Miguel Heidemann surprised the individual time trial at the Radungs World Cup in Rwanda. This is also his goal for the mixed competition, he says in the WDR interview.
Miguel Heidemann was completely sweaty in the tropical heat of Kigali on Sunday afternoon. The 27 -year -old cycling professional had just completed the individual time trial at the World Cup in Rwanda – just under an hour’s maximum load at almost 30 degrees and enormous humidity. “I’m totally flat”the 27-year-old stammered. But Heidemann could be really satisfied. With a 17th place in the global class field, he had more than fulfilled the claims.
“I am very satisfied, even if I ended up a little bit of my strength“, said the Athlete, born in Trier. The fact that Heidemann, who has been registered for the third -class bike team Rembe – Starts for the third -class Radnet, was nominated for the world championships at all, is a great success for the mountain -proof all -rounder. As a undermates, he is usually not at the biggest races in the cycling calendar – he is now starting at the World Cup against Pogacar and Co. World.
Anticipation for the Mixed competition
The result in time trial was strong, the next challenge was waiting: on Wednesday (24.09.2025) he will be in a German six-team team in the mixed competition. A still relatively young discipline in cycling, in which three men and three women compete against other teams.
A competition for Team Germany is also a competition that awakens good memories. Last year at the World Cup in Zurich, the team took second place. With Franziska Koch, Liane Lippert, Antonia Niedermaier, Marco Brenner, Max Schachmann and Heidemann. To the most part, the successful team is again together in the African east. Only the sick chess and Brenner are not there. For chess, U23 driver Louis is moving into the team. “They are all in good shape and fight for a medal tomorrow,” says national coach André Korff.
Attention through Germany tour
In a good mood: Miguel Heidemann and colleague Nils Politt
You shouldn’t overload things, but Heidemann has blossomed into a kind of surprise goal in German cycling in the past few weeks. What has to do with the Germany tour, which went through the country in early August. The studied industrial engineer pedaled in the spotlight of the TV stations for days when he fought with a handful of competitors a competitive struggle for the jersey of the best mountain driver of the tour.
Heidemann was unable to win the mountain jersey in the end, but because of his likeable TV interviews, a few more eyes have been on him and his achievements since then. Whereby he himself is rather small in conversation with WDR.de: “To be honest, I celebrated greater success in my career than at the Germany tour, where I lost the mountain jersey on the last day”, “ he grins.
The grandma was there live
Heidemann arranges again: “Actually, I should be a road captain for our team. When I suddenly drove around the mountain jersey, it didn’t work anymore. But for our team and our sponsors it was simply more important to keep the jersey as long as possible.” But of course: the TV presence was something special. For him and also his environment: “The most beautiful thing about the tour was that my grandmother was able to follow me live on TV again on a bike race.”
He only found out that he would be at the World Cup shortly before the start of the trip. It was no longer possible to prepare at all, not even at the city’s altitude at around 1600 meters. “Sure, if I knew it with a little lead, I would have prepared myself a little more specifically and gave myself a small advantage over the Kurrenz. But that wasn’t possible”he regrets.
“See us in a joker role”
For the mixed relay, he sees Team Germany in a good outsider role. “Last year we just missed gold. But this time we lack Max Schachmann, which is an enormous weakening. I would allocate a good joker position”he says.
And of course, as a cycling professional you don’t drive every day in African countries. “That is extremely interesting”says Heidemann, who, like all teammates, also takes care of hell, not to deal with an infection somewhere. “After our training sessions we stay in the hotel, eat and drink only there”, he says. With one exception, however: “A stop in a café after a training trip is simply part of it.”
Then he also enjoys contact with the population in the Rwandan capital: “People really float us and we really have fun with them. We enjoy that very much.”
Our sources:
- Telephone call with athlete
- Sports information service
- ARD correspondent on site
