# Andreas Kron Reflects on a Remarkable Debut Season with Lotto Soudal
For 23-year-old Andreas Kron, his inaugural season with Lotto Soudal has been nothing short of extraordinary. A standout year culminated in stage victories at both the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Suisse, marking a dream start to his WorldTour career. As many riders gear up for the 2022 season, Kron took a moment to reflect on what has surpassed his expectations.
> “Of course, I am really happy and proud about my 2021 season and how I performed in my first year at WorldTour level. With two stage wins under my belt, one at the Volta a Catalunya and one at the Tour de Suisse, it has truly been an incredible season,” said Kron.
Yet, not everything went according to plan. Following his impressive stage win at the Volta a Catalunya, Kron faced a setback, as illness forced him to abandon the race, derailing his ambitions for the Ardennes Classics—one of his season’s pivotal goals.
> “Missing the Ardennes Classics was, of course, a major disappointment. It really was a pity, as this changed the course of my season. I was supposed to have a break after the Classics, but instead, I trained hard for the Tour de Romandie and I used this stage race to build my shape. Eventually, it led to a Tour de Suisse stage win. It was hard to miss the Ardennes Classics—the races I like most—but also mentally, switching race programs was quite challenging. But on the positive side, it gave me the chance to focus on other races,” he shared.
Despite the early setbacks, Kron found ways to channel his disappointment into success, clinching his second stage win at the Tour de Suisse.
> “Immediately winning at WorldTour level is something I could only dream of. At the start of the season, I hoped to take a win in, for example, the Tour de Luxembourg, as I did last year. To take two wins on WorldTour level was something I didn’t expect at all as racing at the highest level is quite different from the one I raced on last year with Riwal Cycling Team. There are more race (and travel) days, and above all, the speed is so much higher. Sometimes, people think that finishing inside the gruppetto is easy, but I can assure you on some days that’s really not the case! If you have bad legs on the WorldTour, it’s one big sufferfest…” he noted.
Kron also praised the team dynamics at Lotto Soudal, emphasizing the camaraderie that drives their pursuit of victory.
> “Racing for Lotto Soudal is really nice; I love the atmosphere in the team, and it’s a nice bunch of riders from whom I can learn a lot. Primarily from guys like Tim Wellens and Philippe Gilbert, who are the same type of riders as I am. When we race, we always do our best to go for the win, and that mentality suits me well. We are always thinking about the best opportunity to win,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Kron is eager to take on the Ardennes Classics in 2022, with aspirations of further accomplishments.
> “Next year, I hope to be at the start of the Ardennes Classics in top shape. Those races will be my main goal for the first part of the season. The ambition is to do some nice results there, and the ultimate dream would be to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the future. But for now, I would already be really happy if I could be at the start and gain as much experience as I can,” he concluded.
As Kron prepares for the new season, the cycling world is keenly watching what this promising young talent will achieve next.
