Professional cyclist Pascal Ackermann is preparing himself for a demanding challenge in the Eschborn-Frankfurt classic due to the changed route with more metres of elevation gain.
"It will definitely be tougher than the last few years," the 29-year-old sprinter told the German Press Agency ahead of the one-day event, which is traditionally held on 1 May (from 12.00 noon/Hessischer Rundfunk). After his injury last year, the 2019 winner wants to attack at the front again.
Sprinters like Ackermann from Team UAE-Emirates will have a tougher time this year, as the 202-kilometre course of the cycling classic includes a total of 3,000 metres of climbing and the Feldberg mountain has to be conquered twice. Nevertheless, Ackermann reckons that the course should suit him reasonably well.
A good position in the race would give the Palatinate rider momentum for his highlight of the season: the Giro d'Italia. For him, Eschborn-Frankfurt is the big dress rehearsal before the first of the three major national tours of the year, which begins on 6 May. "I'll be at the start on Monday and want to test how my form is for the Giro," said Ackermann, who wants to "ride at the front" in the important stage race.
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