Lisa Brennauer ends her career: stop when it’s most beautiful

Olympic champion, world and European champion on the track, team world champion on the road – Lisa Brennauer won all these titles in 2021 alone. The 34-year-old is now ending her long career.

Lisa Brennauer is one of the most successful athletes in Germany. In an interview with the sports show, she talks about the reasons for the end of her career, goose bumps at the Tour de France Femmes, but also about future plans and her farewell at the home European Championships in Munich.

sports show: Why did you decide to retire at the end of the season?

Lisa Brennauer: I didn’t make the decision overnight, it was more of a process. In many conversations with those around me, I was repeatedly told that you would feel the right time to end your career. But I really didn’t know what they meant by that. Now I know it. And it actually feels right. But it quickly became clear that the Tour de France Femmes together with the European Championships in Munich are huge highlights that I wanted to take part in again and set myself as a goal. On the way there, at some point I realized, okay, that’s now the goal in the real sense.

You have been cycling since 2004, are Olympic champion and world champion on track and road. How do you look back on your long career?

Brennauer: I look back on many years of beautiful moments. I’m in the fortunate position that I’ve had few setbacks and more ups than downs. I don’t think every athlete can say that about themselves. I was able to experience a lot, celebrate a lot of successes and always had that little bit of luck on my side.

SYou mentioned the re-run of the Tour de France, which you finished in 58th place. How was it?

Brennauer: From a sporting point of view, of course, I would have hoped for more and would have liked to have been further up the field. But I’ve never experienced anything like the Tour in my career. Such a mood, such an atmosphere. I think we all expected the tour to be big. But that exceeded all expectations. Every town we rode through, every climb, there were so many people cheering us on and celebrating women’s cycling. That gives me courage for the future. I still get goosebumps when I think of the cheers from the crowd when we drove over the mountain on the last stage.

Didn’t moments like the Tour de France tempt you to add a few more years to your career? After all, women’s cycling is currently experiencing a major upswing.

Brennauer: The attraction is always there. I think I could do cycling for years. That’s not the issue at all, neither mentally nor physically. The question is, when does it feel right to take the step. The successes of the past year played a role. If you can choose when you want to end your career and are not forced to do so, then you have already done a lot right. And if you stop when it’s at its best – even if it’s a stupid phrase – then it’s really something special.

Do you already have plans for your life after your sports career?

Brennauer: I look forward to being able to go cycling when I want to and it’s no longer a workout. I’ve heard from many athletes who practiced their sport until it rang out in their ears and then they just didn’t want to do it anymore. I don’t see that coming for me now. Professionally, I’m a professional soldier in the sports promotion group of the German Armed Forces. I will stay there too. I would like to work close to sports so that I can pass on my knowledge and experience. But not all talks are over yet.

With your successes, you are the figurehead of German women’s cycling. How do you see German women’s cycling now that you’ve retired?

Brennauer: If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that you grow with your tasks. I think there are still a lot of talents lying dormant in Germany who don’t really know what they’re made of. But now that someone like me, who was maybe always a bit ahead of the curve, is gone, they have to quickly take on responsibility. Liane Lippert in particular has grown into this role well in recent years and has also developed into a top driver internationally. Ricarda Bauernfeind also made a huge leap as a young driver. Or Franziska Koch, an athlete who has really inspired me in recent years.

They take part in the track and road competitions at the European Championships in Munich. However, the road race will probably be the last race of your career. What goes through your mind when you think about it?

Brennauer: Retiring is a decision I totally stand behind. But at the same time the connection to cycling is so strong that it won’t be an easy day. After all, I’ve spent more than half my life on it. There will definitely be emotional moments, not easy ones, but still beautiful. Until then, one or the other tear will flow. But I’m really interested in the European Championships and I want to do really well again. Especially on the track we have a great chance of competing for a medal or victory.

The interview was conducted by Katarina Schubert