Marco Brenner (22 years old/ Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
Born in Augsburg, he is the most visible German participant: as the current German road race champion, the professional cyclist from Team Tudor is wearing a white jersey with a black, red and gold chest ring. The 22-year-old is one of four Giro debutants from Germany. He last took part in a three-week stage race in 2022 and caused a stir at the Vuelta a España with a fifth place on a mountain stage. For the aggressive racer, the start at the Tour of Italy is a kind of home race. His mother comes from Italy - the professional cyclist speaks Italian. Last year, the 59-kilo lightweight finished the Tour of Italy after the Switch to the Swiss racing team Tudor blossomed - celebrated the first two professional victories of his career. The up-and-comer will start alongside Michael Storer, who impressed with his riding style and overall victory at the Tour of the Alps in April.
Nico Denz (31 years old / Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)
He is starting as a soloist for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe - or rather as the only German starter for the only German team entering the race. Nico Denz is regarded as an outstanding team player - but he also knows how to capitalise on his own opportunities. He drags the captains around the country just as much as he knows how to celebrate big victories. His greatest successes came in Italy at the Giro: In 2023, he won two stages as the best of a breakaway group. Such solo efforts could be difficult this year. His employer's main goal: a top placing for captain Primož Roglič, who took his first overall victory at the Giro two years ago (then still in the jersey of Jumbo-Visma). One of the Slovenian's bodyguards, with whom he is contesting his third Grand Tour in a row after the Tour and Vuelta.
Felix Engelhardt (24 years old / Team Jayco AlUla)
It certainly doesn't hurt Felix Engelhardt that he regularly trains with his buddy Florian Lipowitz in their adopted home of Tyrol or on Mallorca. The professional colleague, who rides for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, is now one of the best tour specialists in the peloton, as he proved with seventh place overall at the 2024 Vuelta. The former U23 European champion is making his debut at the Giro. A man for fast finishes - especially when the going is tough for a long time or uphill at the end, as his employer emphasises. The race is his most important personal goal this year.
Kim Heiduk (25 years old / INEOS Grenadiers)
The 25-year-old from Herrenberg has since established as an important helper for the INEOS Grenadiers. The racing team is entering the race with former Tour and Giro winner Egan Bernal. The 25-year-old Dutchman Thymen Arensmann is also a contender for a top place in the overall classification. For Heiduk, this means that a lot of work awaits the all-rounder who is able to cope with the pace. The chances of him celebrating his first professional victory in Italy are rather slim.
Juri Hollmann (25 years old / Alpecin - Deceuninck)
The 25-year-old Berliner is competing in the Giro for the first time, but already has experience from a Grand Tour. In the versatile Belgian racing team Alpecin - Deceuninck, which is contesting the Giro without Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, there may be opportunities to ride to his own success. However, Deceuninck's main job will be to set the pace to enable his Australian team-mate Kaden Groves to take stage wins in the sprints. He himself is so far without a win in the pros. He has good genes: Hollmann's mother Birgit was herself a professional cyclist and German cyclocross champion.
Max Kanter (27 years old - XDS Astana Team)
The hopeful in the bunch sprints from a German perspective: the Germans, who have been spoilt for success in high-speed finals for decades thanks to Erik Zabel, André Greipel and Marcel Kittel, have recently suffered. This year, Pascal Ackermann is focussing on a possible second start at the Tour de France. Max Kanter is therefore the fastest of the Germans at this year's Giro. The form is right: During the preparation he celebrated his second victory as a professional - in the sprint at the Famenne Ardenne Classic. Important: As a sprinter, he can score important ranking points with good placings. His racing team from Kazakhstan is chasing class retention - they need a lot of good results to be able to keep their World Tour licence in the future. Kanter and his employer have one thing in common: they should start collecting successes late.
Alexander Krieger (33 years old / Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
He is the latecomer among Germany's professional cyclists: the Stuttgart-born rider only made the leap into professional cycling with Alpecin at the age of 28, having previously struggled more or less in smaller teams. Has often come close to his first professional victory. Important man for classification rider Michael Storer on the flat. Also suitable for a role as positioner for Grand Tour debutants Maikel Zijlaard and Rick Pluimers, who could be successful in the sprint finals.
Niklas Märkl (26 years old / Team Picnic PostNL)
The Palatinate native comes from a cycling family from Queidersbach: his father Andreas is a trainer and manager of a junior team, while his brothers and sister are or were cyclists. He is one of the inconspicuous Germans in the peloton: the classics specialist has made himself indispensable as a fast all-rounder for Team Picnic PostNL. He will presumably also be doing inconspicuous work at this year's Giro: Possible jobs: preparing the sprints for Caspar van Uden, helping the young climbing talent Max Poole to save energy on the flat and, of course, team captain Romain Bardet the last participation in a three-week stage race as pleasant and successful as possible. Already took part in the Giro two years ago. His only Grand Tour to date.
Georg Steinhauser (23 years old / EF Education - EasyPost)
The Steinhauser family provided the most emotional images of the Giro d'Italia 2024 from a German perspective: When Georg Steinhauser clapped his hands over his head and helmet in disbelief at the finish of the 17th stage as the winner, dad Tobias cried tears of joy in the studio of TV channel Eurosport live. He had never seen his father so emotional, said the junior in the Double interview for TOUR. The senior once missed out on a one-day win at the Giro as a professional cyclist - but later celebrated successes as fifth in the 2000 World Championships and stage winner at the Tour de Suisse. But the ex-professional (with teams such as Refin, Mapei, Gerolsteiner, Bianchi and T-Mobile) knows how hard the road to success is in cycling. Georg slowly familiarised himself with the job as a professional cyclist and initially completed an apprenticeship as a metalworker - in his father's metal construction company. There was no advance praise for the nephew of privateer cyclist Jan Ullrich. In the Allgäu, things are done properly - and as a professional cyclist, the strong climber Scheidegger stood out by literally beating or kicking his luck - trying again and again until the decisive success on the Passo Brocon. Alongside the 2019 Olympic champion and Giro winner Richard Carapaz, a key member of his team in the high mountains.
Florian Stork (28 years old / Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
Last but not least from a German perspective: Florian Stork is only alphabetically last among the Germans. He is now 28 years old - but he is still getting better. In January he celebrated his first victory as a professional on Mallorca. Since moving to Tudor in Switzerland, he seems to have found strength and self-confidence. An important man for classics rider Michael Storer when the going gets tough.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
