A big day for the 31-year-old on home soil.
Maximilian Schachmann took his maiden victory at the National ITT Championships, after stopping the clock in 27:47 at the end of the 22.5km race held Friday around Ramstein. It was a well-deserved success for the German, a stage winner and third overall earlier this season at Itzulia Basque Country, who had finished on the podium at the previous two editions.
The course was flat, with the exception of a 2.6km climb averaging around 6% that came in the first half of the day, and Max had a flying start that allowed him to set an early mark for success. Having cleared the most difficult part of the race, Schachmann maintained the tempo on the subsequent downhill section and the flat 7km final section to beat Michael Heidemann (REMBE | rad-net) by a comfortable margin and rack up the 16th pro victory of his career.
“I was very motivated, because things didn’t go as planned for me in the Dauphiné and I was determined to put that week behind. I knew that in the first nine kilometers, with that hill and the headwind, it was important to gain time, so I went all-in there. I found a good rhythm, and although it was hard, I kept the pace and did a good race. It’s my first time trial title in nine seasons as a pro and it makes me very happy to celebrate it as part of Soudal Quick-Step”, said Max after signing off the team’s 73rd win at the National Championships.
Photo credit: ©Mario Stiehl
