit. In Innsbruck we decided to start out because we want to show a lot from the surrounding area. There are no completely fixed rules, but the organizer has to follow a guide. This includes essential points such as the number of cars that a competition team must provide. The World Championship is simply the absolute flagship of the UCI, the biggest event of the year (the three Grand Tours – Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana – are organised by other organisations, note). This should serve as a role model for the other organisers and be a showpiece to which the others should orient themselves.

SPOX: But the World Cycling Championships are not its only field of activity.

Rohregger: I’m actually wearing two hats: In addition to my role as World Championship track representative, I am also a technical delegate at the UCI. A few weeks ago I was in Japan to choose the route for the 2020 Olympic Games. I also look in detail at the tracks of candidates for the UCI Road World Championships. So I continue to develop these regulations and write down in the concept what has to be adhered to in detail.

SPOX: How does your design of the World Championship track appeal to the pros?

Rohregger: It will be a very difficult race with over 250 kilometres and almost 5,000 metres of altitude difference. The feedback from the riders was very good, because we finally have another difficult world championship where the uphill riders can win. But I believe in a big circle of favourites, because I favour two types of drivers.

SPOX: What’s that?

Rohregger: On the one hand, the classic mountaineers like Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana, Thibaut Pinot or Simon Yates. On the other hand, you also have to reckon with the so-called punchers, who are always at the forefront of the classics. These include people like Greg van Avermaet or Antonio Valverde, who are able to drive a steep kilometer at full throttle even late in the race. The southern round is rather something for the climbing artists. In hell, you gotta be able to push it in, as they say. That could be better for those people who can produce really high lactate levels and jump up ramps. From the nations point of view, the Italians, Spaniards, Colombians, French and Belgians should therefore be highlighted.

SPOX: Does superstar Peter Sagan have a chance to win his fourth World Championship title in a row at this track?

Rohregger: It all depends on how you set up the race. For me Sagan is still a big topic, because exactly such crazy things appeal to him especially. That’ll get him a little hot. In any case, he is one of the extended circle of favourites.

SPOX: You have already addressed the individual nations. What are the chances for the Austrians?

Rohregger: We currently have a great team: Patrick Konrad as captain, Georg Mühlberger, Lukas Pöstlberger, Michael Gogl, Georg Preidler and Felix Großschartner. This is a strong team with internationally established athletes, we are very well positioned and that gives us hope that the Austrian team will also be able to ride in the front.