tour reporter
Simon Geschke conquers the mountain jersey of the Tour de France. It’s another achievement for a professional cyclist who knows how to seize his opportunities.
Yellow is the color of Tour de France. But along the route, it is not the sunny yellow of the leader’s jersey that predominates. There, adult men and women, just like children, much prefer to wear a white one t shirt with red dots.
The sponsor of the mountain jersey sells the cheaply produced goods en masse hours before the professional cyclists arrive. And – there’s no other way to put it – people are clamoring for it.
Geschke knows his options
“I wouldn’t buy a t-shirt that looked like this”said Simon Geschke when he was in Chatel Les Portes du Soleil now dressed exactly as the many people at the side of the track gave his interviews behind the podium. “But the cycling jersey is one of the most beautiful there is. It has a prestige value in cycling.” Geschke (36) now wears the mountain jersey at the Tour de France. He is the eighth German professional cyclist to do this Maillot a pois may wear, which was only introduced as a ranking jersey in 1975.
The Berliner is a driver who knows his options very well. He knows he can’t keep up with the best in the high mountains. “I have my limits there“, he says. But he knows exactly when it pays to invest a lot of energy, namely when special opportunities arise that suit his abilities.
Mountain jersey with announcement
That’s how it was in 2015 when he was in Pra Loup single-handedly won a mountain stage of the Tour. And such an opportunity presented itself on the 9th stage on Sunday (07/10/2022). “The jersey was really a goal of mine”he reported. “I already said on the bus this morning that I really want to try it because days like today are simply the best opportunities for me.”
So Geschke came up with a plan. To do this, he first had to make it into the breakaway group. That alone is no easy task on the tour. You have to call the right attacks, have a feel for the decisive moment.
He has often proven that Geschke has this instinct. Last on the 7th stage after La Super Planche des Belles Filles. Here, too, he was one of the breakaways and was later voted the most combative driver by a jury. A “consolation prize” he named the award afterwards.
With four points in the day
But his commitment on Friday still benefited him on the way to the mountain jersey. “Two days ago I already scored four points, so I had a small one headstart ahead of the others who didn’t have any points yet. And fortunately it was enough”Geschke explained.
It was a close call indeed. Four mountain classifications awaited the 192.9 kilometers from aigle after Chatel on the drivers. The first and only point on Cote de Bellevue secured the Spaniard Jonathan Castrovejo. On the next climb, the one assigned to category two Col des MossesGeschke was second on the summit and took three points with him.
This was followed by two category one climbs, where the first on the summit gets ten points. Eventual stage winner Bob Jungels attacked on Col de la Croix early. Geschke waited a while and then followed him to overtake the Luxembourger in time for the mountains classification. “It took a lot of strength”he later reported.
“I had to go very, very deep”
With 17 points, he was already virtually wearing a mountain jersey at that moment. But Jungels, who is second on the Col de la Croix had secured eight points, attacked again on the descent and then rode solo towards his victory of the day, including ten more mountain points on the Pas de mornings.
Geschke now had to get at least two more points to take over the jersey after all. On the final climb, the rest of the break disintegrated while the group around Tadej Pogacar’s yellow jersey rushed in from behind.
Between them Geschke, who really wanted to reach the summit in fifth place in order to secure the two points. “I had to go very, very deep to keep the group of favorites behind me at bay”said Geschke. “Otherwise everything would have been for naught.”
The fear of the positive corona test
With 19 points, Geschke is now one point ahead of Jungels in the mountain classification. On Tuesday, on the 10th stage, he will now be in the not chic but prestigious jersey with the red dots next to Tadej Pogacar in yellow and Wout van Aert in green in the first row at the start in morzine set up.
“Unless Corona puts a spoke in my wheel”said Geschke. A conceivable scenario after Geschke’s teammate Guillaume Martin was no longer at the start on Sunday after a positive corona test. On the rest day, all drivers remaining in the race will be tested for Corona. “The fear is there. Nobody is safe from it. Guillaume was sitting next to me on the bus. We’ll see how the test turns out. Maybe then I’ll go home in my jersey.”
“Happy and Grateful”
The moment on the podium, when he was allowed to put on the jersey, will remain one way or the other. After his stage win six years ago, it is Geschke’s second big moment at the Tour de France was allowed to experience.
“The stage victory stays forever. The mountain jersey also stays forever if you wear it in Paris. But I don’t see myself there yet.”said Geschke. “It’s definitely one of the highlights of my season. Standing here in a mountain jersey on the tour isn’t something everyone can do in their career. In that respect, I’m happy and grateful.” But you can then sometimes accept a fashionable drop-out.