Marcel Kittel on sprinting, Paris and the sport’s challenges - Domestique Hotseat Podcast

Kittel looks back at a career built on raw power and precision. He explains why he never adopted the extreme low positions of other sprinters, how it felt to dominate the Champs Élysées, and why losing that finish still stings. “A big tradition is gone,” he said. “Paris smells different. Food, perfume, excitement.”

The conversation moves far beyond sprinting. Kittel speaks candidly about the pressure faced by young riders, the dangers of comparison culture, and how expectations have exploded in the modern era. He also discusses the changing nature of the Tour, the shrinking space for pure sprinters and what it takes to survive in a race that no longer resembles the one he grew up in.

And he doesn’t shy away from the sport’s more uncomfortable truths. “I don’t believe that cycling is clean now. Absolutely not,” he said.

They also speak about:
🏆 The sprint that changed his career: beating Cavendish in a direct duel
🔧 How nutrition and training culture have changed since his era 
🇩🇪 The state of German cycling

For a rider who defined an era, the conversation reveals a thoughtful observer of where cycling has been and where it is going.