Paul Magnier headlines our squad for the last German World Tour race of the season.
One of the most open one-day races of the calendar, an event that suits both the sprinters and the attackers, the ADAC Cyclassics is back this Sunday. Starting in Buxtehude and running through the districts of Harburg and Pinneberg into the center of Hamburg – the city that co-founded the Hanseatic League in the 12th century – this 29th edition will once again revolve around the famous Waseberg climb.
Just 700 meters in length but with slopes that reach 16%, it’s the ideal terrain for those who are determined to drop the sprinters and make it to the finish alone or together with a small group. The last of these five ascents comes just 16 kilometers from the line, meaning that the attackers have a solid chance of going all the way to the line, but at the same time, giving the chasers the opportunity to come back and fight for victory on the famous Mönckebergstraße.
Last year, at his debut here, Paul Magnier finished a solid third, and the Frenchman will look to be again among the key players in Hamburg, where he will be supported by a strong Soudal Quick-Step team consisting of Ayco Bastiaens, Yves Lampaert, Andrea Raccagni, Jasper Stuyven, Fabio Van den Bossche, and Dries Van Gestel.
We have a strong team built around Paul, a team capable of controlling the race and helping our sprinter.
“The goal is to do better than last year in what will be a nervous race on the local laps. Waseberg isn’t really hard, but being close to the finish and with some tailwind and rain predicted for Sunday, it won’t be easy to bring back the attackers. Despite this, we are confident in our chances of getting a good result”, said sports director Iljo Keisse.
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