Two years ago, we were invited to take part in the professional field at Rund um Köln. It is a cult race of the UCI Europe Tour, held since 1908, one of the German cycling classics alongside the Deutschland Tour, Münsterland Giro and Frankfurt Eschborn. Together with our partners Argon 18 and Maloja, we decided to fly the flag in Cologne: in the Pro Race, but also at the Expo Area in the Rhine harbour with two stands in a prominent location and – one day in advance! – with our own Pushbikers Community Ride, for which riders from Upper Bavaria made their way to NRW, but also cycling enthusiasts from Cologne joined our team riders on their individual laps on their bikes.
Looking forward to the weekend – this was the feeling when we arrived in Cologne with our Team Oldtimer. Lots of visitors, good conversations and the community ride confirmed that we were exactly right in Cologne. Sunday was the highlight for the Pushbikers as a Continental team: Patrick Reissig put in an outstanding performance at Rund um Köln and was at the forefront of the live WDR broadcast for over two hours. Not only did he manage to break away from the big WorldTour teams, but he also took several KOMs and finished third overall in both the mountain classification and the sprint classification. We watched his performance on TV, on the big screen on the banks of the Rhine in Cologne and on our mobile phones at the Expo – goosebumps and praise from the other spectators included. What a day, what a weekend! We spoke to him about the race in Cologne and also about his life as a professional cyclist.
“I’ve been part of the Pushbikers team since 2022 and had the honour of riding Rund um Köln this year. I’ve taken part in this race before, so I knew how tough the competition and the course are. The level is very high and the circuit makes the individual differences between the riders even more obvious. I knew that a breakaway group was my chance to get through the toughest sections, so we chose this strategy in the team.
In the afternoon before the race, my team mates Philip, Max, Wolfgang, Moritz and Daniel took part in the Pushbikers Community Ride, a 60 km ride literally ‘around Cologne’. In the evening, I spoke to the guys and motivated them to race aggressively. It’s quite unusual for me to start fighting for position when the group is still in the neutral phase. But having a good position before the attacks start is crucial. When we attacked, I immediately had the feeling that this was the right move. As soon as I was in the group, I had to completely change my mindset: from aggressive riding to saving energy, from riding against the others to co-operating with my rivals.
I knew that the group would catch us at some point, so I concentrated on the sprint and KOM points while we were in front. It was incredible. The cheers from the spectators gave me goosebumps and extra energy. My average for the whole race was 278 watts, and in some sprints I was over 500 watts. When the group finally caught up with us, I just tried to give it everything I had left. It was a nice feeling to see exhausted WorldTour riders who were also giving their all to catch us.
My team bike, the Argon 18 Sum, worked incredibly well on this course. It is fast. That’s the first thing you care for at as a racer. I like the versatility and the balance between aero and handling aspects. As an all-rounder, I need a bike that can handle any situation. In Cologne, we had tricky descents on different surfaces, steep climbs, but also hilly terrain. Having a bike that can handle it all is a big plus!
Being part of the Pushbikers team is a great experience. We are one of the coolest teams in the pro peloton. It’s an honour to wear our jersey, ride our bike and have such great sponsors. In bad moments, in the deep valleys of our sport, you can sometimes forget that – but then I take a deep breath, look at our jersey, scroll through our endless photos and videos and think: Wow, this is just incredible! We are more than just results. I am convinced that the personality of this team influences my performance on the bike.
Outside of cycling, I am a teacher at a primary school and a public school. This gives me a full – but structured – life to make it all work. I still have pretty big goals for my cycling career. I think I’ll be seen as an experienced rider in the next few years – maybe someone that nobody wants to ride with because they know I’ll overtake them at the finish line! I know I still have a lot left in me and I’m looking forward to realising my full potential.”
