Ackermann, Bauhaus, sword butt, greipel, Zabel – the names of the sprinters read like a who's who of German sprinting. Even though the motivation is particularly high at the home race, the German stars are not left to themselves. They have to compete against veterans like Mark Cavendish and Alexander Kristoff With his four stage wins at this year's Tour de France, Cavendish has achieved a true masterpiece. Kristoff once again demonstrated at the last Tour of Germany how much he thrives on racing in Germany.
Prominent rider field at the Deutschland Tour
The cycling weekend in Erlangen on August 28 and 29 promises pure excitement. Just reading the rider lineup reveals many well-known names.
Two Germans among the top favorites
political vs. sword butt – From a German perspective, this could be the showdown for the red jersey. After the Tour de France, Nils Politt returns to racing at the Deutschland Tour. Three years ago, he celebrated his long-awaited first professional victory at the finale in Stuttgart – but he missed the overall victory by a tiny three seconds. This year, a stage win at the Tour de France might provide the momentum he needs to secure the red jersey.
The route profile also suits John Degenkolb, who competes for the national team. For the 32-year-old, this year's Deutschland Tour is very personal: the classification will be determined on the classic stages in Thuringia and Franconia – the two regions where the Monument winner grew up. The grand finale in Nuremberg is particularly appealing to Degenkolb: he won here in 2015 and is in the history books as the last stage winner of the Tour of Bavaria.
Tour de France names in Germany
In addition to sprinters and classic riders, the Deutschland Tour also becomes a meeting place for stage riders. Emanuel bookman After 2019, will be taking part in the only domestic stage race this year. With Ben O'Connor and Pelle Bilbao The fourth and ninth placed riders of the Tour de France are in the squad, as are João Almeida, who just won the Tour of Poland with an impressive performance. Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, the Deutschland Tour will be a racing comeback. And it's a comeback of a special kind: For the first time since the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France in Düsseldorf, the Briton will be competing in Germany again.
German young talent among big names
The Deutschland Tour is also a springboard for local talent. The complete current Bundesliga podium with Jon tuber, Dominik Bauer and the U23 champion Kim Heiduk has announced its arrival. Felix is celebrating Large at the Deutschland Tour, he made the career leap into the WorldTour and rode his first race for his new professional team.
According to the rules of the world governing body, teams can make changes to their provisional lineup until August 25. The final starting list for the Deutschland Tour will be announced before the team presentation, which will take place on August 25 at 18:00 p.m. on the Hafeninsel in Stralsund.
The 22 teams of the Deutschland Tour
UCI WorldTeams
- AG2R Citroën Team
- Bahrain–Victorious
- BORA - hansgrohe
- Deceuninck - Quick Step
- INEOS Grenadiers
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
- Israel Start Up Nation
- Movistar Team
- DSM Team
- UAE team Emirates
UCI Pro Teams
- Alpecin-Fenix
- B&B Hotels p/b KTM
- Gazprom – RusVelo
- Rally cycling
- Sport Flanders – Baloise
- Team Arkéa Samsic
- Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
UCI Continental Teams
- Bike Aid
- Team Dauner | Acre
- Team Lotto – Kern Haus
- Team SKS Sauerland NRW
German national team