Our team is ready for one of the oldest races in the world.
Germany’s most important stage race, the Deutschland Tour will once again put on the table a varied course presenting plenty of challenges, a mix of stages for the fast men and classics specialists. The race kicks off in Essen, with a 3.1km flat prologue set against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein, and continues to Herford – a city making its debut at the event – where the sprinters should be the ones fighting for victory, despite the presence of some small climbs in the final 50 kilometers.
Friday’s parcours will be more demanding, and attacks are sure to come on the local lap around Arnsberg, where the peloton could have a hard time controlling these moves and bringing them back. The penultimate stage promises to be a relentless one, with 3000 meters of elevation, countless climbs and steep gradients, just what those going for the general classification need in order to make the difference. Magdeburg hosts the final day of the race, giving the sprinters another opportunity to fight for the victory and the points jersey.
Mattia Cattaneo, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Gil Gelders, Czech Tour stage 1 winner Luke Lamperti, neo-pro Andrea Raccagni, and Ilan Van Wilder – a top ten finisher this season at Paris-Nice, Itzulia Basque Country and Tour de Suisse, and winner of this race in 2023 – will be the six Soudal Quick-Step riders taking on the 40th edition of the Deutschland Tour, which runs between 20-24 August.
“We are going there with a nice and versatile team, and are really looking forward to this beautiful race. The gaps will be very small after the prologue, but the second and the third stage should be the most important ones for the general classification, while the other two will be for the sprinters. Luke is our man for the fast finishes, as he’ll rely on a good lead-out to help him there, while for the overall standings, the plan is to take it day by day and see how things go and where we are”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
