Tim Torn Teutenberg targets cobbled breakthroughs as Lidl–Trek fast man moves from lessons to wins

Tim Torn Teutenberg comes from a family of cyclists, with his father, aunt, and uncle all competing in some form of competitive cycling. The love and passion for competitive cycling was evidently passed on through the generations, with, obviously, himself and his sister Lea Lin both professional, with Lea Lin riding for Lotto Intermarché Ladies. Tim believes that it didn't apply any pressure on either of the siblings.

"I think a lot of people think it puts some pressure on me, or also on my sister," said the 23-year-old Teutenberg to Domestique. "I think we never really took it like this, for us it was more of a support, I think it helped us to maybe get to where we are now with a good support system around us. My dad has a lot of knowledge in many things in cycling, so I think without him, I definitely wouldn't be like who I am now and have the knowledge and the abilities that I have."

When questioned specifically regarding what skills and tips, Tim went on to clarify his deep-rooted interest in the aerodynamics of cycling, as his father also shared the same.

Teutenberg's biggest achievement of his young career so far was winning the Paris-Roubaix Espoirs in 2024, with previous winners including Tom Pidcock and Filippo Ganna, amongst others. 

On that 2024 victory, Teutenberg stated, "It was a super nice day. It was also pretty much the first victory for me. I won the GC of the Olympia's Tour before, but this was the first victory where I went first over the line and could celebrate," said Teutenberg. "So it was super nice to win the race and to have maybe the confirmation that I can maybe win races and achieve maybe some bigger goals and win some bigger races."

Teutenberg’s long-term ambitions are already aligning with his attributes: a fast finisher who thrives when the race has been hard and technical. That points naturally towards the cobbled Monuments and flat-but-attritional championships rather than pure drag-strip sprints. 

“Paris–Roubaix is a big race, it’s great,” he said. “If you can win in the Velodrome with all those people around and then lift the stone, it’s a magical moment. But there are other great races. I’d put the Tour of Flanders and the Worlds on the same level. It would be hard to pick, but they’re definitely at the top of the list.”

The German is also developing within one of the best classic-oriented environments in the sport. Lidl–Trek’s roster includes recent world champions and serial winners across one-day racing, providing him with daily reference points for professionalism and race craft. 

“You can always learn a lot from the older riders. From big champions you can probably learn the most - they know how to win the big races and achieve great things. Mads Pedersen is a guy you can always learn something from; he works super hard, trying to beat the unbeatable. If I need a tip, he’s open-minded to give it. Søren Kragh Andersen has a lot of experience as well and he’s always there if you need advice.” He adds Jonathan Milan to that list as “super powerful, a super nice person… good to have such big examples in front of you.”

Stepping from U23 dominance into the WorldTour is less a change of sport and more a brutal compression of margins, where positioning, timing and energy management decide everything. Teutenberg frames 2025 as a year of accumulation rather than headlines. 

“At that level, you cannot just sprint and try to be the strongest; you have to make everything perfect. I wasn’t sprinting against other U23s anymore; I was against guys who’ve already won Tour stages. I was close a few times, but I made some mistakes or didn’t have the legs. That’s the game, I’ll try again next season.”

Racing the very best also reframes what “making it” looks like. Against fields featuring Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier, respect must be balanced with assertion, especially in high-speed finales where hesitation costs places. “You should stay humble, the moment where I might think 'I've made it' is when you beat them,” he said. 

“I have a lot of respect for the big guys. Sprint finals are always a bit sketchy, and sometimes it gets more difficult because you respect them so much you don’t want to do anything too crazy. Being too careful doesn’t help your own performance.”

Behind the scenes, Lidl–Trek has been scaling up in ways that matter daily to rider development, logistics, staff, and a deepened pipeline from devo to WorldTour. Teutenberg has witnessed that growth first-hand, and his examples mirror a broader arms race across the sport to professionalise development structures. 

“When I joined the team as a Stagiaire, we went to the Tour of Croatia with campers; now the devo guys have their own bus. As a conti rider in my first years, we didn’t even have a camper, I dressed on the road after the race. It makes you appreciate the support we have now even more. The devo set-up is basically like a smaller pro-conti team. It’s unbelievable.”

That pathway also explains his early commitment to stay put, even as the transfer market increasingly targets riders before they’ve fully broken through. Loyalty, he says, is about reciprocating belief. “I wanted to give back something for what they gave me,” he said, crediting DS Markel Irizar for backing him from the start. “I feel at home; it’s a familiar atmosphere. When I signed for the WorldTour team, I didn't think about going somewhere else.”

Public narratives can muddy that cohesion, especially when marquee signings attract speculation. Teutenberg is pragmatic about the gap between headlines and reality. “Sometimes in the media it looks different to how it is in the team. News pages can twist words or pick the section that makes the article interesting. Inside the team, everything is all right. We still have fun, we’re a big family, and Ayuso is a nice guy from what I’ve seen.”

His near-term race programme reflects a sensible build: speed and race rhythm in Australia, aerobic depth in Portugal, then the intense decision-making test of the Belgian spring. He’s also open to a first Grand Tour if momentum arrives early. 

“I’ll start with the Tour Down Under, then normally Algarve, and after that the Belgian Classics,” he said, acknowledging how quickly plans can change in March and April. “We’ll see how the year goes. If I show good performances early on, the Vuelta could be interesting,” he added, a nod to a route so mountainous it may deter pure sprinters and open doors for resilient fast men. “It scared me a bit… pretty heavy,” he admitted, “but with fewer pure sprints there might be better chances if you climb well.”

Those calculations sit within a wider debate about course design. As organisers tilt towards selective routes, sprinters increasingly rely on attrition and timing rather than outright peak power. The mooted artificial climb for a future Middle East Worlds is a case in point. 

“I was hoping for a Worlds for classic sprinter guys, maybe crosswinds like Doha 2016,” he said. “If they build a climb, hopes aren’t so high anymore. But let’s see how hard it is, maybe they don’t even finish the project and it’s only a little hill,” he joked. Longer term, profiles like Copenhagen 2029 and Brussels 2030 “shouldn’t be too hilly”.

Nationally, Germany is entering a handover phase after a decade defined by big-framed finishers and lead-out trains. That transition creates space for a different kind of sprinter, lighter, more technical, and comfortable when the race wears others down. “If I start winning, my chances are good to be the sprinter for championships like that,” Teutenberg said, while noting the churn of emerging talent. “There are always young guys coming up super quick. I hope those years suit me so I can sprint for Germany.”

His own template owes more to guile than brute force, shaped by childhood proximity to one of the sport’s greatest finishers. “My dad worked for HTC–Highroad, so Cav was my big hero. I’ve got a big poster in my childhood room.” The influence is both philosophical and stylistic. “I prefer a technical race; I’m not the guy with the crazy power. I’m more of an efficient rider and I like classic-style races.”

All of which makes the coming spring an important reset after illness blunted last year’s momentum. He missed key second-tier cobbled sprints, the kind of days that build confidence and palmarès. “My spring was a bit shit,” he said. “I got the flu after training camp in the week of Paris–Nice/Tirreno. I missed Nokkere and Koksijde where I think I had a shot to sprint. This year I hope I don’t get sick, come with good shape, and finally get my chances at the smaller races. I’m confident I can get some good results there.”