Balancing time with

Fabian Cancellara

Driven, relentless and passionate, Fabian Cancellara’s winning portfolio includes three

victories apiece in the infamous Classics the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix.

Named by his fans as the Swiss Time Machine and Spartacus, he’s an accomplished

Time Trial and Classics specialist with World and Olympic Time Trial titles who also

has a reputation for working tirelessly in the longer stage races for his teammates

with General Classification aspirations. Fabian’s own Grand Tour victories include

eight stages in the Tour de France and three in the Vuelta Espana. He’s also won the

Tirreno-Adriattico, the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of Oman.

Fabian is also a brand ambassador for the high-end

Swiss manufacture IWC Schaffhausen. He took the

time to talk to SWR about passion for his sport and

the importance of balance in his life.

Maán Abdul-Hafeedh

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How did you start your career as a cyclist?

What drew you to the sport?

My father had an old bike in the garage and one day I just asked him if I could use it. This was the mSTU�TUFQ��*�DPVME�HP�BOZXIFSF�PO�B�CJLF �XIFSFWFS�*�XBOUFE�UP�HP��*�DPVME�HP�FYQMPSJOH �TFF�EJGGFSFOU�OFX�UIJOHT�BOE�UIJT�JT�XIZ�*�MPWFE�JU�BU�UIF�WFSZ�CFHJOOJOH�

What drew you to be a friend of IWC?

.Z� XJGF� HBWF� NF� BO� *8$� XBUDI� GPS� PVS�BOOJWFSTBSZ �*�OFWFS�VTFE�UP�CVZ�XBUDIFT�CFGPSF�UIBU�CVU�*�WF�BMXBZT�XBOUFE�UP�CF�DMPTF�UP�UIF�CSBOE��*U�T�NPSF�UIBO�B�XBUDI �JU�T�B�TUPSZ �JU�T�IJTUPSZ �FWFSZUIJOH�behind the brand is of quality and stands out.

Do you have a favourite watch from IWC and

what is it that you particularly like about it?

*� IBWF� UXP� GBWPVSJUF�XBUDIFT� BDUVBMMZ�� 5IF� mSTU�JT� UIF� QSFTFOU� *� HPU� GSPN�NZ�XJGF � B� DISPOPHSBQI �UIF� TFDPOE� *� HPU� GSPN� *8$� XIFO� *� CFDBNF� BO�ambassador and friend of the brand. It is the -BVSFVT�TQFDJBM�FEJUJPO� *8$�1PSUVHVFTF�BVUPNBUJD�JO�UIF�TQFDJBM�CMVF�DPMPVS��*U�SFBMMZ�JT�B�TQFDJBM�POF�

How do you feel about the nicknames given

to you such as Spartacus and the Swiss Time

Machine?

*�UIJOL�JU�T�BDUVBMMZ�OJDF�UP�IBWF�TPNF�OJDLOBNFT��0G� DPVSTF � 4QBSUBDVT� TUBOET� PVU� NPTU� TP� EP� UIF�4XJTT�5JNF�.BDIJOF�BOE� UIF�3FE�)BNNFS�� *� UIJOL�JU�T�B�LJOE�PG�DPNQMJNFOU�UIBU�ZPV�DBO�HFU�GSPN�GBOT�

What is the link between watches and cycling

for you?

8FMM� JU�T� FBTZ�� *�N� SVOOJOH� GPS� IVOESFEUIT� PG�seconds and I’m running for details and millimetres BOE�UIF�TBNF�BQQMJFT� JO� UIF�XBUDI�XPSME��"�XBUDI�IBT�UP�CF�QSFDJTF�CVU�OPU�KVTU�PO�UIF�PVUTJEF�CVU�BMTP�on the inside and I think I’m the kind of guy that runs in the same way as a watch.

I think it’s actually nice to have some nicknames. Of course,

Spartacus stands out most so do the Swiss Time Machine and the Red Hammer.

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How important is a watch or the concept of

time in cycling?

*U�T� UIF� CJHHFTU� UIJOH�� &WFSZ� TFDPOE� DPVOUT��You want to be faster than anyone else and you want to be the fastest at the end. You are running against the clock.

What is it about cycling that you particularly

enjoy? Why are you so dedicated to the sport?

$ZDMJOH� HJWFT�NF� B� MPU � OPU� KVTU� JO� UIF� SBDFT��8IFO� *�N� BU� IPNF� BOE� SJEJOH� *� DBO� SFMBY � *� DBO�SFMPBE�NZ�CBUUFSJFT��*�DBO�UIJOL��*�DBO�HP�XIFSFWFS�I want and that’s actually really nice.

What drives you to win?

1BJO� JT� UFNQPSBSZ � NFNPSJFT� BSF� GPSFWFS�� 5P�CF�UIF�CFTU�HJWFT�NF�B�MPU�PG�OFX�FYQFSJFODFT�for my life and I think this is something you DBOOPU� CVZ�� 5IBU�T� XIZ� XJOOJOH� HJWFT� NPSF� UIBO� NPOFZ� JO� UIF� QPDLFU � PS� HMPSZ�� *U�T� XIBU� ZPV� MFBSO� BOE� XIBU� ZPV� BEPQU� BOE� UIJT� JT� something unique that is sometimes bigger than winning.

In such a demanding sport, what support system

is important for you to achieve your goals?

It’s all about the team. You need the team around ZPV �ZPV�OFFE�UP�IBWF�QFPQMF�BSPVOE�ZPV �ZPV�OFFE�UP�IBWF�IJHI�FOE�FRVJQNFOU��5IBU�T� SFBMMZ�XIBU� JU�T�BMM�BCPVU��*U�IBT�UP�CF�GVO��*U�EPFTO�U�IBWF�UP�MPPL�MJLF�GVO�CVU�JU�IBT�UP�CF�GVO��:PV�IBWF�UP�MBVHI�CVU�XIFO�UIF�SBDF�TUBSUT�ZPV�IBWF�UP�CF�����QFS�DFOU�GPDVTFE�BOE�FWFSZPOF�IBT�UP�EFEJDBUF�UIF�NBYJNVN�

Is having a balanced life important for you as a

cyclist? Does having the support of your family

and friends make you a better athlete?0G�DPVSTF�ZPV�OFFE�UP�IBWF�B�CBMBODFE�MJGF��5IF�

DZDMJTU� MJWFT�OPU� KVTU� GPS�QVTIJOH�QFEBMT � UIF�DZDMJTU�MJWFT�XJUI�B�IFBE�UIBU�BMTP�IBT�UP�CF�GSFTI�BOE�GSFF�PG�BMM�UIJOHT��5IBU�T�XIZ�JU�T�SFBMMZ�JNQPSUBOU�UP�IBWF�UIJT� CBMBODF�� 'BNJMZ� BOE� GSJFOET� JT� UIF� LFZ� QPJOU��They make you strong in moments when you doubt. $ZDMJOH� JO� UIF� FOE� PG� UIF� EBZ� JT� B� KPC � TPNFUIJOH�*� MJLF �TPNFUIJOH�*�XBOU� UP�EP �CVU� *�TUJMM�LOPX�XIBU�*� IBWF� BSPVOE�NF� BOE� UIBU�T�NBZCF� TPNFUJNFT� B�CJHHFS�BDIJFWFNFOU�UP�LOPX�UIBU�*�IBWF�UIBU�

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