As is tradition, Eschborn-Frankfurt was on the program for the first of May. The first WorldTour race of the season on German soil was much more demanding than in previous years, with a total of 204km, five climbs and two ascents of the Feldberg. It was on the final climb, the steep ramp of Mammolhain, that the decisive group of the day, which included Patrick Konrad, went clear. Ultimately it came down to an exciting finale in down town Frankfurt. The ten riders had only a few seconds over the chasing bunch as they arrived at the finish line. In the final sprint, S. Kragh Andersen took the win, while Patrick Konrad took 2nd.
Result
01 S. Kragh Andersen 4:51:27
02 P. Konrad +0:00
03 A. Fedeli +0:00
From the Finish Line
“It was a really tough day of racing here! After the last weekend at Liège-Bastogne-Liège I knew my shape was good and with the new, harder parcours, I felt like I might be able to go for a result here. I’m happy with the podium but of course it would have been super nice to take the win. In the finale I was positioned very well but ultimately Kragh Andersen was simply stronger. I’m heading to the Giro now with a very good feeling and really look forward to the next three weeks of racing in Italy.“ Patrick Konrad
“Due to the new parcours, it was hard to predict how the race would unfold. We were well prepared for both scenarios: for a bunch sprint with Sam Bennett, and also for the arrival of a small group with Patrick Konrad. We’re happy with the result, the boys put in a super strong race and worked a lot all day. In the sprint Kragh Andersen was the strongest and we just have to accept that. Overall it was a very exciting day of racing - a good advertisement for cycling in Germany!” Jens Zemke, Sports Director