Starting and finishing in Hamburg, the 204.7km race will take place this Sunday.
The BEMER Cyclassics is back after a two-year hiatus, and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl – who holds the record for the most victories here (2003, 2005, 2018, 2019) – will travel to the start with the goal of being again among the teams fighting for the win on the Mönckebergstraße.
Featuring twice in the final 25 kilometers, the iconic Waseberg climb (700 meters, 10% average gradients) will be the main difficulty of the day and the place where those hoping to avoid a bunch sprint are expected to make their moves.
Sunday will mark Fabio Jakobsen’s first outing since powering to victory at the European Championships in Munich, and the Dutchman will be keen on showing his new jersey, which he will wear for the next twelve months. The most successful sprinter of the season, Fabio will be joined on the start line of this 25th edition by Davide Ballerini, Yves Lampaert, French Champion Florian Sénéchal, Stijn Steels, Bert Van Lerberghe and Stan Van Tricht.
“It’s been three years since we last raced in Hamburg and we are glad to be back at this nice race. The course is basically the same, with the same challenges in the final part, but on paper it should come down to a bunch sprint. Fabio has shown his form in Munich, we can’t wait to see him for the first time in the European Champion jersey, and he will have a good team around him: Stan, Stijn and Yves are capable of controlling the race, while Florian, Davide and Bert bring the support needed for the last kilometers. The confidence is there and we hope to get a good result”, said Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
