A tough hilly route for the German nationals which involes the 8.5km Brocken climb which is to be tackled 7 times. We finish after descending the long climb however, so odds probably favour a small group sprint.
Will it be from a breakaway or from a selection of our favourite German?
Pick your favourites from the above list?
Which German takes your fancy?
- Follicly challenged Stefan 'Don't call me Michael' Schumacher
- Volkswagen's late season charger Alexander 'Who are you in real life?' Flugal
- Vueling's hill charger Patrick 'plugged the hole' Sinkewitz
- B and O's long term GC project Nico 'Kenny' Keinath
- Bacardi failled classic man Marcus Burghardt
- Festina's much maligned stage racer Marcus Fothen
- Adira's star Dietmer Mehr-Wenige
or perhaps Rothaus surprise hilly sprinter Geschke?
Of course it could be a breakaway takes it.
Egger (Amex) - one of eight Amex men in the race, Westphal (Rothaus), Hirschlein (Lotto) and Schwarzmann (UPC) take the gamble.
However coming into the last circuit the seven man Volkswagen team have it under control with Kessler leading for Flugal just a minute back. He leads a group of around 24 riders including all the previously mentioned favourites but not 'two first names' Tony Martin of Bouygues.
Hirschlien pulls off one desperate last attack on the lower slopes of the last Brocken climb.
It is a good move by the soon to be forgotten Lotto man, behind him a further selection is caused as 15 men bridge up to him. It is Reimer of Vueling now doing the business for his leader Sinkewitz.
The 15 men then who get to Hirschlien are:
Reimer, Sinkewitz (Vueling)
Flugal, Kessler (VW)
Schumi (UBS)
Keinath, Arndt and Klemme (B and O)
Burghardt (Bacardi)
Fothen (Festina)
Mehr - Wenige (Adira)
Geschke (Rothaus)
Frohlinger (Project 14ti)
and for the lusty German schoolgirls Nerz + Heider (Puma)
Schumacher has enjoyed a nice free ride - but is uncomfortable with such a large group and reduces it further in the last 2.5km of climbing and on the decent only five others can follow the strong German climber.
Burghardt, Flugal, Sinkewitz. Keinath and Klemme are with him. It looks like a 'Pro Tour' win, though of course Burghardt is goin down with his Bacardi crew.
Reimer manages to bridge to make it two Vuelings as well as two B and O's but it is B and O who have played a good hand here - their strength in numbers kept them up in the Protour and could pay dividends here as Klemme attaches himself to the ever leading Schumacher.
The other five are struggling under the kite.
Of course getting on Schumachers wheel is one thing but passing is quite another in both motorsport and now cycling as Klemme cannot do the dastardly deed here and Schumacher just proves too hard to pass.
A brilliant strong rider from the chrome domed Schumacher and he can now get a nice German jersey to replace his Swiss like one.
But it is not going to be the hairless one's day as Tony Martin goes four seconds faster still.
But these guys are not even good enough to make our top three, underlining again the strength in depth for Germany. Lucas Schladlich is the future and he has a great perfomance setting 1:10:14 and the new best by 13 seconds.
But no still a better time is out there - another youthful German babyface in Marcel Kittel. He sets 1:09:56.
But it is to be a recent free agent who will take the German title. Jacob Fiedler could be quite a target and he will have a bullseye on his back along with the German TT jersey he really smokes the course today a full minute ahead of his rivals.
It notable to point out that Fiedler missed this years worlds, who knows what Germany would have done with him!
