By Stefan Tabeling, dpa
Just don't crash again. When the 105th Giro d'Italia starts in Budapest on Friday, Emanuel Buchmann will be hoping for an end to his almost two-year series of breakdowns.
Crashes, illness and coronavirus have repeatedly set the German tour hopeful back since his strong fourth place at the 2019 Tour de France. However, the climbing specialist from the Allgäu region has not lost sight of his goal. "The expectation was always the podium, that was my goal and it still is," Buchmann told the German Press Agency.
In 2020, Buchmann crashed in the Tour of the Dauphiné and was subsequently unable to compete in the Tour. Last year, he was in a promising sixth place in the Giro until stage 15 before he had to retire after a crash with concussion and bruising to his face. That was "devastating". "You don't get anything for being in top form. In the end, only results count and that's what was missing," added the Ravensburg native.
Sleepless in Tokyo
In addition, illness and corona repeatedly set the lightweight back. Like at last year's Olympic Games, when his room-mate Simon Geschke tested positive for coronavirus shortly before the road race. Buchmann spent a sleepless night in Tokyo between PCR tests and subsequently had no chance. After his return, the 29-year-old fell ill with Covid-19 himself, which affected him for the rest of the season. "I was no longer able to reach my normal level," says Buchmann.
It is therefore fitting that he is "not in absolute top form" at the start of the Giro, which this time takes place in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Buchmann caught bronchitis after the Tour of the Basque Country. "But if everything goes well, then hopefully he'll be in good form in the third week, and that's when the decision will be made," said the rider from Team Bora-hansgrohe.
The last week of the Giro was "brutally difficult" and therefore very much to his liking. In any case, the Giro has more than 50,000 metres of climbing. It was therefore not a difficult decision to choose the Giro over the Tour. "With Denmark and northern France and a stage on cobblestones, the risk of crashes would be enormously high again," explains the 29-year-old with a view to the profile of the French loop.
Strong team of cyclists
His team has not lost confidence in Buchmann. "Of course we trust him to achieve a top position. He's always good for a place among the best. Anyone who finishes fourth in the Tour de France can of course also play a very good role in the Giro," says team boss Ralph Denk, who is starting with a strong team of cyclists. Alongside Buchmann, team-mates Jai Hindley and Wilco Kelderman have proven that they can ride to the front with their second and third places at the 2020 Giro.
And then there's Lennard Kämna. The highly talented Tour stage winner from 2020 is an important helper on the one hand, but also gets his freedom. "I definitely want to go stage hunting again, in other words try to win a stage," Kämna announced in the "Weser-Kurier".
It is quite realistic that a rider from the Bora team will end up on the podium. This is because the two Slovenian stars Tadej Pogacar (Tour winner 2020 and 2021) and Primoz Roglic (Vuelta champion 2019 to 2021) are concentrating on the Tour, while last year's Colombian winner Egan Bernal is not yet ready after his serious crash in the winter. Possibly a chance for Buchmann if he doesn't crash again.
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