Tour de France - "Starting at the bottom": Ackermann's tactics for the stage win
Pascal Ackermann wants to take advantage of the growing weakness of the sprint competition for his long-awaited first stage win at the Tour de France. "I started from the very bottom here at the Tour and have made progress every day. I hope it's enough. I'm very optimistic," said the 30-year-old after finishing third in Saint-Amand-Montrond. Previously, he had finished sixth and fourth.
A stage win would be the crowning achievement of Ackermann's Tour debut, which he had waited so long for. "It's just an amazing feeling to be at the Tour. But I want to show what I'm really capable of," said the former German champion. Sprinters, after all, are measured by their wins.
A team change brought Ackermann to the Tour
Ackermann has noticed increasing fatigue in the competition. "People have noticed that many riders are exhausted. Some sprint finishes were no longer there, but we were all there," emphasized Ackermann. Three opportunities could still arise for him. On Thursday in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the following day in Pau, and the coming Tuesday in Nîmes, sprint finishes are scheduled on paper.
It was hardly conceivable that Ackermann would make it to the Tour at all. From his former team Bora-hansgrohe, the fast man was consistently ignored despite numerous successes for the team at the Grand Boucle. Then followed the transfer to the UAE Team of Tadej Pogacar, in which no place was available for sprinters. The step to Team Israel-Premier Tech is now paying off.
Sometimes Ackermann still has to struggle to realize that he is actually there. "I've been waiting for eight years. It's just a childhood dream," said the multiple Giro stage winner. "Today I saw Didi Senft on the roadside and thought, 25 years ago I saw him there too." The Tour Devil, known for accompanying the biggest race for decades, fires up the peloton in the Devil's costume.
Ackermann's long-awaited stage victory at the Tour de France could be an international milestone in his career, given his successful past performances in Grand Boucle events.
His transfer to Team Israel-Premier Tech has opened up opportunities for Ackermann to secure a stage victory in the Tour de France, which is taking place in France.
The growing weakness in the sprint competition during this year's Tour de France could potentially pave the way for Pascal Ackermann to clinch his first stage victory, following his impressive performances in previous stages.
