Cycling - Tour: German pros "outsiders" for stage wins
Jan Ullrich is optimistic. At least when it comes to the potential of German cyclists at the Tour de France. "We can already win a stage. I believe we will manage that this year at the Tour as well", said the 50-year-old ex-pro cyclist of the German Press Agency before the start of the 111th edition of the French Grand Tour on Saturday.
Ullrich, who won the Tour in 1997 and made a doping confession last year, achieved seven Tour stage victories between 1996 and 2003. "The possibility is always there", he said. "A man like Simon Geschke can still join a group."
Geschke, one of the oldest German cyclists at the race, is more pessimistic. "The chances of a stage win from me are realistically very low", said the Freiburg native on dpa inquiry. He is participating in his twelfth and last Tour de France. After this season, the one-time Tour stage winner (2015) is retiring.
Geschke: Not "hot candidates" like Belgium
Together with seven other Germans, Geschke starts on Saturday in the Italian city of Florence. In 2017, there were 16 German starters. At least the trend is going up: in 2023, seven German professionals participated. For comparison, the French are represented by 32 riders, the Belgians by 28.
From the black-red-golden camp, Nils Politt is traveling as a helper for two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogacar. After sprinter Phil Bauhaus and Augsburg's Georg Zimmermann came close to a stage win last year, both are also starting again. Routinier John Degenkolb, Bauhaus' teammate Nikias Arndt, as well as Tour debutants Pascal Ackermann and Nico Denz complete the German squad.
For the eight riders, it's all about stage wins - but only if they receive the freedoms from their teams and are not assigned as helpers for their colleagues. The latest success for Politt was a stage win on the twelfth stage in 2021.
"I would see the Germans as outsiders for a stage win", said Geschke. "We don't have 'hot candidates' like perhaps the Belgians with Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen", he added.
Hopes for Bauhaus and Zimmermann
Hopes lie mainly with Bauhaus, who, according to Geschke, "has very good chances of a stage win". The veteran sees someone else in front, however. "Georg Zimmermann is a strong rider and, in my opinion, the hottest candidate for a stage win", he predicted. And himself? "A surprise from me over the breakaway groups would be something", he said. He gave a brilliant performance at the Giro in May - and finished in the general classification in 14th place.
Two young riders made a splash in Italy: Georg Steinhauser and Florian Lipowitz. Steinhauser managed a spectacular stage win, which even earned him praise from Pogacar. Neither is participating in the Tour. Steinhauser's success pleased Jan Ullrich as well. He is the uncle of the 22-year-old. "He rode a mega Giro and has great potential", Ullrich praised.
Nachwuchsproblems in Cycling
In cycling in this country, as well as in other sports, there are issues with the development of youth. From the perspective of many observers, there are too few races, the equipment is too expensive for many families, and Germany does not count among the major cycling nations like Belgium or Italy. "We're especially lacking a piece," said Ralph Denk, team manager at Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, in response to a dpa inquiry. There are some talents, but too few races are taking place and the starting fields are too small.
Starting from the Tour, Red Bull, the energy drink giant, will join the Bora team. Through this partnership, they aim to discover and support young riders. Starting in 2025, there will be a separate U23 team. Talents from youth to the World Tour Team are expected to rise through the ranks. And they may soon increase the number of German riders at the Tour de France significantly.
- Jan Ullrich, a former professional cyclist, expressed optimism about German cyclists' potential in the Tour de France, predicting a stage victory for this year's edition.
- Ullrich highlighted Simon Geschke as a possible candidate for such a victory, despite the latter's pessimistic outlook on his chances for a win.
- Geschke, one of the elder German riders participating in the Tour de France, acknowledged that his chances for a stage win are practically nonexistent, with this year's race marking his twelfth and final participation.
- In addition to Geschke, seven other German cyclists are participating in the Tour de France, which began on Saturday in Florence, Italy.
- Nils Politt, a helper for two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogacar, is one of these riders, with Phil Bauhaus and Georg Zimmermann also hoping for a stage win after coming close last year.
- Routinier John Degenkolb, Bauhaus' teammate Nikias Arndt, as well as Tour debutants Pascal Ackermann and Nico Denz complete the German squad.
- All eight riders aim for stage wins, but only if they are given the freedom by their teams and not assigned as helpers for their colleagues.
- According to Geschke, although the German riders are outsiders for a stage win, hopes lie mainly with Bauhaus, who is considered to have very good chances, while Zimmermann is considered the hottest candidate for a stage victory.
