Despite mixed results in the classics season so far, sporting director Rolf Aldag believes the German cycling team Bora-hansgrohe is on the right track.
"We said before the season that we wanted to be at the front in the big national tours. We are right on target, probably even more so than many other teams," Aldag told the German Press Agency.
The classics riders, on the other hand, who have been set back by illness, have not yet achieved the top placings they had hoped for and are also considered outsiders in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. "You also have to realise that we no longer have a rider like Peter Sagan. You can't expect us to clear everything," said Aldag.
Hopes are now pinned on Nils Politt. The rider from Cologne has suffered from bronchitis several times in recent weeks, but is slowly getting back into shape. Two days earlier, he achieved his best result of the season so far with fifth place at Quer durch Flandern. Politt's big goal is Paris-Roubaix, which takes place in a fortnight' time. "There's still some time until then. I hope that we will be in a better position by then," said Politt. The 28-year-old had already finished second in the "Hell of the North" in 2019.
Bora-hansgrohe has delivered strong results in the tours so far. Sergio Higuita recently won the Tour of Catalonia and Jai Hindley finished fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico. Aleksandr Vlasov won the Tour of Valencia and finished second in the UAE Tour. Emanuel Buchmann, who wants to finish on the podium at the Giro d'Italia in May, is also on target. The rider from Ravensburg has so far been spared any major health setbacks.
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