Gall Blossoms as the Leading Austrian Prospect on the Tour

 

Until this year, Felix Gall didn't have a place to call his own and viewed cycling as a means to explore the world. However, since joining the French team AG2R-Citroen, the Austrian cyclist has had to mature and settle down in order to enhance his racing prospects.

Gall made the switch from the DSM reserve team to AG2R-Citroen last year, and now, at the age of 25, he is leading the team at the Tour de France, aiming to become the first Austrian to secure a top 10 position in the race since Georg Totschnig in 2004.

Having acquired his own apartment in his hometown of Nussdorf-Debant in the Tyrol region, Gall has been easing into a less nomadic lifestyle, although he hasn't fully settled like most professional riders who often choose Spain, Andorra, or Italy.

"I've been to Malaga a few times, to Gran Canaria, and also attended team camps in Spain," shared Gall, who is also a golf enthusiast, in an interview with Reuters. "I enjoy going from place to place, renting apartments; it makes me feel free. For now, I'm quite content with how I've managed the last few years. Maybe South Africa could also be a nice destination."

The 2015 junior world champion, Gall made a name for himself during the Tour de Suisse when he won the fourth stage with a solo attack in the mountains. He was selected to support Ben O'Connor in the Tour de France, which required some adjustment, but he showed great form from the beginning.

During the second stage, on the challenging ascent to the Cote de Pike in the Basque country, he was assigned to stay with O'Connor, but a miscommunication led him to lose his position. As it became clear that O'Connor wouldn't perform as expected, Gall was promoted to team leader.

"It's been quite a journey, and so far, I'm satisfied, except for the first two stages when I was blocked and didn't have the legs," Gall reflected. "But overall, I've maintained a steady level, and that's what I was hoping for."

The soft-spoken Gall has also quickly adapted to his role as team leader, with all his teammates supporting him wholeheartedly. "Being a team leader is a bit more stressful, and I feel some pressure," he admitted. "But the team is always there for me during the stages, taking care of me. I can trust them completely, and that takes away any worries."

In the demanding mountain stages, Gall managed to stay close to the leading duo of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and a grueling stage to Courchevel could potentially push him into the top 10. He currently holds the 11th position overall, trailing 21 seconds behind 10th-placed Guillaume Martin and 32 seconds behind ninth-placed David Gaudu.