More than 150 riders will start in Clermont-Ferrand on Sunday Tour de France women. Among them were six Germans, led by Liane Lippert and Ricarda Bauernfeind.
Ever since Germany’s cycling star Lisa Brennauer, Olympic and world champion, ended her career at the end of last season, all eyes have been on Liane Lippert. While she was still a hope for youngsters at the Tour premiere, the 25-year-old has now established herself among the female cycling elite. Lippert’s former role is now taken by Ricarda Bauernfeind, who made her breakthrough in her first professional season. Also at the start are Clara Koppenburg, Kathrin Hammes as well as Romy Kasper and Hannah Ludwig.
Lippert as van Vleuten’s noble helper
Liane Lippert celebrated her tour premiere for the Dutch team DSM, but since this year she has been traveling with the Spanish top team Movistar – alongside the cycling star Annemiek van Vleuten. He then wants to help Lippert to defend his title, that’s her main task. At the other big tour of the competition calendar, the Giro D’Italia Donneit was already successful at the beginning of July.
Lippert is good for a stage win himself. She proved that at last year’s Tour de France Femmes when she fell on the third stage just before the finish line while she was in a good position. Don’t let that happen to her this time. “It would be great to win a stage or two and be able to ride in the yellow jersey. That would be a big goal for me.”Lippert told the sports show.
But she is realistic, the big tours are not yet her thing. The spring classics, for example in the Ardennes, would suit her better. Nevertheless, Lippert also wants the legendary one Tourmalet, the mountain finish on the seventh stage. She has no concerns that women’s cycling might not be able to cope with this increase: “Maybe not as many will finish as last year. But women’s cycling has developed so much that we are ready to go up there. And it’s also another step towards equality.”
Newcomer Bauernfeind with tour premiere
Ricarda Bauernfeind is regarded as the great young hope in German cycling, and so far the 23-year-old has delivered. In her first season in the Women’s WorldTour, the highest racing class for women, the Ingolstadt native has already made it onto the podium several times. The climbing specialist is particularly looking forward to the Tourmalet. “If things go well and I have a good day, then of course I hope that I can stay at the top for as long as possible. I’m really looking forward to the queen’s stage.”said Bauernfeind of the sports show.
Bauernfeind first attracted attention as a rider in the junior team of Canyon SRAM, the only German WorldTeam on the tour. Now she drives with the professionals. Sports director Ronny Lauke wants to be among the front runners again after his team won the team classification last year. Also with the help of Bauernfeind. “We’re excited to see how she will fare in the mix of the biggest names but are very confident she will make an exclamation point here and there.”, so Lauke compared to the sports show. Another young German talent, Antonia Niedermaier, who surprised everyone by winning a stage at the Giro D’Italia Donne, is out due to injury.
Great joy about the time trial
For the first time there is also a time trial at the Tour de France Femmes, which could shake up the overall classification again on the eighth stage. Romy Kasper (AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step) is particularly looking forward to it for a reason. “Because in the end I can decide for myself how much I hurt myself.” The Tourmalet would do that by itself. “Maybe I can look forward to that too, but only if I don’t have to fight too much for the time limit”, so Kasper to the sports show. Actually, she would prefer the stages that resemble the spring classics.
Hannah Ludwig, who, like Hammes, Koppenburg and Kasper, was already at the start of the tour last year, sees her chance in breakaway attempts and wants to approach the race aggressively. In general, you can expect a tough race with many attacks. “The battle for the general classification will be great.” Incidentally, a well-known name is missing from the start list of the tour: Olympic champion Lisa Klein, who switched to Lidl-Trek for the current season, is concentrating on the track cycling world championships in August in Glasgow.