A well-balanced BORA – hansgrohe squad heads into the Tour de France with ambitions in the green jersey competition as well as the general classification. Peter Sagan is set for the sprints, with Emanuel Buchmann and Patrick Konrad being our two contenders for the general classification.
“Our goal here is of course the points competition. Peter is in good form and has proven on six occasions, that he has what it takes to ride to Paris in green. It goes without saying that we’re going to give everything we have to support his quest for the record in this respect. In addition to that, I’m also proud that we’ve brought several young riders to the race this year. Emanuel and Patrick will be taking on a captain’s role, with Max, Lukas and Gregor also having developed into true performers. This will be Max’s first Tour, and so he can head into it without significant pressure. If we win the green jersey in the end, take a stage win, and place a rider in the top ten overall, then I’ll be very satisfied with my riders.” – Ralph Denk, Team Manager
“Everyone knows what my goals are, they’re the same every year. But, as every year, it won’t necessarily be easy to achieve these aims. Of course it would be nice to become the first rider to win the green jersey seven times. But I’m not thinking about that just yet. It’s a long road to Paris, and anything can happen along the way. We’ve brought a strong team to the race, and also want to mix things up in the general classification, and I have great confidence in the guys. We’ll see how it goes, and we’ll do our utmost to fight for wins.” – Peter Sagan
“I’ve prioritised the Tour, learned important lessons from the Vuelta and was at altitude training until this week. To be able to do that, I even missed out on competing at the German national championships. My form is very good, which was evident at the Dauphiné, and I feel that I am ready. I think that having two leaders here works to our advantage, and it’s a situation from which tactical possibilities could also arise. However, in any case, it takes the pressure off us both somewhat. It’ll be firstly about getting through the mountains without losing time, and I hope to be able to play to my strengths there. The goal is very clear: to make it into the top ten in the general classification. That’s of course possible, but one will also need some luck to achieve that.” – Emanuel Buchmann
“It’s really something special to be able to start the Tour de France with the jersey of the Austrian national champion on my shoulders. The title has long been a goal of mine, and it was an unbelievably nice moment that happened on Sunday. This year, I’ve been able to prepare myself for the Tour, and I think that it was evident at the Tour de Suisse that things are looking good at the moment. I know the Tour, and I also know that a long three weeks lie ahead of me. We can’t afford to make any mistakes, or to show weakness, but if I make it through well, then a top ten is definitely a possibility. That’s something which I think I already showed in the Giro of last year.” – Patrick Konrad
“Everything is on a bigger scale here at the Tour, and that’s something that becomes immediately noticeable even before the race has begun. The interest from the media is huge, and that’s probably even more so the case having taken the German national title. For me, it’s a dream come true. Like every young rider, I always wanted to ride the Tour. The fact that I’ll be riding my first Tour in the German national champion’s jersey is a bonus, and it’s really something special. This year, everything has run like clockwork so far. Whether that will continue during the Tour is something that I cannot predict, because I don’t fully know what exactly to expect. I’m going to take it day by day, will of course assume helper responsibilities, and will just see what it means to ride the Tour. But those who know me also know that I’m always ready if an opportunity presents itself. – Maximilian Schachmann
“At some point in time, even the Tour becomes like a routine. However, it’s still something special to be here. I think that we’ve brought a very strong team to the race which is suited to various terrain. I’ll be keeping an eye on Max with a view to helping him as much as possible with my experience. We’ve once again set ourselves substantial goals, but at the same time, we certainly possess the potential to achieve these.” – Markus Burghardt
“The last few races went very well, and the form is there. I had good legs at the Dauphiné as well as the national championships. I’m here to play a role in supporting Patrick and Emu in the mountains, but I’m hoping to also be given my own chances. That will of course depend on how the race progresses, but in any event, I’ll be ready for it.” – Gregor Mühlberger
“The time has come yet again for this really special race. It’s a race that one eagerly awaits, prepares for fully, and requires you to then get in the right mindset. And after all that, you can hardly wait for it to get underway. I’m proud to represent BORA – hansgrohe here. As usual, I’m ready to be at Peter’s side to help him to take his seventh green jersey.” – Daniel Oss
“This year’s preparations have gone very well, which has meant that I’ve been slightly more relaxed ahead of the start of my second Tour, compared to last year. As an all-rounder, my tasks here will be multifaceted. In the first days, I’ll support Peter in the sprints, and afterwards I’ll try to take on roles to help our general classification riders Emu and Patrick. If I have enough left in the third week, maybe I’ll have the opportunity to take my own chances in the breakaway” – Lukas Pöstlberger
