Tourer
Ricarda Bauernfeind was out of cycling for almost a year due to a serious injury. Now she celebrates at the Tour de France Femmes Her comeback on a big stage – as a noble helper by defending chase Kasia Niewiadoma -Phinney.
The relief was clear to her. “It means to be a lot to me. When I was operated on, I swore myself to start again in 2025. It is a great thing that I did it. But without the support of my family it would not have been possible”said Ricarda Bauernfeind shortly before the tour of the tour in conversation with the sports show. It was all the better for the 25-year-old that they could cheer on on site at the Tour de France Femmes. “This is a real highlight.”
A long suffering back
Of course, it is not that Bauernfeind is now on the starting line at the Tour de France Femmes. Because the driver from the German WorldTour team Canyon-Sram Zondacrypto has a long and complicated way back to professional cycling. Farmer enemy failed for almost a year, the knees simply no longer participated.
As a result, the 25-year-old missed almost the entire past season, including highlights such as the tour and the Olympic Games in Paris. “To have to look at the races on TV if you can hardly move yourself. That was really a bad phase for me personally”says Bauernfeind. “My family had to endure a lot with me.”
The cause of all evils was Plica syndrome, in which a fold in the mucous membrane of the knee joint. For a long time, Bauernfeind had tried to treat the two knees conservatively, but without success. “It clicked when I was on my bike with my brother and had great pain”she says. “He then said to me that none of this would make any sense. From the day I paused and decided on the operation.” That was in August 2024.
The tour really starts now
An operation always means a certain risk. However, it paid off for Bauernfeind, even if it didn’t look like it at first. While one knee developed well after the procedure, it took the other until January of this year until it could go up a staircase normally again. Farmers’ enemy has only been able to train for two months without any problems. “I had to fit from time to time, but it has been going really well since then.”
The tour of the tour starts
Nevertheless, she realizes that she lacks the racing and training days from last year. After six stages, the fatigue would slowly use. “You cannot simulate this burden in training. So I am pleased that the long mountains are coming. You can also train better”the climbing specialist says to the sports show. “Now the tour for our team starts. However, I also know that the coming days will be the most difficult and painful.”
The memory of your tour premiere, on the other hand, should be anything but painful. On the contrary, she surprised the assembled cycling world in 2023 when she was on the fifth stage of Onet-le-château after Albi The first German stage win at the Tour de France Femmes was the first to cross the finish line and thus after Liane Lippert.
Peasant enemy as a helper on the tour
“That was totally unexpected. The day will always be remembered,” Remonizes peasant enemy with a smile on the face. In the end, the then 23-year-old took ninth place in the overall ranking. And that in their first professional season.
This year, however, your role will be different. Farmer enemy was injured for too long and the time was too short to find its way back to its form of back then. “Two years ago I was a good mountaineer and a little bit of the plan B. this year I take a helper role”according to the German driver, who accepts her role without twitching with the eyelash. “The goal is to win the overall ranking with Kasia (Niewiadoma-Phinney, editor’s note). I will do everything one hundred percent. If you once had the yellow jersey, of course you want to defend it.”
Peasant enemy an important piece of the puzzle
The team led by defending chase Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is definitely happy to have peasant enemy back in her ranks. It was not for nothing that they were brought to the young age, said Ronny Lauke. “Until her injury, she showed what she had on it”according to the team boss of Canyon-Sram Zondacrypto. “The whole healing process took damn long and of course left many wounds with her. But she fought back greatly, which shows how strong it is.”
The first few days did not run so well at Bauernfeind, reports Lauke. But now she has arrived in the race. “It is getting better. And Ricarda is very important for the goals we pursue. In the mountains, she could become the decisive piece of the puzzle that we need for defense.”
At least on Thursday, Bauernfeind made it clear what the team had on her. She made on the almost 123 kilometers of Clermont-Ferrand after Amber Important leadership work, Niewiadoma-Phinney ended the sixth stage as a total third and thus overtook permanent competitor Demi full ring.
A good feeling after the stage
Bauernfeind himself crossed the finish line with just eleven seconds on the yellow jersey. Arrived at the team buses, she initially seemed dissatisfied, said to Lauke that she could no longer have closed the gap in the final departure.
But the impression was wrong that she drove over the finish line with a good feeling, said Bauernfeind. “In the beginning I had a bit of problems and took a little time to find the race. But in the end it was always better.” And then it was time for a hug – her parents naturally waited for the arrival of her daughter at the team bus.
Sportschau Tourfunk, July 31, 2025 7:43 p.m.