Marburg, Friday, August 26th 2022
Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux) won the longest stage of this year’s Deutschland Tour over 200.7 kilometres. On undulating terrain, the Norwegian won the sprint of a reduced peloton with one bike length ahead of Florian Sénéchal (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team). Third place went to Alberto Bettiol. His team, EF Education – EasyPost, had played a major role in shaping the last 40 kilometres of the stage.
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Kristoff extends his series of German wins at the Deutschland Tour
August 26th, 2022
After a frantic fight for the break of the day, the 2nd stage of the Deutschland Tour cooled down for quite a bit. But it was the calm before the storm because the last 40 kilometers were a real challenge. After EF Education – EasyPost split the peloton at the Amöneburg climb, it remained hectic for the last kilometers between Meiningen and Marburg. In the end, however, things were as they often are in a Deutschland Tour: Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux) stood at the top of the winner’s podium. For the Norwegian it was already the fourth stage win at the new Deutschland Tour – that’s a best.
Kristoff, who also took over the green jersey of the points leader with his victory, is always lucky when racing in Germany. “I don’t know why, but Germany suits me. I also always have good results in Frankfurt. Maybe it’s because the climbs are not too long, and we do local circuits – like the Champs-Élysées. I prefer them.”
But the efforts of EF Education – EasyPost, which played a starring role in the final kilometers, were also paid off. Although the team’s leader Alberto Bettiol was still behind Kristoff and second-placed Florian Sénéchal in the stage’s classification, he took the overall leader’s red jersey thanks to six bonus seconds he had secured at the finish and five kilometers earlier in the bonification sprint. Previous leader Filippo Ganna and Kristoff are tied behind.
Bettiol said after the race: ”We are not here to see the German landscape. We try to win. Unfortunately, we didn’t do today, but we were close. And we also reach the goal to take some bonus seconds for me. Because tomorrow I don’t think I’m gonna win. The climb is very hard, and I am happy to take some seconds on the best climbers here.”
The former overall leader Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), who crossed the finish line in twelfth place, has to pass on his red jersey to Bettiol. Together with Kristoff, the trio leads the overall classification with the same time. The Green jersey of the best rider in points was taken by Kristoff (20 points), for whom it was the fourth stage win at the Deutschland Tour. The blue mountain jersey remains with Jakob Geßner (Team Lotto – Kern Haus) with 11 points.
STAGE 3 RESULT
- Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) in 4h57’37’’
- Florian Sénéchal (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) at 00’’
- Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) at 00’’
INDIVIDUAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
- Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) in 9h02’27’’
- Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) at 00’’
- Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) at 00’’
