Marcel Kittel on his native region and must-do activities when you’re in Thuringia

Our “SIGMA Stories” blog and video series is taking an intimate look at our brand ambassadors. They are taking us on a journey through time, sharing their successes and providing glimpses of their everyday lives. It is now Marcel Kittel’s turn.

Marcel Kittel is a former professional cyclist. His speciality was sprinting. A few years ago, he was still participating in the largest, most successful races in the world. His focus was on performance and success. Now, suddenly, everything is very relaxed.

But relaxed is not bad. “I think it’s quite nice,” says Kittel. He ended his professional biking career because he was ready for something new. He wanted a life with other attractions and challenges. His new focus is his family.

And there, things aren’t that relaxed after all: Kittel recently celebrated the birth of his second child. This is the perfect new athletic challenge for him. But although his role is no longer exactly new, he never lost the deep connections to his native region, Ichtershausen in Thuringia. There, where he first learned to ride a bike, is where we visited him and his parents for SIGMA Stories.

The green heart of Germany has lots of great out-of-the way places for conversations, bike rides, and general relaxation. That is what Kittel thinks of as home: the unique combination of recovery, nature, and a bit of adventure. “You’re outside, you get to spend time on your bike with friends or family, and you can leave the daily grind behind,” he says. He still thinks biking is the greatest hobby in the world.

But what is it that people visiting Thuringia absolutely must do? To find out, take a look out our SIGMA Stories with Marcel Kittel:

Have you seen the new SIGMA Stories about Karl Platt, our brand ambassador? Look forward to the SIGMA Stories of Anne Terpstra