For this season 2022, German training embraces change. With nine departures and eight arrivals, a third of the workforce 30 runners is remodeled. The team's sporting project could also be modified since this year a larger part of the workforce seems focused on the mountains and stage races..
The departure of Sagan and his entourage…
On the starting side, how can we not talk about that of the emblematic Peter Sagan. The Slovak champion joined the team in 2017 when the Tinkoff team was stopped. In five years of contracts, the rockstar of the peloton has filled the trophy cabinet: Two world champion jerseys, a European champion jersey and two Slovakia champion jerseys but also two green jerseys and a cyclamen jersey (the sprint jersey for the Tour of Italy) which resulted in him rarely being seen wearing the original Bora-Hansgrohe jersey.
As for races won, numerous victories including a Paris-Roubaix, a Ghent-Wevelgem and seven Grand Tour victories (five on the Tour de France and two on the Tour of Italy). The post-confinement period saw him bear the weight of the years. Disagreeing with the team management, he leaves Bora-Hansgrohe to join TotalEnergie training.
For its part, the German team finds itself relieved of a salary of five million euros. However, the Slovak does not leave alone. He takes his close guard in his suitcase, his brother Juraj Sagan and his two friends the Polish Maciej Bodnar and the Italian Daniel Oss. Erik Baska |, also leaves the Germanic team but he goes to the continental team Dukla Banska Bystrica.
followed by that of Ackermann.
Another big name in world cycling leaves Bora-Hansgrohe, in the person of Pascal Ackermann. The latter will join his former teammates Majka and Formolo in the UAE team. The German sprinter also joined the team in 2017. During these five years of contract he won numerous massive sprints including two stages of the Tour of Spain and two stages of the Tour of Italy which are accompanied by the cyclamen jersey. His departure also led to that of his sprint train. The Germans Schwarzmann and Selig join the Lotto-Soudal team. For his part, Schillinger ends his career.
The transfer of a big name in sprinting…
Bora-Hansgrohe has been one of the most active teams on the World Tour on the transfer market. The departure of Peter Sagan and his salary allowed the recruitment of ten high-level riders.
Sam Bennett, currently one of the best sprinters in the world is returning to Germany after two years with Deceuninck-Quick Step. He won fourteen victories there and affirmed his status as a big name in sprinting.. His adventure with the Wolfpack ended badly following disagreements with the team boss, Patrick lefevere.
The Irishman therefore returns to Bora-Hansgrohe with a new status but also being freer because freed from competition from Pascal Ackermann who had forced him to leave the German team at the end 2019. Sam Bennett does not return alone but with an important element of his sprint train, New Zealander Shane Archbold who also leaves Patrick Lefevere's training. To finish recruiting, the arrivals of his compatriot Ryan Mullen and the Belgian Danny Van Poppel complete his new close guard.
and promising climbers.
The German squad was also strengthened by taking promising young climbers from the World Tour peloton. The arrival of New Zealander Jay Hindley, Colombian Sergio Huguita and Russian Aleksandr Vlasov are among the big hits of this transfer window. These three riders are still young and have already shown great things. However, they all have in common that they have difficulty confirming the hopes placed in them.. Joining Bora-Hansgrohe training will allow them to become more experienced through contact with certain riders with more experience.. They will be less under pressure because they are rarely a single leader in order to be able to pass a course and confirm their present potential..
To complete this recruitment three other riders joined the German team. The Austrian Marco Haller from Bahrain Victorious and Jonas Koch from Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert join an already well-stocked squad. They will bring their experience to young runners. Their quality of riders / tireless teammates will be useful to the collective of the German team.
Recruitment ends with the arrival of prodigy Cian Uijtdebroeks from Team Auto Eder, the Bora-Hansgrohe “training center” team. The Belgian runner 18 years old revealed himself during his junior years by outclassing his opponents in renowned races such as the Classique des Alpes Juniors, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Juniors or on a stage of the Junior Peace Race. Some already compare him to his elder Remco Evenepoel due to his precociousness and his nationality.. Yet questions remain about it. Will he successfully adapt to the professional peloton?? What is his profile?? Is Bora-Hansgrohe the right team for its development??
A change in sporting strategy:
Sportingly, Bora-Hansgrohe will also make changes. The departure of Sagan and Daniel Oss makes him lose two major cards in view of the Flandrian classics. This area will therefore take a back seat for German training.. Be careful, however, that Nils Politt could claim a podium. Danny Van Poppel and a youngster like Walls could also prove themselves in an area where they are less expected.
On the Ardennes classic side, the team will be much more competitive. With Maximilian Schachmann at the head of the line, he who has already done 3e the l'Amstel Gold Race, 3e of Liège Bastogne Liège and 3e des Strade Bianche. This year could see him finally raise his arms in a one-day race. To support it, Bora-Hansgrohe will be able to count on promising young people like Aleotti or Schelling who will have to confirm the great promises seen in 2021.
This season, the Bora-Hansgrohe risks being omnipresent in stage races. Its squad seems ready to play in the one-week races and the Grand Tours. Having in its squad the double winner of Paris-Nice as well as the second of the edition 2021 and the third of the edition 2020, it is certain that the German team will line up on the Route du Soleil with the idea of winning it a third time in a row. Runners like Schachmann, Huiguita and Vlasov will be able to take advantage of their qualities in medium mountains and in time trial to try to secure a podium or even better in all the stage races in the first part of the season.
A new role on the Grand Tours
Concerning the three Grand Tours, information would have leaked concerning the compositions for these events:
The Tour of Italy should be dedicated to climbers since the Bora-Hansgrohe should line up Buchmann, Kelderman et Hindley. With two riders having finished on the podium of the event in 2020 the ambitions of Bora-Hansgrohe are clear, and to achieve this great means are used. Indeed Fabbro, Zwiehoff, Aleotti and Kämna will be present at the start in Budapest to support their leaders and possibly find stages when the road rises.
On the French side, the ambitions will be above all stage victories since Bora-Hansgrohe should field Sam Bennett and Danny Van Poppel. The Irishman will aim for a third victory and why not a second green jersey. Vlasov and Schachmann were also announced. The first should try to defend a top 10 to the general helped by the second. The German could also chase stage victory in the company of experienced riders like Konrad.
For the Vuelta, little information has been leaked, only the presence of Higuita who will surely be accompanied by a second leader. Bora-Hansgrohe will be spoiled for choice when it comes to composing its team. It is very likely that Sam Bennett, who already counts 3 victories either of the game.
Bora-Hansgrohe approaches this season 2022 with a squad made up of a few riders who are part of the elite of world cycling, to which are added talented young people who will have to confirm. After a season 2021 rather disappointing and closed on a 7e of the UCI team ranking, Bora-Hansgrohe promises to be a formidable team on the Grand Tours, capable of stacking up stage victories and claiming to place riders in the top 5 or even on the podium.
