Round um den Finanzplatz Eschborn - Frankfurt,
one of Germany’s most important and hard one-day races, can be won by either
sprinters or early attackers. It creates a beautiful race in which riders have
the opportunity to make the difference before the flat finish in the center of
the city. The race is 206.8 km and the presence of the Taunus Mountains and
their challenging climbs could see the race change at any time and requires to
the riders to focus 100 percent of their energy into every moment of the race.
180
riders lined up to complete the circuit which featured 8 categorized climbs
with gradients of 20 percent. The race which saw the riders race uphill at
insane speeds had only 56 finishers. On the first lap riders were already
losing contact with the bunch.
Stradalli – Bike Aid lined up their best riders
to compete against Etixx – Quickstep and Team Katusha. The team knows the
strength of the World Tour teams from their early season racing in Challenge
Mallorca and Ruta del Sol and came fully prepared to attack the race.
Etixx – Quickstep fielded a talented team which
included Niki Terpstra, Giani Meersman and 3-time UCI Time Trial World Champion
Tony Martin. Terpstra, winner of the 2014 edition of Paris – Roubaix and
Meersman did not finish the race. Martin was the last of 56 finishers of the
tough, hilly route through Frankfurt.
Alexander
Kristoff of Team Katusha would take the final sprint of the day, but he was not
the only winner at Eschborn - Frankfurt. John Degenkolb could feel
like a winner after almost a three-month injury break. Degenkolb celebrated an
impressive comeback even if he did not finish with the best time. Degenkolb rode in the
service of his team, Giant-Alpecin. After nearly 160 kilometers he reduced his pace instead of hurting
himself over the fourth and final time on the Mammolshain mountain. Degenkolb
finished the race in the team bus. Giant – Alpecin teammate, American Caleb
Fairly, also pulled out of the race.
The
race would finish hard and fast in the Frankfurt city streets and Milan – San
Remo winner Alexander Kristoff would take the sprint handily. The Argentinian
Maximiliano Richeze from the Belgian Etixx - Quick-Step team and the Irishman
Sam Bennett Germany Team Bora – Argon 18 rolled in behind for second and third
place.
Stradalli
– Bike Aid rider Nico Holler had an incredible ride finishing 22 in the main
pack. Holler is a climber by specialty, but still managed to be at the front of
the group for a tight fast sprint. Eschborn – Frankfurt is widely considered
one of the hardest races in Germany and it is a huge result for Holler and
Stradalli – Bike Aid to be at the front attacking and competing with the best
teams and Europe.
