Felix Schröder, dpa
Professional cyclist Alessio Magagnotti from Italy pulled off a surprise victory, stealing the show from top sprinter Paul Magnier on the second stage of the Deutschland Tour. The 19-year-old up-and-coming professional from the German Red Bull team outwitted the Frenchman, who had recently been in the spotlight, in a thrilling sprint in Offenbach an der Queich, Rhineland-Palatinate.
Magnier finished second in the expected mass sprint. After 197 kilometres, starting in Schwäbisch Hall, the Portuguese rider Iúri Leitão crossed the line in third place. Maximilian Walscheid was the best German, finishing fourth on the day, with Phil Bauhaus close behind in fifth place.
Barré retains the blue jersey
In the general classification, France’s Louis Barré defended his blue jersey as the overall leader. Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, team-mate of superstar Tadej Pogacar – who is not competing in the D-Tour – sits in second place behind him. However, thanks to bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint, Del Toro had closed the gap on Barré to just six seconds. The Italian Giulio Ciccone is currently third.
At midday, the professionals set off from Schwäbisch Hall, where the previous day Barré had stolen the show from del Toro, who was third in the tour standings, and won the stage. The 26-year-old won in a solo breakaway, 16 seconds ahead of del Toro, and secured the leader’s jersey.
In unpleasant rain, the professional cyclists, wrapped up in their jackets, made their way through south-west Germany. Despite the weather conditions, there were no serious crashes.
Magnier is the favourite to win today’s race
The 22-year-old Frenchman Magnier, who had won the Hamburg Cyclassics on Sunday, was regarded by many as the favourite to win the stage. “If he does everything right and the team supports him well, it will be almost impossible to beat him,” the German sprinter Phil Bauhaus told ZDF. It would be “very difficult”.
Magnier, who has won three stages in this year’s Giro d’Italia but has not yet competed in the Tour de France in his home country, appeared confident: “I’m in good form and sprinting is my greatest strength,” he said.
A three-man breakaway was caught 32 kilometres from the finish. And nothing stood in the way of a bunch sprint.
An up-and-down performance on Saturday
Saturday sees the penultimate stage of the five-day tour. The professional cyclists face a rolling 170-kilometre route between Herxheim and Bad Dürkheim. On Sunday, the Deutschland Tour concludes in Heilbronn.
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