Cycling: It's finally that time again: the Deutschland Tour starts tomorrow. In Weimar, the pros roll off the launch pad on Wednesday. From Thursday to Sunday, the top-ranked peloton then travels to Stuttgart via Meiningen, Marburg, Freiburg and Schiltach. We take a look at the participating teams, analyze the stage profiles and puzzle over possible favourites.
The stages: prologue & mountain arrival
Tomorrow it all begins. The 37th Deutschland Tour kicks off with a 2,6-kilometer prologue in Weimar . For the first time since its reintroduction, this year's race will be held over five days instead of four. After the time trial, the peloton will travel from Weimar to Meiningen. Although the stage profile is described as hilly, the sprinters should have their chance here. On Friday, the race continues from Meiningen to Marburg. The final quarter of the stage is demanding, so a punchy rider will likely have the upper hand. Another change at the top of the general classification is possible. And the same could happen the following day when the riders start in Freiburg and have to conquer the Schauinsland mountain at the end of a grueling day . A true climber is likely to celebrate the stage victory here. However, the final decision will still come on the last day. From Schiltach to Stuttgart , another undulating stage awaits. The battle for the podium will be fiercely contested. The winner of the Deutschland Tour 2022 will be crowned on Sunday after 710,7 kilometers.
August 24: Prologue | Weimar - Weimar (2,6 miles)
August 25: Stage #1 | Weimar – Meiningen (171 km)
August 26: Stage #2 | Meiningen – Marburg (199 km)
August 27: Stage #3 | Freiburg – Schauinsland (150 km)
August 28: Stage #4 | Schiltach – Stuttgart (188 km)
14 WorldTour teams & one national team
Even though the Deutschland Tour isn't part of the WorldTour in 2022, the race boasts such a top-class start list that some WorldTour races might be envious. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), a Tour de France and Giro d'Italia overall winner, will be on the start line. His teammate Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) is the current time trial world champion. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) is the reigning European champion and has also won a stage at the Tour de France, as have Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe), Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates), and at least ten other nominated riders. Fans can also look forward to seeing Simon Geschke (German National Team), who brought us so much joy this summer in the mountains jersey at the Tour de France. In total, 14 teams from the WorldTour are at the start, two ProTeams, three Continental teams and one German national team.
All 20 teams of the Deutschland Tour 2022:
- Ag2r – Citroën
- Bahrain–Victorious
- Bora-hansgrohe
- EF Education—Easypost
- Ineos Grenadiers
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
- Israel - Premier Tech
- Jumbo–Visma
- Lotto – Soudal
- Movistar
- Quick Step Alpha Vinyl
- DSM
- Trek-Segafredo
- UAE
- Alpecin-Fenix
- B&B Hotels – KTM
- Saris Rouvy Sauerland
- Lottery – Kern House
- Down Acre
- National team Germany
The favourites: Bardet, Bernal & Fuglsang
Who will win the 2022 Deutschland Tour? A question that could hardly be more difficult to answer. There are no clear favorites. The route planners around Fabian Wegmann have done an excellent job. There's something for everyone. The prologue favors the strong time trialists. However, the time trial will be fought over less than three kilometers, so the gaps will remain within seconds. After that, there will be a stage for the sprinters, followed immediately by an undulating section. The red jersey could change hands every day. After the time trialists, sprinters, and punchers, the climbers will have their turn on the penultimate day. But since the route to Stuttgart will be hilly again, it could come down to a nail-biting battle down to the last meter. International stars like Romain Bardet (AG2R – Citroën), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), and Jakob Fuglsang (Israel – Premier Tech) will certainly be difficult to shake. But the Germans could also have a say in the overall victory through Emanuel Buchmann (Bora – hansgrohe), Simon Geschke (German National Team) or Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux).
Just one more sleep! ✨ Tomorrow our big #cyclingfestival kicks off with @stadtweimar @thueringen_ttg Meiningen @Stadt_Marburg @freiburg Schauinsland Schiltach @stuttgart_stadt @SoIstS ! Who or what are you most looking forward to seeing on #yourtour ? pic.twitter.com/PlcL29Z53H
— Germany Tour (@YourTour) August 23, 2022