Another important World Tour result for the Frenchman, who made it onto the podium at the prestigious ADAC Cyclassics.
Paul Magnier isn’t just one of the most successful young riders in the peloton this season, he’s also one of the most consistent, as evidenced by his 12th podium of the season, which the 21-year-old from Grenoble collected at the ADAC Cyclassics.
Third on the Mönckebergstraße – the boulevard affectionately known as “Mo” by locals – Magnier became the first Frenchman in seven years to conclude Germany’s prestigious World Tour one-day race on the podium, another result that confirms his penchant for the Classics.
Five ascents of the Waseberg, the 700m climb where the gradients reached 15%, were the main ingredients of the 207km race, animated by a four-man breakaway. From that group, Rory Townsend (Q3.65 Pro Cycling) somehow managed to hold off the chasers for the smallest of margins, despite the fact the peloton trailed by just ten seconds with one kilometer to go, and took the win in Hamburg. Magnier, who had been impressive on the climbs the whole day, was there and still had the speed to sprint to a strong third at the end of the race for Soudal Quick-Step’s eighth podium in Hamburg.
“It was a hard day with the many ascents of the Waseberg, and the last two laps were really tactical, but I was at all times in a good position – with the help of the team – because I knew how important this was at the start of the climb. We left everything out there, but one guy from the breakaway was stronger, so congrats to him. In the sprint I did my best, and I am content with my third place and with the shape I had these last couple of days”, Paul explained at the press conference.
Photo credit: ©Ronny Hartmann / Getty Images
