Tourist
Phil Bauhaus sprints seventh on the 9th stage of the Tour de France, Pascal Ackermann becomes twelfth. The German Sprinter know that it has to run perfectly for a stage victory.
The smile on Pascal Ackermann’s face was gone. A shake of the head far behind the destination of the 9th stage of the Tour de France on a street in a commercial area of Châteauroux. Ackermann could not be moved to more that day. The 31 -year -old cycling professional from the Palatinate was listed in the daily ranking in twelve. He had been in the wind too early to reach his top speed immediately in front of the finish line.
If Ackermann loses his smile and does not want to say anything anymore, it suggests how deep the frustration sits after this for the time being the last chance of a sprint victory on this tour. The climbers are particularly in demand on the next stages. Usually, Ackermann is not so easy to spoil the good mood. But slowly, the realization seems to penetrate that it becomes more difficult than expected, with the desired stage victory.
Sportschau Tourfunk, July 13th, 2025 7:31 pm
The distance to Merlier and Milan is clear
Ackermann has had a difficult season so far. Two heavy falls, most recently at the beginning of June on the Dauphiné tour, almost destroyed the tour participation. It was a fight to be at the start at all.
“I worked hard. I am here. That was the first goal and now we’re going to the second goal “Ackermann had said in conversation with the sports show before the start of the tour. “Everyone knows that a sprinter can also win a stage with 99 or 90 percent, with a bit of luck. And therefore: No matter how the shape is compared to the others, I will definitely be here and fight.”
So far there has been a real mass sprint on this tour three times. Places eight, four and twelve are available for Ackermann. At least once, Ackermann was quite close – at least from the result. Because the distance to the two top sprinters, the Belgian Tim Merlier, the stage winner in Châteauroux and on the 3. stage in Dunkirchen, and the Italian Jonathan Milan, who won the 8th stage, has been quite clear every time.
Bauhaus is realistic
Close to it and yet far away: This also applies to the second German Sprinter Phil Bauhaus. Bauhaus was seventh in Châteauroux, twelfth the day before and third in Dunkirk.
The 31 -year -old cycling professional from Bocholt sees things realistically. “I’m good, very good, otherwise I would not be on the tour here. I’m already one of the best in the world”in Châteauroux. “But it is similar to the last 50 years of the Bundesliga where Bavaria wins most of the time. They just have the best players. And I’m just not the best driver. Everything has to run extremely perfect for me so that I have a chance.”
Crazy idea by Van der Poel and Rickaert
None of the three mass prints have run perfectly – for anyone. Falls, jackets, defects – something was always. And this time it was the team Alpecin-Deceuninck that the expected sprint in Châteauroux confused with a surprise coup.
The outlier Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert on the ninth stage, in the background the peloton
Ex-world champions were at kilometer 0 Mathieu van der Poel and his teammate Jonas Rickaert went into the attack. And when you realized in the field that the duo was very serious about the attack, the two had been around five and a half minutes. “I don’t know what our plan was”said Rickaert later. Previously, he was a bit surprising and not van der Poel, who had only been set 700 meters before the finish, was recognized as the most combative driver.
The plan was more of a crazy idea, which Rickaert had mentioned in the evening before and that had been made in her own statement and which was intended to van der Poel. “Of course they knew beforehand that it was almost certainly impossible, but at least we tried it”said the team’s sporting director, Christoph Roothooft. “It has a value to try something that is not on paper or a plan, especially here on the tour.”
Sprinter teams have to work out
The result was not only that an average speed of 50.013 km/h was measured in the end, which became the stage of the second fastest in the tour history, but that the Spinter teams had to work hard to bring about the scenario they want.
Above all, the team Lidl-Trek around Jonathan Milan, the man in the green jersey, completely devoured his sprint train far before the home stretch. Milan himself also left strength, while Tim Merlier was still his driver Bert van Lerberghe could use to prepare his sprint.
“The probability Not creating it is bigger “
Ackermann also had two helpers in the final and was actually well positioned at first. That should also have contributed to his frustration. Because the worst thing that can happen to a sprinter is when the colleagues lose faith. Bauhaus has at least easier in this regard. The team was not geared towards him, said Bauhaus in Châteauroux. Means: he has to look for his way in the finals alone.
However, this makes the sprint more difficult. Bauhaus still believes in his chance of winning a stage. “The probability is higher that I will never make it”says Bauhaus, “But otherwise I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t try it.” This should also apply to Pascal Ackermann. But he has to find his smile again.