A small detour in the sprint on the home stretch of the day’s winner – and Phil Bauhaus and Pascal Ackermann’s chances of winning were gone. Speed down, hopes gone. The fact that the German pros were not able to shine on their home tour, did not win a stage and did not place a man in the front ranks in the classification fits into the picture of this 2023 season, which is at best inconspicuous from the perspective of the local racers. The Germany tour ended on Sunday actually the best chances for top results at home.
But despite the absence of well-known forces, it was not enough. The best example was the mass arrival in Bremen, when the supposedly best three German sprinters Bauhaus, Ackermann (changes to the Israel-Premier Tech team) and Marius Mayrhofer had to cede the day’s victory to Dutchman Arvid De Kleijn. Nils Politt from the German flagship team Bora-hansgrohe was the best German overall in ninth place after the prologue in St. Wendel and the four stages from Saarland up to Bremen.
However, the rather gloomy appearance of the local professional cyclists should not hide the great importance of the Germany Tour for local cycling. The tour was revived in 2018 after a ten-year break under the leadership of the French sports multinational Amaury Sport Organization – also as a seismograph for the industry to find out whether professional cycling is still working or working again on the important German bicycle market. After six editions of the race, this question no longer arises.
More spectacle with the Alps?
The spectators came in large numbers to the route, the ratings on ARD and ZDF in the afternoon live broadcasts mostly reached a double-digit market share, moving at the level of the Tour de France. In addition, the event provides important support for the thinned-out base: four German teams from the continental class were invited again this year, i.e. the third professional league (there hasn’t been a second division for years). The often young athletes were not only an asset because of their offensive driving style. Just being on the big stage helps teams in their quest to find and keep sponsors.
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“That bodes well for the development of cycling. We are one hundred percent on the right track,” said organization chief Matthias Pietsch. The path in the coming year should lead to southern Germany. After the not very demanding course at this edition – for the Belgian Ilan van Wilder (Team Soudal-Quickstep), leading on Friday, it wasn’t very difficult over the weekend to keep the lead and achieve his first Tour victory ever – a course could ensure more spectacle with the participation of the Alps, for example.
Especially since a date between the Olympic Games and the World Championships should increase the attraction for big names in the peloton. But it is still not easy for the organizers to win cities as the start or destination. Which made route planning more difficult and, like this year, caused long transfers between stages.
