Anton “Toni” Palzer, one of the world’s best ski mountaineers, has made the switch to professional cycling and is looking for new challenges with BORA-hansgrohe. In an interview with hansgrohe, the career changer talks about his Bavarian roots, what shaped him in his family, and what motivates him in competitive sports.
hansgrohe: We’re curious about your career path
Toni Palzer: I’m Toni, I’m 28 years old, and I’m a cyclist on the BORA-hansgrohe team. I’m originally from Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, in the south of Bavaria. But these days I live in Austria.
Where would say is your home?
Toni Palzer: Definitely Ramsau, where I grew up and lived for 27 years. My family is still there, also – and, of course, my beloved mountains. Those are my roots.
The mountains are one of your great passions.
Toni Palzer: Yes, definitely. No matter whether on a bike, on foot, climbing, or skiing – moving through the mountains is an absolute thrill for me. It gives me a feeling of freedom and a lot of strength. You're away from the everyday hustle and bustle, it's a great way to switch off and unwind. And if you know your way around, you can find some very beautiful places.
“I’ve always been a fan of BORA-hansgrohe”Anton Palzer
What led you to get involved in sports?
Toni Palzer: My parents are very sporty. On top of that, Ramsau is a winter sports resort, so all the winter sport disciplines are represented. My dad is a state-certified mountain guide and was the German ski mountaineering champion. I also have a brother three years older than me, and we’ve both been skiing since we were very small children. We participated in competitions at an early age – running in the summer or cross-country skiing in the winter, for instance. When I was about 14 years old, I noticed that I was becoming more and more competitive, so the whole thing developed bit by bit. But there was never any pressure from my parents; the focus was always on having fun. In my opinion, that's the reason why I’m still so passionate about sports today.
What brought you to ski mountaineering?
Toni Palzer: As I said, my parents never wanted to push us kids in any one direction. Accordingly, I tried out all kinds of winter sports – I even went ski jumping for about three years. In the end, I ended up in ski mountaineering because the mountains have always held a great fascination for me.
You were very successful in that discipline, as well.
Toni Palzer: When I was 16, I received special permission from our federation to compete in the German championships – and then I actually became German champion. That was a key moment, I realized that I might be able to make the sport my career someday. But after I graduated school I still trained as a precision mechanic, and at 20 I became a professional athlete. Since then, I’ve won 15 world championship medals and set various course records, among other things.
And yet you then switched to cycling. How did that happen?
Toni Palzer: I was a professional ski mountaineer for almost eight years. That’s a very long time, and in the last three years especially, I noticed that ski mountaineering felt more and more like a job. The passion, which you actually need as a basic prerequisite for success, had suffered to a certain extent. That’s why it was clear to me that I needed a change – and that's how I came to cycling.
How did you become a cyclist with Team BORA-hansgrohe?
Toni Palzer: Cycling has always fascinated me. I’ve always been a fan of Team BORA-hansgrohe – and naturally I followed the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia with great enthusiasm. I got in touch with the team through Helmut Dollinger, who put me in touch with Ralph Denk, the team manager at BORA-hansgrohe. And then the offer to start as a professional cyclist with Team BORA-hansgrohe came pretty quickly. It was definitely one of the happiest moments in my life.
In which role do you feel most comfortable with Team BORA-hansgrohe: as a specialist or an all-rounder?
Toni Palzer: I clearly see myself as a climber, but cycling is generally a team sport – everyone has to do their part for the team to win. If the team is successful, then you as a cyclist are successful, too.
