After the serious accident of the Deutsche Bahnrad national team in Mallorca, no German four-person four-party will start at the European Championships in Heusden-Zolder in Belgium.
Most of the six injured drivers have not yet recovered, only Bruno Kessler will be part of the title fights that started on Wednesday (12.02.2025) in the 4,000-meter tracking. The German Cycling Association announced this.
In the accident on January 27, Kessler, U23 European champion Tobias Buck-Gramcko, Benjamin Boos, Max-David Briese, Moritz Audit Stone and Louis Gentzik were driven by an 89-year-old driver from behind. Several athletes suffered broken bones. Kessler got away with grazes. The German men’s four had bronze at the World Cup in October 2024 and thus for the first time after 22 years.
Next medal for Kluge and Teutenberg?
“We make the best of the situation. The team has come to Zolder motivated”said national coach Lucas Schadlich, who competes with only four drivers in the endurance area. The hopes rest on Altmeister Roger Kluge and Tim Torn Teutenberg, who had brought in at the Gold World Cup last year in Madison. As expected, German women are in the focus in the sprint area. The eight -time world champion Lea Sophie Friedrich, who left the World Cup in autumn, intervenes again.
Pauline Grabosch, who won Olympic bronze in the team sprint together with Friedrich and Emma Hinze. The eight -time world champion Hinze, on the other hand, waives a start and will extend her time out to the second half of the year.