Nils Politt and Lennard Kämna proved their excellent form at the German Championships. Shortly before the start of the Tour de France, only the official nomination of your Bora-hansgrohe team is missing.
Nils Politt and Lennard Kämna are ready to travel. They have the jerseys of the German champions and excellent form with them. After their victories at the national title fights at the weekend, they now want to cause a sensation at the Tour de France from Friday.
The tour stage winners of 2021 (Polit) and 2020 (Kämna) only have to wait for the squad announcement of their German racing team Bora-hansgrohe for the Great Loop. The fact that team manager Ralph Denk can’t get past the newly crowned road champion Politt and time trial champion Kämna at the Grand Depart in Copenhagen was an open secret even before the show of force in Sauerland.
Politt and Kämna in strong shape
Nevertheless, Politt and Kämna underlined their outstanding condition with a letter of application that had it all. “I noticed on Friday that I was in shape on time and my legs are good,” said Politt after his first victory at the German championships on Kahler Asten on Sunday: “It means a lot to me. Driving around in the championship jersey for a year , is something very special.”
On Friday, the 25-year-old shooting star Kämna beat the Cologne native in a fight against the clock. “In the last four years I’ve struggled with the time trial, I’ve never gotten to the level I used to. That’s why I’m super happy now that I got the title,” said Kämna.
Will Kämna become a classification driver?
Big plans for the Bora hopefuls, who just last week extended his contract with the Raublinger racing team beyond 2023, have been buzzing in the head of team manager Denk for a long time. “The future with him can be very exciting,” the 48-year-old told “Sport Bild”: “I can very well imagine that we will try with Lennard next year or the year after to get into the overall classification on the tour .”
Kämna had won the difficult mountain stage on Mount Etna at the Giro in May. He also proved to be an important helper for overall winner Jai Hindley. “If he feels good, he can also ride the tour. Lennard in good form is always an asset to the team. He already said that the double burden would appeal to him,” Denk had hinted.
Another question mark is still behind the start of the tour by Kämnas and Politts Bora teammate Maximilian Schachmann, who had to give up his title defense on Sunday due to a coronavirus infection. On the other hand, it is certain that the former tour fourth Emanuel Buchmann will not roll through Denmark’s capital in the prologue on Friday – but Kämna and Politt will.