The Germany Tour returns to Essen this year. John Degenkolb also celebrates an emotional comeback after months of suffering. Just like Georg Zimmermann, who will start again after his fall at the Tour de France.
The Germany tour was already a guest in Essen. That was in 2023, at that time the third stage ended in the center of the Ruhrpottstadt. Now, two years later, the largest bike race in Germany was back. And that against a very special backdrop, namely the Zeche Zollverein. For 135 years, hard coal was encouraged here before the operation was discontinued in the mid -1980s. Since then, the site has developed into a place for art and culture.
The Germany Tour now showed that the UNESCO World Heritage Site is also suitable for sporting events. Passing the disused shafts of the colliery, peppered with sophisticated curves, the cycling professionals had to complete a 3.1 kilometer circuit at the start, which despite its brevity. It was best to do the Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold from the UNO-X Mobility.
Degenkolb with emotional comeback
This prelude should also have been particularly impressive for John Degenkolb. However, this may not have been due to the impressive architecture of the old colliery, but rather in the circumstances of his start. The German driver from the Picnic Postnl team was out of the racing for five months, and on the Germany Tour he is now celebrating an emotional comeback.
“The past few months were not easy and I had to fight a lot for my return”says the Paris-Roubaix-In -winner from 2015 in conversation with the sports show. “In the end, however, we surpassed all expectations in terms of my recovery. They were really far -reaching injuries and breaks, which is why I am just happy to be able to ride bike again.” And so the 36-year-old was clearly looking at the joy of his return before it even went on the track.
More pain than ever
But what had happened anyway? At the beginning of April, Degenkolb fell heavily on the tour of the Flanders. So hard that its complete arm – collarbone, elbow, forearm and the wrist – broke into several parts from top to bottom. Some operations of the partly rubble fractures and an arduous rehab followed. He had never experienced such great pain in his long career, as he told shortly after the fall. It is all the better to be able to celebrate your comeback again in front of a home crowd.
And the fans were happy about his return. “Dege, Dege” calls on the team bus, a number of autograph requests and the loud support on the route left him visibly touched. “Of course that raises the excitement and the nervousness again”according to Degenkolb, who had to add to the toilet several times before the start of the excitement. “But that’s the nice thing. And exactly the reason why I wanted to come back. To have this thrill again”Degenkolb continues.
Zimmermann with great anticipation
Georg Zimmermann had to fulfill no less autograph requests. The current German champion shares the fate of Degenkolb, just not in such a dimensions. Zimmermann (Intermarché – Wanty) also celebrates a kind of comeback on this year’s Germany tour. The Augsburg no longer took part in races for almost a month after Tour de France had to stop due to a fall. At the time, Zimmermann carried several grazes that had to be sewn partly.
He no longer notice anything of the injuries. Quite the opposite. “I have cured myself and then trained well for two or three weeks. And now I would like to re -intervene in the race. The anticipation is great”the 27-year-old opposite the sports show. He cannot answer the question of whether the fall in the head is still in the head. “Not in training, maybe in the race, but less in time trial. It was not the first and not the last fall. That is part of it, so to speak,”says Zimmermann, who took 76th place in the prologue with a gap of 13 seconds.
Just want to enjoy
Incidentally, Degenkolb finished only one place behind Zimmermann, which after the race was speechless and moved on the route. The fall would come up a bit again if you share the street with other drivers, unlike in training. “But I think I can trust my instinct and my system. That will be”Degenkolb assures.
In general, he goes to this year’s edition of the Deutschland Tour Ran. “I really just want to get back into the rhythm and enjoy the race. What comes out comes out”so Degenkolb relaxes. “I went a very rocky path, so it’s great to just be here.” There is no different Zimmermann, who has looked out for himself in particular the second and third stage. “When I finish in Magdeburg and enjoyed Germany Tour, it was a great success.”