Cycling: Pascal Ackermann (Bora – hansgrohe) withstood the pressure. The German champion won the mass sprint of the Eschborn – Frankfurt one-day race ahead of compatriot John Degenkolb (Trek – Segafredo). His team Bora - hansgrohe controlled the race throughout the day and did a lot of work - not for nothing.
Series winner Kristoff starts as a favourite
For several years now, Eschborn - Frankfurt has sealed the provisional end of the season for the important one-day races. Before the start of the second phase of the season, all participants want to show their best side again. This has worked in the past alexander kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) particularly well. The Norwegian has won the last four events and has thus become a true series winner. No wonder he started the race as a big favorite again today. On the 187,5 km As usual, there were several short climbs to overcome on a long course. The particularly dreaded hill in mammol grove (2,3 km à 8,2%) had to be climbed four times before the target passage in Frankfurt was driven just as often. As always, the question arose as to whether the sprinters could be left behind, or whether the fast men could decide the victory among themselves in the end.
Mohoric creates danger, but Ackermann celebrates
As in previous years alexander kristoff Also this year there were visible problems on the last climbs. But thanks to his fighting skills and his teammates, the Norwegian was able to reconnect with the peloton. The Bora – hansgrohe team provided the pace there and ensured that today's breakaway attempts were not crowned with success. Just an attack by Matej Mohoric (Bahrain – Merida) with about 50 kilometers to go caused serious danger. With its class, the escape group managed to keep the peloton at a distance for a long time. But as expected, the spectators in Frankfurt saw a mass sprint. Although many sprinters had problems throughout the day, they were all up front again. But after four years of Kristoff dominance, this time the local drivers were allowed to celebrate. Then Pascal Ackermann (Bora – hansgrohe) completed the more than 100 kilometer preparatory work of his teammates and won the sprint ahead of his fellow countryman John Degenkolb (Trek – Segafredo). The German champion had to delay his start twice in order not to get stuck in the headwind too early and to avoid the barrier on the right-hand side of the road.
🇩🇪@Ackes171 of 🇬🇧@BORAhansgrohe wins 🇬🇧@DerRadKlassiker #bike classics #EschbornFrankfurt (📺@hessenschau) pic.twitter.com/1VwMMsbmWx
- World Cycling Stats (@wcsbike) 1 May 2019
Eschborn – Frankfurt U23: Another Danish victory
The winner in the U23 class was chosen in Frankfurt before the pros. The hopeful youngsters got on their racing bikes at 11:20 am and had to cover a total of 119,0 kilometers. As in previous years, a Dane was successful this time too. Frederic Rodenberg (ColoQuick) won ahead of the Australian Caden Groves (SEG Racing Academy). The Swiss Stephen Bissegger (Swiss Racing Academy) finished fourth. Best German in sixth place Dominic Bauer (Dauner D&DQ-Akkon). In the previous events under the current name, the Danes were mostly successful. 2013, 2014 and 2018 was on the podium thanks Lasse Norman Hansen, Mads Pedersen and Nicholas Larsen played the Danish anthem. In 2017, the Dutchman, who was already extremely successful with the professionals, celebrated Fabio Jakobsen. 2016 won in the person of Konrad Gessner the only German so far. Before the name change, the Austrians, among others, celebrated here Stefan Denifl and Bernhard Kohl first successes.