Cycling World Championships in Glasgow
“It’s a boom”: German women are leaving men behind
Ensured German victories on the women’s tour: Liane Lippert (r) and Ricarda Bauernfeind. photo
© Bernd Weißbrod/dpa
German women’s cycling is experiencing a remarkable success story – on the road and on the track. Will there be a big coup on Sunday?
Whether at the World Cup or most recently at the Tour de France – for the German cycling successes are almost exclusively the responsible for women. Gone are the days when Tony Martin brought in rows of World Championship medals or sprinters like Marcel Kittel or André Greipel ensured victories on the assembly line.
“I don’t know what the men are doing. We’re concentrating on ourselves,” joked Liane Lippert, who won the 154.1-kilometer road race at the end of the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow a good three weeks after her stage victory in the tour on Sunday target coup.
Women win
It would be the continuation of a young success story. Lippert and national team colleague Ricarda Bauernfeind each celebrated a stage victory in the second edition of the newly created women’s tour, while the men had previously gone empty-handed for the second time in a row. In addition, the only 20-year-old Antonia Niedermaier caused a sensation by winning the queen’s stage at the Giro d’Italia Donne, and on Thursday she also followed up with the world championship title in the time trial of the U23 class.
“Women’s cycling is going through a good time. This shows that we can be counted on,” says Bauernfeind and Lippert adds: “It’s a boom, not just for Ricarda and me. It’s good that a new generation growing up.”
It is a snapshot that has been solidified in track cycling for several years. The eight-time world champions Lea Sophie Friedrich and Emma Hinze dominate the sprint scene, while the men follow behind. There wasn’t a medal in Glasgow.
Greipel sees problems in the youth field
The new national road coach Greipel does not see German men’s cycling in such a bad position and points to the good performance on the tour. He rather sees the problems in the youth field. After the road race, when old master John Degenkolb finished 16th as the best German, he spoke of an “honest result”.
In the end, only the stars of the industry from world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) to all-rounder Wout van Aert (Belgium) and superstar Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) remained.
A course for Lippert?
Lippert also expects a similar scenario, but then wants to get involved in the awarding of the title. Bauernfeind encourages her: “The route is perfect for Liane. The short climbs are exactly what she will love and what she can do.” Lippert, who is to succeed the great Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) in the Movistar team, still has a score to settle anyway. Last year at the World Championships in Australia she missed out on a medal when she finished fourth when the leading group got caught up in tactical games and was caught. “I learned my lesson from how I will do it in the future,” says the 25-year-old.
And then there is Niedermaier, just 20 years old. Hardly anyone climbs the mountains as fast as the Rosenheim native, who is also promoting her career in ski mountaineering, as the high school graduate emphasizes: “I will continue to do that. The goal is the 2026 Winter Olympics.” So there is still time for that.