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Criticism of technical breakdowns in EM road races: "It's a bit embarrassing"

2022-08-14T16:22:00.186Z


Not a good day for German cycling: A crash dashed BDR hopes early on when Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen won the European Championship. The initially defective radio in Munich also caused discord.


Enlarge image

The Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen won the EM road bike race - despite defective radios

Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

From the point of view of the Federation of German Cyclists (BDR), the EM road race as part of the European Championships in Munich was not very satisfactory: When the Dutch favorite Fabio Jakobsen won, Phil Bauhaus was the best German in 18th place, hopeful Pascal Ackermann was on the finish line Odeonsplatz is no longer there after a fall.

"He was really hot yesterday and said: Tomorrow I'll be European champion," said Jens Zemke, sports director of the BDR.

However, 45 kilometers from the finish, Ackermann's title dream ended at a narrow road, the 28-year-old collided with the barriers and did not finish the race.

Technical failure irritates Zemke

Functionary Zemke was also annoyed by a drop-out in the »tour radio«, which is important for communication, in the initial phase of the race - a technical mishap for which Zemke sharply criticized the organizers.

"When we cycle races in Italy, we have radios, I think that's what Fausto Coppi's sports directors used in the 1960s," said Zemke, "but they work.

It's a bit embarrassing that we in Germany - a high-tech country - are not able to install a few decent radios.«

Zemke described the consequences of the interim technical failure: "For two hours, racing drivers stood left and right who had defects and for whom the cars were not called." That was complicated: "Some stop to relieve themselves.

The next one stops and has a flat tire and the cars go by.

I've never experienced anything like this.«

cev/sid

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2022-08-14

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