Bora-Hansgrohe: Denk criticises performance of German pro cyclists

"I don't know if it's a German mentality thing. Everyone has their own history, but the fact is that the Germans have been better before," said the team boss of the German racing team Bora-Hansgrohe to the German Press Agency, also referring to his drivers.

Bora-Hansgrohe team boss Denk on German riders

The fact that top performers such as Maximilian Schachmann The fact that we were unable to perform this spring due to illness is doubly painful. "Then there's also the fact that we had hoped that a Nils Politt or a Emanuel Buchmann there is a bit more performance," said Denk.

>> To the cycling race calendar

Buchmann finished fourth overall in the Tour de France in 2019, while Politt is regarded as a specialist for the spring classics. "Buchmann doesn't ride at the level he's ridden at before. (...) In the Basque Country he was relatively far away from his old form. It's his favourite race, he was once on the podium there. We ourselves are a bit puzzled as to why Emu can no longer build on his successes," criticised the Bavarian.

Politt ill before Paris-Roubaix

Politt never managed a top ten finish in the major spring classics. "Politt was bought by us as a great Classics hope. With a second place in Roubaix and a fifth place in Flanders, he has already achieved great results for his previous team Katusha. He is also a long way away in terms of performance," says Denk. However, after Paris-Roubaix, the rider from Cologne reported that he had been in bed with a fever during the week.

Copyright 2023, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved