Preview Germany Tour 2022
By Kevin Kemp
Defending champion Nils Politt (Bora – hansgrohe) will have a hard time on the German tour this year. | Photo: Cor Vos
08/27/2022 | (rsn) – The Tour Deutschland 2022 begins on Wednesday with an announcement in Weimar. It ended five days later in Stuttgart. For the first time since 2008, the UCI Tour of Germany only has a mountain finish, because in stage 3 the riders have to climb up to Schauinsland. This will completely change the profile of the competitor. Although other sections are not a gift for sprinters, some fast drivers have registered for the D-Tour.
The list of climbers is impressive. After a successful weekend with Sam Bennett’s two stage wins at the Vuelta and Marco Haller’s victory in Hamburg, Bora – hansgrohe is confident in the home tour. Patrick Konrad, fifth in Hamburg at the weekend, Emanuel Buchmann, who is in good form but unable to participate in the Vuelta due to a urinary tract infection, and Felix Großschartner each have what it takes to drive the overall victory. It will be interesting to see who wins the role of captain in the end.
Grossschartner’s Austrian compatriot Hermann Pernsteiner, pedaling for Bahrain Victorious, will be noteworthy. With Pello Bilbao, who is competing in only his second race after the Giro in Germany, he has stronger climbers ahead of him. Third place overall in the Tour of Poland three weeks ago proved that the Basque does not need much time to use it.
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The biggest name on the grid is Tour and Giro winner Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers). After his serious training accident in January, the Tour of Germany will be only his second appearance after the Tour of Denmark, which he did not finish. So his younger teammate Ben Tulett is more capable. Another contender for Ineos is Adam Yates.
Trek – Segafredo also entered the competition with two contenders for the top position. Veteran star Bauke Mollema has been overtaken in the team’s internal hierarchy by youngster Mattias Skjelmose. Dane can time trial as well as climb and is one of the really big competitors. Israel – Premier Tech also wants to speak at the top with the experienced Jakob Fuglsang and Hugo Houle.
Along with Bernal, Romain Bardet (DSM) is the most successful Tour rider in the peloton. The Frenchman is coming back after finishing seventh in the Tour de France. He had to give up the Tour of Italy because he was in a good position. Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates), who arrived in Weimar without Captain Tadej Pogacar and can drive on his own account, also has his first assignment after the Tour of France.
As a fast track expert, Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education – EasyPost) has been quite successful over the years. This year the Portuguese, who won the Mont Ventoux Denivelé Challenge (1.1), among others, showed himself to be unusually strong. On top of the mountain.
The sprinters
Sprinters will have difficulty in the Deutschland tour. In each section there is at least one hill in the final stage. The fastest runners Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Olav Kooij (Jumbo – Visma) have the highest chances on stage 2 in Meiningen. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert), Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) also want to reach the finish line in the first group at least once and win fast. The competition that goes on.
More German speaking drivers
In the sprint, Max Kanter (Movistar) is also an option for the front position. However, the chances of Hamburg winner Marco Haller (Bora – hansgrohe) seem to be better, as the Austrian proved that he can also survive the shorter hill.
Her teammate and defending champion Nils Politt will have a hard time, because the king’s stage is too difficult for him. Last year’s winners can also play on moderately difficult stages. There Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert) who is always aggressive will calculate something.
Veteran Simon Geschke (Cofidis) will lead the German national team. After his strong Tour de France, in which he missed the mountain jersey, the man from Freiburg found it difficult to come back. Recently, Geschke, who was 51st in the Tour du Limousin, did not participate in the overall ranking. The 36-year-old is now hoping for a big boost in the Deutschland Tour, where Geschke will be supported by five continental riders.
procedure
Wednesday August 24, prologue: time trial in Weimar, 2.7 km
Drivers have to drive through five curves in a short and flat prologue in Weimar. Track runner Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and crossers Tulett and Mick van Dijke (Jumbo – Visma) will face the winner of the Tour de France trial in Copenhagen, Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl).
Thursday, August 25, stage 1: Weimar – Meiningen, 171 km
Although there are some hidden spikes in the profile of stage 1, the section of Meiningen is perhaps the greatest opportunity for sprinters. There is only a small hill in the final stage, which can also be used as a springboard with less than five kilometers to go.
Details of step 1. Photo: Organizer
Friday, August 26, stage 2: Meiningen – Marburg, 199 km
On top of the hill, there are 3 types of mountain classification in the 2nd category over the last 20 kilometers, but these things become easy and simple. But from the last climb near Neuhofe to the finish, it is only four kilometers; Almost enough to rank the field.
Details of step 2. Photo: Organizer
Saturday, August 27, stage 3: Freiburg – Schauinsland, 150 km
At the end of the 150 km stage, it is difficult. First, Luisenhöhe (1 cat.) must be climbed. After the descent of the 3.7 km long ascent, the Schauinsland directly followed, with a length of 11.7 kilometers with an average of 6.5% is more than just mountains. This is where the tour will be decided.
Details of step 3. Photo: Organizer
Sunday, August 28, stage 4: Schiltach-Stuttgart, 188 km.
The Herdweg (cat. 2) has to be crossed three times in the last 30 kilometers. At 1.3 km, this climb is not very long, but with a gradient of 7.8% it is one of the steepest in the tour. From the last climb to the finish, the course must cover seven kilometers.
Details of step 4. Photo: Organizer