The World Championships in Bergen/Norway have just begun, and the Bund Deutscher Radfahrer is already experiencing the first major disappointment.Medal candidate John Degenkolb has to cancel his start in the road race.
John Degenkolb was forced to accept the bitter truth – his dream of a rainbow jersey remains unfulfilled for another year,”I am extremely disappointed and sad,”said the 28-year-old.Degenkolb is simply not fit enough, so the World Championship road race in Bergen next Sunday will take place without the highly traded German hopeful.
The former winner of the Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo competitions is still struggling with the consequences of a respiratory disease that forced him to leave Vuelta early in August.Right at the start of the championship matches in Norway, the Hessian electoral authority thus provided the first bitter damper for the German Cycling Federation (BDR).
“It’s a severe blow to us,”said Vice President Udo Sprenger.And for Degenkolb, this is the frustrating end of a season that was extremely meagre with only one victory.The surprising gold medal in the team time trial for top talent Lennard Kämna (21) with his team Sunweb was at least a small consolation.
The Thuringian degenkolb would have started in Bergen as captain and candidate for the medal – on a course that corresponds to his all-round abilities.The track is almost 280 km long and hilly, a profile that is tailored to his needs.I must be honest, not only with myself but also with my team colleagues and the association,”said Degenkolb.
For a long time, the classic car specialist had struggled with himself, looking for ways to get in top form after the Vuelta Aus.Degenkolb tried his hand at several one-day races, competing in the Denmark Tour last week.But:”I have noticed that I am still not in top shape.But that’s exactly what you have to be in order to be able to say the title.”
Degenkolbs disease is obviously not only a bronchitis, as initially assumed.John’s respiratory problems have not subsided under high stress, and there is a need for further investigation,”Hinder said.From a medical point of view, it is not advisable to participate in the World Cup in this constitution.
Degenkolb’s renunciation greatly diminishes the German outlook.Apart from reigning champion Marcus Burghardt, there is no driver in the squad who has already won a one-day race of the same kind.And Saxony’s success with the semi-classic Gent-Wevelgem was ten years ago.Degenkolbs substitute Johannes Fröhlinger (Gerolstein) is a pure helper.Nevertheless, Sprenger bravely said that BDR was “not without a chance”.But a medal would be a big surprise.
After his impressive debut at the Tour de France or time trial specialist Tony Martin, the Buchholzer Nikias Arndt is most likely to be successful with a solo attack.But the German team will not have a permanent captain.
Thus, the seemingly endless search for a successor for Rudi Altig seems to be unsuccessful. 51 years ago, Germany finally won a professional world champion on the street.