Into his mid-twenties now, Florian has been a part of the Team DSM structure since 2017. He was a member of the Development program before making the step-up to the WorldTour after his promotion to the Men’s program in March of 2019, off the back of strong results such as his second place at the German U23 time trial.
2021 saw a stand-out performance at the UAE Tour where he placed seventh on the challenging Jebel Hafeet finish against stellar opposition but an unfortunate crash later in the race, hampered his campaign with more bad luck hindering his 2022 season.
A resilient character, instead of wondering “what if?”, Florian has used the setbacks he has faced to really figure out who he is as a person and what motivates him to ride his bike.
“I’ve learned in the past two difficult seasons that riding for the purpose of riding isn’t what makes me happy, it’s more when I have a goal and can see the progress. That’s what gives me drive and what I take energy from.”
A former footballer in his young age, Florian used his good engine as a box-to-box midfielder and “could play the passes well” which he jokes was good as he “wasn’t the fastest”. He eventually was introduced to cycling through his dad, who was also a cyclist and ran the local cycling club. From there he hasn’t looked back and enjoys everything the sport encompasses.
“I just like to be outside; you can have a really nice day with your friends and see a lot of beautiful places and terrain, which is always fun, and I then like the competitive side of pushing myself in training and races.”
What is clear is that Florian has grown into a thoughtful and considered young man and that transfers to his own self-description of “focused”, “reflective” and “balanced. Focus relates to his ability of pulling himself together and working hard to make things happen. As for his reflective side, Florian likes to consider his life as a whole and not only “Florian the cyclist” and think what makes him happy, with everything and everyone that is a part of that. That links into him becoming a more balanced individual who doesn’t only attribute his mood or values to himself as a cyclist.
Outside of cycling, Florian is a big fan of basketball, and he enjoys playing some casual games alongside his friends or watching whatever game he can on TV. It’s no surprise then that his sporting idol is Michael Jordan, who Florian admires for his determination, skill, and longevity in the sport.
If he’s not shooting hoops, then you might find Florian honing his hidden talent of farting with his hands (interesting…). Evidently, there is a musical gift within Florian because as a schoolkid he also sang in his school choir for one year as it was a class that he could choose for his A-levels, so him and a few friends joined up – although as a team we’ve yet to hear Florian on the karaoke at any Team Camps.
