Sprinter, puncher, rouleur: What type of rider are you on the bike?

Sprinters are instantly recognizable: powerfully built, muscular, and explosive. They prevail at the end of flat stages, in sprints to town signposts, or in traffic light starts. Their muscles consist largely of fast-twitch fibers—this means a powerful acceleration, but also a disadvantage on climbs.

Typical representatives: Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel.

You are probably a sprinter if: you excel at short, intense bursts of effort, but quickly suffer on climbs.

2. The Puncher

A puncher (from the French "pcheur") is a small, lightweight rider with tremendous explosiveness. Perfect for short, steep climbs where powerful attacks are essential. Punchers like to get out of the saddle and accelerate aggressively.

Typical representatives: Julian Alaphilippe, Mathieu van der Poel, Georg Zimmermann.

You're probably a puncher if: you love short climbs, like throwing yourself out of the saddle, and sudden attacks are your thing.

Climbers are lightly built and have a very high threshold power. Their slow-twitch fibers provide sustained power on long climbs. In sprints, however, they have little chance.

Typical representatives: Emanuel Buchmann, David Gaudu.

You're more of a climber if: you thrive on long climbs but often come up short in sprints.

4. The Rouleur

The rouleur (also from French) is the endurance runner among cyclists. Not particularly explosive, but extremely stamina-oriented. They can maintain consistently high performance levels – perfect for flat or undulating stages and long breakaways.

Typical representatives: Thomas De Gendt, Nils Politt.

You are a rouleur if: you can ride at a consistently high speed and hardly slow down for many hours.