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European Championship: Penzberger Wolfgang Sacher cycles in fifth place

2022-06-06T05:05:02.248Z


European Championship: Penzberger Wolfgang Sacher cycles in fifth place Created: 06/06/2022, 07:00 By: Max Mueller In the end it wasn't enough for the podium: Wolfgang Sacher made it to fifth place with his rental bike at the Paracycling European Championships. © Werner Müller-Schell Penzberg – Wolfgang Sacher from Penzberg finished fifth at the European Paracycling Championships. The 55-year-


European Championship: Penzberger Wolfgang Sacher cycles in fifth place

Created: 06/06/2022, 07:00

By: Max Mueller

In the end it wasn't enough for the podium: Wolfgang Sacher made it to fifth place with his rental bike at the Paracycling European Championships.

© Werner Müller-Schell

Penzberg – Wolfgang Sacher from Penzberg finished fifth at the European Paracycling Championships.

The 55-year-old was less than thirty seconds short of a place on the podium.

Just 24 seconds over a distance of 23 kilometers - that's not much in cycling.

Nevertheless, the game with the seconds makes the difference between victory and defeat.

For Wolfgang Sacher, it was exactly those 24 seconds that were missing for the big coup: At the European Championships (time trial) in Lochen am See, Upper Austria, the former gold medalist at the 2008 Paralympics showed that, even at the age of 55, he was still with the international top can keep up.

With a driving time of 32:43 minutes, the Penzberger took fifth place in the concert of the best disabled cyclists in Europe - and just missed out on bronze.

“Of course I had hoped a bit that it might even be enough for a medal.

But to be honest, that would have been overkill.

On this track and with the strong competition, I'm more than satisfied with fifth place", Sacher drew a positive conclusion about his EM ride.

Despite numerous climbs, he managed the 23-kilometer route at an average speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour.


Lots of upside potential

A comparison with the medal winners shows how remarkable Sacher's performance was at the Paracycling European Championships: winner Ronan Grines from Ireland is just 33 years old, second-placed Louis Clincke (Belgium) and third-placed Mickael Carlier (France) are also 35 and 35 years old respectively 37 years significantly younger than the Penzberger.


In addition, the mountainous and at the same time winding time trial course in Lochen am See did not exactly suit Sacher's abilities: As an athlete with only one arm, Sacher cannot stand up in the saddle and therefore has to face all the challenges while sitting.

“I always lose time in the curves and uphill.

On the descents we were faster than 70 kilometers per hour – you have to brake safely with one arm for a switchback,” he explains.


It is therefore no coincidence that even national coach Alexander Bauer congratulated Sacher on his performance after the race - also because Sacher is now fighting to be accepted into the German national team again after his almost ten-year hiatus from cycling.

“It was very important to drive within range of the podium and thus the medals.

I'm currently training without a professional trainer, and I also contest the races on a friend's rental bike - so there's still a lot of potential for improvement.


From this perspective, too, the 24 seconds on bronze isn't much at all.

And of course the national coach noticed that,” says a happy Sacher, who officially competed in a race for the German national team at the European Championships for the first time since the 2012 Paralympics.

With fifth place, he should have recommended himself for further assignments.


With vigor to the German championship

A further step in this direction took place last weekend in Cologne with the German championship.

On Saturday, June 4th, the time trial was held over 22 kilometers and on Sunday, June 5th, the road race over 49 kilometers.

“Both races will be held on a relatively flat course.

So the course will be easier than at the European Championships in Austria - that should suit me," he says and continues: "At the German championships it will certainly be decided who the national coach will open a door to for future assignments in the national team", says Sacher.

In any case, his goal for the national title fights is clear: This time he wants to win the game for seconds - and end up on the podium.

Werner Müller-Schell

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-06

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