Emanuel Buchmann is once again foregoing the Tour de France and is instead planning another attempt at the podium of the Giro d'Italia.
This was confirmed by sport director Rolf Aldag on Mallorca, where the Bora-hansgrohe team is currently completing a training camp. Buchmann, who already finished fourth in the Tour in 2019, opted for the Giro due to the lower number of time trial kilometres. Instead, Bora-hansgrohe is sending German champion Maximilian Schachmann to the Tour of France, who is expected to win stages. Russian newcomer Aleksandr Vlasov has been nominated as Tour captain.
"The Giro is the first really big goal for us. We want to go for the overall classification and won't be taking any sprinters with us," said sport director Rolf Aldag. Buchmann will be joined in the Italian squad by Australian Jai Hindley and Dutchman Wilco Kelderman, both of whom have already finished on the podium of the race.
Fall in the previous year
Buchmann had already ridden the Giro last year and was in a promising sixth place in the overall standings. But after an unfortunate crash at the start of the 15th stage to Gorizia, the best German cyclist had to abandon the race. This year, the 29-year-old is hoping for better luck in the second biggest race in the world, the 105th edition of which starts in Budapest on 6 May and ends with an individual time trial in Verona on 29 May.
Schachmann had decided not to take part in the 2021 Tour in order to prepare specifically for the road race at the Olympic Games. The Berlin rider finished tenth there. "It goes without saying that he is extremely motivated by the year without the Tour," said Aldag. "If you look at the Tour, there are many stages that suit him." His participation is not geared towards the overall classification.
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