Despite his strong form and the time trial title behind him, victory in the road race at the national title fights in Sauerland is anything but a foregone conclusion for professional cyclist Lennard Kämna.
When asked whether the 25-year-old Bora-hansgrohe pro also sees himself as the favourite on Sunday after his victory in the battle against the clock, Kämna replied: "No! I will definitely be one of the favourites, but there are many other strong riders. I will approach the race with a lot of respect."
Victory in the battle against the clock
This year's Giro and Tour stage winner of 2020 only received his victory in the time trial after the 27.5 kilometres with start and finish in Marsberg with a delay - because he did not receive any times on the course due to a problem with the transponder. "I didn't notice anything, which is usually not a good sign in a time trial. I then cycled to the bus and only then did I see my time." Kämna ultimately beat Jannik Steimle by 15 seconds. Kämna's team-mate Nils Politt came third, 24 seconds behind.
Following his team-mate and defending champion Maximilian Schachmann's withdrawal due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kämna is also one of the closest contenders for the jersey with the black, red and gold breast ring on Sunday's challenging 189-kilometre course. Whether Kämna will be at the start of the 109th Tour de France in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on 1 July remains to be seen.
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