Tour of Germany: Belgian van Wilder wins first stage
DPA
· 24.08.2023
After 179 kilometres from St. Wendel to Merzig, the 23-year-old took victory in a sprint from a leading group of three ahead of Austria's Felix Großschartner and France's Pavel Sivakov.
Germany Tour 2023: Van Wilder replaces Vernon
Van Wilder thus replaced the British prologue winner Ethan Vernon at the top of the overall standings. The best German was Nikias Arndt in ninth place, ten seconds behind.
Former world champion Mads Pedersen no longer has a chance of overall victory. The Dane, who had finished in second place the day before and had already won a stage at the Tour de France this year and the Hamburg Cyclassics last Sunday, had to abandon the race on a climb around 50 kilometres before the finish and did not finish with the leading group.
Deutschland Tour 2023: Alexander Kristoff missing due to pain
Norwegian sprint rookie Alexander Kristoff did not take part in the stage. The four-time Tour de France stage winner crashed into a barrier at the end of the 2.3 kilometre prologue and complained of pain in his arm and shoulder.
The second stage on Friday leads over 201.3 kilometres from Kassel in northern Hesse to Winterberg in the Sauerland. Around 3300 metres in altitude have to be overcome on this challenging section. The 38th edition of the Deutschland Tour finishes in Bremen on Sunday after five days and a total of 732 kilometres.
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