Former speed skater Lennart Jasch has achieved another impressive result in cycling. The 25-year-old won the second stage of the Giro d’Abruzzo and moved up to second place in the general classification. In the gruelling final stretch, Jasch launched the decisive attack 1.2 kilometres from the finish in Ceramanico Terme and won solo ahead of the Frenchman Dorian Godon.
Jasch had won the queen stage of the Tour of the Alps earlier that spring, followed by the mountains classification; in June, he also finished second at the German Championships behind Felix Engelhardt.
“It’s incredible. I can’t believe it. Seeing my name right at the top of the results list is fantastic,” said Jasch. “I didn’t know if I was the strongest in the group, so I decided to go it alone and waited for the right moment.” Last year, his German compatriot Georg Zimmermann won the tour.
Jasch comes from a family of speed skaters
Until early 2024, Jasch had been a speed skater and was even a member of the national team. The same goes for his sister Maira, who competed at this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan. Their father, Helge, works as a team manager for the German Speed Skating Association.
Following a loss of balance, Jasch discovered a love of cycling whilst undergoing rehabilitation in 2023. Through the sports expert Dan Lorang, he eventually joined the German Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe team, though he did not make the cut for the professional squad. He has been riding for the Swiss Tudor team since the start of this season.
It is not unusual for athletes to switch sports in cycling. Florian Lipowitz, Germany’s rising star, competed in biathlon for many years, whilst four-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič began his career in ski jumping.
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