Even before the final stage of the 106th Giro d'Italia, team boss Ralph Denk considers the overall classification experiment with Lennard Kämna a success. "I would say that it has worked."
Giro d'Italia 2023: Lennard Kämna in ninth place
"To finish in the top ten in such a big tour, that has a certain value and not so many Germans have managed that before him," the owner of the Bora-Hansgrohe racing team told Deutschlandfunk radio.
Kämna is in ninth place before the start of the final stage to Rome on Sunday. Traditionally, nothing should change in the final kilometres. So far, only seven German professional cyclists have finished the Giro d'Italia in the top ten, with Emanuel Buchmann finishing seventh last year.
In-depth analyses planned at Bora-Hansgrohe
Denk wants to analyse the future plans with Kämna in greater depth in the coming weeks. "Is that what he wants and is that what we want? Or do we want to see a more aggressive Kämna again, which is even more in line with his nature?" asked the 49-year-old. Last year, Kämna focussed on breakaway attempts. The 26-year-old won the mountaintop finish on Mount Etna.
This offensive riding style was not possible at this year's Giro d'Italia, as captain Aleksandr Vlasov had to withdraw due to illness. As a result, the team "missed out on tactical variations" and "all the pressure was on Lennard".
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