After winning the prestigious series leader's jersey in the opening round of the Women's World Tour, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Leanne Lippert could not have had a better start to the year. In an interview with Cycling News, Lippert, who has newly changed his team name to DSM, reflects on his breakthrough year and looks ahead to next season.

"Australia was really great and I was able to start the race unaffected by the coronavirus, so I had a very different mindset from the other races in the second half of the year. It was great to win my first World Tour race. I never thought this would happen. ...... Lippert said.

Back in Europe, the racing season resumes with the opening weekend of the Classics at Omloop Het Nuusblad and Omloop van Het Haegeland, where she will once again wear the women's World Tour leader's jersey until the series resumes at Strade Bianche on August 1. World Tour leader's jersey again until the series resumed at Strade Bianche on August 1.

"Even though I was blockaded in Germany, I was able to train, I was able to stay home and replenish my energy and stay motivated even though I didn't know what was going to happen next, so that was really good. I was able to make myself stronger, I was able to come out of lockdown stronger, I was able to keep my level consistent throughout the year, all the way to the end.

Lippert's 16th place result does not adequately represent her performance at Strade Bianche. Mavi Garcia (Yale) took the lead solo, with a group of 11 riders in pursuit. Lippert caught the rest of the disjointed group and set her own pace, finishing in 16th place, 6:27 behind the day's winner Annemiek van Fluten (Mitchelton-Scott), but it was enough to keep her in the series lead.

Her successes this season include second overall in the Women's Tour Down Under, 10th in La Course, five top-10 finishes and 13th overall in the Giro Rosa, fifth in the World Championship road race, Flèche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege Top 10 finishes and a second place at Brabants Pile. He would later lose the series championship title won by Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo).

"This is a breakthrough year for me. 'Other racers notice me, see me, and try to follow me whenever I make a move. The other players know my level and they don't underestimate me anymore. I could see the difference in the group and we had a good result.

Even with the COVID-19 shutdown, Lippert said he is not disappointed with his season, but said he learned more about himself as a rider and learned from his few mistakes, which helped him overcome an uncertain year smarter. 'It's good to learn from the little things, and there's nothing that I would want to change,' She said.

In fact, Lippert has been a focus among the peloton even before the break this year, with Kasia Niwiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) telling Cycling News in an interview in 2019 to watch out for this German rider in stage races and one-day races. Niwiadoma said she recognized Lippert's "fighting spirit."

"Yes, I have a fighting spirit and I never give up until the end," Lippert agreed. 'I can really push myself, and to do that I need competition, I can push myself to the limit. I'm mentally strong, so I think the fact that I have a fighting spirit says a lot about me. 0]

Lippert aims to carry that fighting spirit into the upcoming season and be selected to represent Germany in the Ardennes Classic and the Tokyo Olympics.

"I am very excited about my new team and my goal is to once again become one of the best teams in the world. Personally, I want to excel in the Ardennes Classic. I also love uphill finishes and really hilly races. I don't know what my plan is, but the hilly classics suit me very well," Lippert said.

"I think I'm on one of the better cards to play for the (German) team and I'm confident going into the Olympic Games. It's always a dream to be in the Olympics and when I look at the German team I think I'm one of the strongest climbers.