Simon Geschke is one of five German pros on the Giant – Shimano squad. While his teammates Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb may take the most time in the spotlight, Simon often leads his team in hilly classics, and with great success. Let’s not forget that Simon was with Giant since 2009 so he witnessed the progression from an average second division team to one of best teams in the world first hand. This year he won the GP Kanton Aargau over some of the world’s best riders like Philippe Gilbert and there is much more to come.

I recently made an interview with Simon talking about various themes including of course his famous beard.



Hey Simon, I would like to start off with a question about your facial hair. You have had some for several seasons but since the start of 2014 you have a full beard. To be honest I don’t know that many pro cyclists with a full beard. Luca Paolini is one of them. Is there some kind of competition between the two of you regarding your beard?

SG: No, such a competition does not exist. The only way we are competing is on the bike. It’s more like we are a small clique in the Peloton, the „beardbrothers“. And it happens that fans mix us up. At the Giro, some Tifosi cheered me on by shouting “vai Paolini”.

Your father Jürgen has been a cyclist himself and he was very successful. He even was a world champion on the track. I guess that with this background you made contact with the world of cycling at a very young age. How did it start back then?

SG: Yes, there was no way to avoid cycling. Together with my father I attended cycling events as a very young child and I grew up with it. Myself I started when I was 12 years old and in the beginning I only did a few mountain bike races each season. It took me until I was 15 years of age to start out on the road.

Your development as a rider is somewhat parallel to the development of your team Giant – Shimano you are riding for since the start of your pro career in 2009. Back then the team was only a second division squad but today Giant – Shimano is one of the leading teams in the world. Did you feel the growth? Since you renewed your contract until 2016 last year, what’s special about the team?

SG: I am one of the riders with the longest history on the Giant squad and of course there are reasons for this. In 2009, this team was nothing compared to what it is now. The level of performance of the riders was much lower and in the World Tour races we took part we were never able to compete with the best. This is obviously different now, for the whole team and for me two. It feels like I am growing with the teams and it is simply a match. I hope this growth will continue.

This year you won the GP Kanton Aargau in Gippingen which was only the second pro victory of your career. In this race you beat some of the best classic riders in the world in Philippe Gilbert or home-favorite Michael Albasini. How did that feel and when exactly did you know you could possibly win on that day?

SG: To win a race is always a great feeling and in this case it was even more special because of the competition and because I do not win that often. Before the race I already knew that the profile would be good for me but I finished the Giro d’Italia not to long before the start of Gippingen so I didn’t exactly know what I would feel like. I only realized my chances on the final kilometers.

Despite this victory you were left off the team for the Tour de France this season. Looking at your results from the past months I guess this must have been a major disappointment for you. Is this feeling something that you can compare to, let’s say losing a race, or is this a different feeling?

SG: It feels different from doing a bad race because it is out of your reach to do something about it. I had to respect the decision of the team although I could not understand the reason completely. But not riding the Tour meant I could spent the summer at home so there is something good you can take from this. I hope that I have an advantage for the rest of the season because I am fresher than the guys that did the Tour.

You were born in Berlin but since a few years you are living in Freiburg in the southwest of Germany. Many German cycling pros live in this region. Is it fair to say that this was one of the reasons you moved to the Schwarzwald?

SG: Yeah, Berlin and Freiburg are so different if you look at it from a cyclist’s perspective. In Freiburg you can train much better and other pros that lived here made it easier for me in the beginning. There is always someone you can train with and I really like the different training routes. But since it is my home I definitly miss Berlin.

Your teammate Johannes Fröhlinger is living close to you as is Fabian Wegmann. Fabian rides for the American Garmin-Team, which means that you meet in races often. Do you have a problem going up against friends? Can you give everything you have in such a situation or is it a problem?

SG: That is not a big problem, and in races there are also situations in which it is an advantage to be going up against guys you like. On flat stages for example you always have someone you could talk nonsense with. But when I need to, I am a pro and race against Fabian like against everyone else.

I have already looked at the profile for the worlds in Spain and I think that it suits you very well. It is easier than last year in Italy and in that race you were the best German rider reaching a formidable 14th place. For me it would be awesome to see a German in the fight for the medals so I have to ask: Is this race a target for you?

SG: It is indeed a big target. The rest of my season is build around the Canadian classics GP Quebec and GP Montreal, and the worlds. I hope to be in top shape in these races and reach big results. A medal in the worlds road race would be really big for me so I hope that the route suits me as the profile suggests.

Let’s finish with a question about the media: The Public Broadcasting Services in Germany think about bringing back the Tour de France to their program. This would definitely raise the interest in cycling in Germany. Do you think there will be more German investments in pro cycling in the future for example new teams or the resuming of races like the GP Schwarzwald?

SG: I hope for it and I also think it will happen. Pro cycling deserves to be recognized and to get more time by the Public Broadcasting Services. If they resume their coverage, investors will come. I also think there is still some room for German races in the UCI calendar. It would be awesome to be able to race the Regio Tour of the GP Schwarzwald on my training routes. But to this point this is nothing more than speculation. I just hope that the Public Broadcasting Services give pro cycling another chance.

Thanks for the interview and all the best for the rest of the season!