Professional cyclist Max Kanter expressed his emotional regret at missing out on this prestigious victory during the final stage of the Tour de France in Paris. “It’s bitter, of course. I’m quite disappointed at the moment. It’s my first Tour de France,” the 28-year-old told ARD, appearing to be on the verge of tears. He said he would have to take the positives from it.
The Cottbus native, who surprised many from a German perspective at this year’s Tour de France and made the best impression among the black-red-and-gold sprinters, had to settle for fourth place on the day on the Champs-Élysées.
He finished just a few bike lengths behind the stage winner, Mathieu van der Poel. Jasper Philipsen, the Belgian team-mate of the Dutch stage winner, came second. Mads Pedersen from Denmark took third place.
Kanter: “Werder will continue to work with me”
“I’ll keep working on my form. I hope to come back stronger in future. Ultimately, the aim here is to win a stage,” said Kanter. The professional had often been among the frontrunners in the sprint finishes during this Tour. However, it wasn’t quite enough for a stage win when he narrowly missed out on victory by finishing second on the fifth stage in Pau.
According to national coach Jens Zemke, Kanter had “put in a strong performance”, as the 59-year-old told the German Press Agency ahead of the final stage in the French capital.
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