Budapest (dpa) – Despite the many setbacks in the past two years, the German professional cyclist Emanuel Buchmann has not written off a top placement in a big tour.
“The expectation was always the podium, that was my goal and still is,” said the 2019 Tour de France fourth of the German Press Agency before the Giro d’Italia, which begins on Friday.
Buchmann had repeatedly been thrown back by falls and illnesses in recent years. The 29-year-old is again “not in top form” at the start of the Giro, which this time takes place in the Hungarian capital Budapest. Bronchitis had thrown back the climbing specialists after the Tour of the Basque Country. “But if everything goes well, then hopefully the form will be right in the third week, and that’s where the decision will be made,” said the Bora-hansgrohe driver.
Last year, Buchmann had a promising sixth place in the Giro up to the 15th stage, before he suffered a concussion and bruises on his face after a fall and had to give up. In 2020 he was caught in a crash shortly before the start of the tour. That was “devastating”. “You don’t get anything for being ready in top form. In the end, only results count and they were missing,” added the Ravensburger native.