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Emanuel Buchmann (l.)
Photo: Luca Bettini / imago images / PanoramiC
Emanuel Buchmann has been the German hope for victory or at least a podium place in the Tour de France since 2019 at the latest.
At that time, he finished fourth.
This year, however, the 28-year-old does not want to start an attack on the yellow jersey.
The reason: The route doesn't suit him.
“The plan is for me to focus on the Giro d'Italia.
When it came to the tour route, we decided that the tour wasn't really made for me, ”said Buchmann on Sunday at a digital media round of his team Bora-hansgrohe.
After the extremely difficult route of the Tour de France 2020, the organizers opted for more time trial kilometers and fewer mountain arrivals this year.
That doesn't suit Buchmann.
Although he has improved in the time trial in recent years, he cannot keep up with the top drivers here.
The 28-year-old usually relies on a defensive style in the mountains, here he was often able to keep up with the top drivers in 2019 and thus gain time on his direct competitors.
The fewer mountain arrivals there are, the less often Buchmann can use his favorite tactic.
“It's a shame.
After the tour last year, I had firmly planned to target it again.
But when I saw the route, I was disappointed, «said Buchmann.
In 2020 he was battered after a fall before the tour and could not drive for a podium.
Although the 2021 tour (June 26th to July 18th) with six mountain stages has almost as many as in 2019 when Buchmann finished fourth, at that time these were more focused on the last two weeks.
Buchmann proved his stamina for several days in a row.
This time there are only two pure mountain stages in the last week.
The risk with the Giro d'Italia
Buchmann would now have a chance of attacking the podium again this year.
But they are not as big as in previous years.
"I see the Giro as having a greater chance of getting into the front," said Buchmann.
"In principle, a podium is the first goal."
Bora-hansgrohe can now provide him with strong helpers for this.
However, the team also takes a risk.
Because the route of the Giro 2021 (8th to 30th May) has not yet been revealed.
"But normally it will be as difficult as it was last year," said Buchmann.
In 2020, the Giro had five mountain arrivals and an extremely difficult third week on the plan.
That would be more like Buchmann.
Without Buchmann - who is also aiming for the road race at the Olympic Games (July 24th) - Bora-hansgrohe would probably not attack the Tour's yellow jersey directly.
In return, the team could bet on more stage wins.
Since there are more flat stages, team boss Ralph Denk could opt for a squad with classic specialist Peter Sagan and the currently best German sprinter Pascal Ackermann.
"At the moment I'm on the longlist with a whole sprint train," said Ackermann.
Tourists Wilco Kelderman and mountain specialist Lennard Kämna could join the fast-paced riders, who could aim for stage wins in the Pyrenees and the Alps or compete for the classification.
Meanwhile, Buchmann made it clear that his goal was to finish the Tour de France on the podium in the future - just not in 2021.
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ptz / dpa / sid
