The Longest Kilometers of His Career - Marco Brenner

Marco Brenner is a tremendous talent. The Augsburg native is only 21 years old, but this is already his fourth professional season. No cyclist in the world has ever signed a professional contract at such a young age.

However, his career over the past three years hasn’t quite gone as hoped. The breakthrough never came, nor did the victories—until now. Marco Brenner won the first stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali for his new team, the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. A relief for him—and a promise for the future.

Four kilometers to go until the finish line. Although the road is downhill, the heart rates of all the cyclists in the Settimana Coppi e Bartali are high. They’re going full throttle. Then comes the attack by Marco Brenner of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. He breaks away from the peloton on his own. A small lead. Very small. Just a few seconds. But Marco stays out front and gives it his all. Two kilometers to go. Marco fights on. He glances over his shoulder, sees no shadow in the sun shining through the houses onto the home stretch, and knows: I’ve done it.

Finally. He’s tried so many times in recent years, but it never worked out. On this day in Pesaro, it’s different. Marco celebrates his first professional victory. He throws his hands in the air and cheers. And rightly so.

“Those were the longest two kilometers of my career. When I saw that I was going to win, I was just happy.”

We spoke with Marco the day after the race. The 21-year-old professional athlete is sitting relaxed in his apartment in Andorra. During the remaining stages of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali and the trip home, he had time to let the events sink in and process them. The victory was a huge relief for him. For him, the racer who is considered one of cycling’s greatest talents—who signed a contract in the World Tour, cycling’s top league, at a younger age than any other cyclist, but then went three years without winning a race.

After switching to the Swiss Tudor Pro Cycling Team, things clicked right away this spring. The team gives him both trust and responsibility. The attack on the first stage was planned exactly that way, and Marco executed it perfectly.

“I’m only really starting to realize it now; I’m thrilled about my first victory and now have a healthy dose of self-confidence for the upcoming races. I’m hungry to win even more races,”

Marco is already looking ahead. He will skip the Giro d’Italia, the only three-week stage race for which his team received a wild card. His race schedule is nonetheless excellent and offers him plenty of opportunities to once again become the winning rider he was in the junior ranks. In that age group, he gave his competitors virtually no chance, winning the German Championships on the road and in the individual time trial, claiming the Bundesliga title, as well as stage and overall victories in international stage races, and earning medals at European and World Championships in the individual time trial.

Talent alone isn’t enough

Marco says he achieved these successes primarily through his talent. His training wasn’t overly professional, but rather self-directed. Even though he was already firmly convinced when he started school that he would one day become a professional cyclist.

“I don’t need to learn to read and write—I’m going to be a pro cyclist,”

he is said to have remarked back then. And Marco confirms this story. Of course, he went on to learn to read and write anyway—and in his first year as a pro, he also realized that talent alone, no matter how great, isn’t enough. “I realized that I have to work really hard, that my talent won’t get me very far without hard work and ambition,” says Marco. It took him a year to build the foundation needed for the grueling professional races. Last year, his third as a pro, he logged nearly 30,000 kilometers in the saddle—more than most people drive in a car.

A Rigorous Daily Training Routine

Ambition and hard work. Two qualities that Marco embodies—indeed, must embody. Without them, he wouldn’t have made it this far. On days when he isn’t racing, his entire routine is focused on training. After getting up, Marco starts by stretching for ten to 15 minutes.

“I’m prone to muscle stiffness, so BLACKROLL and core training—as well as COMPRESSION BOOTS for recovery—are part of my workouts and my daily routine,”

, Marco explains.

His morning workout is followed by breakfast consisting of porridge with berries, peanut butter, and protein powder. Marco needs energy for his training, but as a cyclist who wants to keep up with the best on the climbs, he has to watch his weight. At 178 cm tall, Marco weighs just over 60 kg. Next comes a coffee at a café on the street in Andorra and another 15- to 20-minute core activation routine before he finally sets off on his bike. A training session lasts three to six hours. Marco likes to train alone so he can focus completely. In Andorra, however, he also has the opportunity to ride with professional friends from other teams, passing the time with a chat during longer, more relaxed training sessions.

After training, he has a recovery shake, a sandwich, a shower of course—and even more coffee. For dinner, he likes to cook himself a vegetable stir-fry with potatoes. Rice and pasta don’t make it into the pot at home. “We already get too much of that at the races,” Marco laughs. In total, he’s on the road with the team well over 200 days a year.

Recovery Through Sleep

With all the physical strain, sleep is the most important part of recovery for Marco. “Luckily, I can usually sleep well. But that’s a very personal thing, and I know not everyone is the same,” Marco says.

“All the team riders have the Recovery Pillow from BLACKROLL, and for major races we even bring the Recovery Base—the mattresses from BLACKROLL—with us. In my opinion, having the same setup every time is extremely important for a good night’s sleep,”

, says Marco.

Having Fun on the Road to Success

His setup—at least as far as the team is concerned—is new this year. The change has already paid off with this victory. Marco is highly motivated and really enjoys traveling to races with the team. “The atmosphere is like a family, yet very professional and innovative. I feel right at home, and my passion for cycling is back,” says Marco.

Despite the victory, Marco still has big plans for this year. He wants to continue riding aggressively, try new things, grow with the team, finish in the top ten of the general classification in a stage race, and, if possible, win another race. But even with just this one victory, Marco will be satisfied at the end of the season—as long as he maintains the joy and fun of riding with his team.