Tour of Germany: Buchmann announces finish
DPA
· 23.08.2022
Buchmann is the star of the Deutschland Tour
Plan B should be more than just a consolation prize. As Emanuel Buchmann had to withdraw from the Vuelta a Espana at short notice last week, he is now leading the German team Bora-Hansgrohe in the Tour of Germany starting in Weimar and is the big star.
The profile of the five-day race with the queen stage up the Schauinsland also ensures that the narrow climbing specialist is the top favourite for overall victory.
Here, sporting director Rolf Aldag puts the brakes on and refers to the Ravensburger's recent urinary tract infection. "To be fair, we don't know exactly what the outcome will be," the 53-year-old told the dpa. "One is being healthy, the other is cycling fast. So was there enough time to get healthy and fit or was it just enough to be healthy?"
Buchmann aims for a good position
Buchmann sounds a little more optimistic. "I hope to go into the Tour of Germany with my Vuelta form," said the Tour specialist. The past few days in training have been much better. "That's why I'm definitely aiming for a good placing."
If the body cooperates. Since his fourth place in the 2019 Tour de France, Buchmann has had to face the bitter reality that his health is getting in the way. Crashes, coronavirus, infections - the 29-year-old has been slowed down time and time again. "After the last two years, when nothing went right for me, this year is about finding stability again," Buchmann told the dpa. Seventh place at the Giro in May he described as "quite okay", the big attack was to follow at the Vuelta.
As this plan collapsed at short notice, Buchmann now wants to show his home fans the form he has developed in the altitude training camp. Although important seconds will be at stake in the prologue on road bikes in Weimar, the Tour will certainly be decided on the penultimate day in the Black Forest on the 1284 metre high Schauinsland. According to Aldag, Buchmann could be "right up there at the front".
Geschke is looking forward to the queen stage
On the other hand, fans will have to do without two other German stars. Neither Giro stage winner Lennard Kämna nor Maximilian Schachmann, who once rode for a Thuringian junior team, will be there. The duo still have health problems from the Tour de France, and Schachmann will soon be a father for the first time. "You have to take a step back and take a breath," emphasised Aldag. "There's no point in sending guys into the fire who are half fit."
Bernal at the start of the Tour of Germany
Egan Bernal is still far from top form. The 2019 Tour winner is competing in the Tour of Germany, his second race since his terrible training accident at the start of the year. Bernal suffered more than 20 broken bones in his Colombian homeland when he crashed into a stationary bus without braking. Last week, the 25-year-old made his comeback in Denmark. "It was indescribable to finally put on a number again," said Bernal. He wants to use the only major German stage race above all to collect race kilometres.
Alongside Buchmann, German fans will be rooting for Simon Geschke in particular. The experienced rider has won many fans with his brilliant performance at the Tour de France and his days in the mountain jersey and will be riding the race in the jersey of the German national team. The fact that the queen stage starts in his home town of Freiburg is the emotional highlight for Geschke. "The profile suits me very well and I probably know the course better than anyone else in the peloton," said the 36-year-old.
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