- In this context, we can say that Pedersen clinched victory in the German competition or perhaps, Pedersen emerged triumphant in the German event.
Mads Pedersen took one last look around before ending his team Lidl-Trek's victorious streak at the finish line. The ex-world champion from Denmark claimed victory in both the final stage in Saarbrücken and the overall classification of the Deutschland Tour with authority. Lidl, serving as the primary sponsor and the race's namesake, brought a formidable team to the competition, managing to clinch every stage and the overall classification in an unprecedented manner. "It was tough. It was real bike racing. We're freakin' proud to have won every stage and the overall," Pedersen said. "That was our goal when we came here. One stage wasn't enough for us. We wanted to rule it all. We did."
Tobias Johannessen, a Norwegian cyclist, finished third, just one second behind van Poppel. The best German rider was Florian Stork, who secured fifth place with a strong final stage. The last German overall victory was achieved by Nils Politt in 2021.
Legendary German rider Simon Geschke, who is retiring at the season's end, made his final appearance at Germany's most significant race. The 38-year-old attempted an attack on the final lap in Saarbrücken, but it ultimately failed. "That might have been my last ride on German soil," Geschke said during an ARD interview. "It was dope. Bike racing in Germany is rare these days, and racing with the national team is always a blast."
Race director Fabian Wegmann, a former professional cyclist himself, was pleased with the event. "It was consistently cool. We're stoked. Everything went according to plan, and Lidl crushed it," said the 44-year-old. In the future, the race could potentially be extended beyond its current five days to a full week.
The final stage saw Danny van Poppel finish second, edging out American Luke Lamperti. Van Poppel capitalized on his bonus seconds to overtake Johannessen. The majority of the day was dominated by a five-rider breakaway group, including Maximilian Walscheid. Despite building up a significant lead of nearly five minutes, the collaboration of top teams managed to reel in the breakaway within the final six kilometers.
Simon Geschke's attack on the final lap in Saarbrücken, despite being unsuccessful, was a fitting send-off for the retiring German rider. In the same race, Mads Pedersen's team Lidl-Trek's dominance continued, with Simon Geschke finishing behind the ex-world champion.
