As the new cycling season begins, Lotto Soudal welcomes several new riders to their team, including 22-year-old Andreas Kron. Kron, who hails from Denmark, has made the jump from Pro Continental level to join the Lotto Soudal WorldTeam. In an interview, Kron shares his first impressions of the team and his goals for the upcoming season.
“I really like it at Lotto Soudal. It feels great to be training with some of the biggest names in the sport, but they are also really down-to-earth people and super friendly. It’s a really special feeling to be sitting at the table together with for example Philippe Gilbert or John Degenkolb for the first time. But in the end, we all share the same passion, which makes it a lot easier to integrate into the team,” says Kron.
Kron sees himself as a rider for races like the Ardennes Classics, despite Denmark’s lack of hills. He also aims to achieve good results in Grand Tour stages. He explains, “I am at my best when it’s a long day on the bike with a lot of altitude meters. However, I am not really suited to the longer climbs, I prefer the shorter hills. Surely, after one year of racing at the highest level, I will already know more and it will also give me some peace of mind that I know which races I am good at. But right now, my favourite race is Liège-Bastogne-Liège and it would be a dream come true to win it one day.”
Kron already demonstrated his potential with a stage victory at the Tour of Luxembourg. However, he emphasizes that this year, his focus is more on the way he races rather than solely on winning. “Of course, I will take the opportunity when it comes, but it’s only my first year at the team and it would also be great to help the Lotto Soudal leaders win some nice races,” he says.
As one of the young riders at Lotto Soudal, Kron is excited to be among other promising talents and neo-pros, including Brent Van Moer. Kron and Van Moer raced against each other since the junior category. Kron recalls, “I remember that one of my first races in Belgium was Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, where I climbed the Oude Kwaremont together with him.”
Outside of cycling, Kron has a passion for cooking and enjoys being in the kitchen. He also loves reading crime fiction books. Kron’s journey to the Lotto Soudal WorldTeam has not been without its challenges. He lost his mom to cancer when he was still a teenager. He comments, “For me, the fact that I now took the step to the Lotto Soudal WorldTeam shows that by keeping the faith, also during difficult times, you can achieve a lot. Even when things don’t go as planned.”
