Weit fahren und weit reisen ist Alltag für die besten Profis. Jonas Rutsch ist in diesem Jahr 57 Tage Radrennen in sechs Ländern von Australien bis Polen gefahren, John Degenkolb 67 Tage ebenfalls in sechs Ländern von Saudi-Arabien bis Portugal. Längst nicht alle Einsätze können zum Saisonhöhepunkt erkoren und in absoluter Topform bestritten werden.
Manche Rennen und Rundfahrten sind eher Durchgangsstationen im globalen Rad-Business. So beispielsweise die Ende August ausgetragene Renewi-Tour, mitunter auch Benelux Tour genannt. Dieses hierzulande wenig wahrgenommene fünftägige Event hätte indes beinahe prägende Wirkung auf die Karrieren und Gesundheit der beiden besten Profis aus Rhein-Main gehabt.
Degenkolb kam während der Auftaktetappe schwer zu Fall, Rutsch lag am Schlusstag aussichtsreich im Rennen, endlich den ersehnten ersten Sieg auf WorldTour-Ebene zu erlangen.
Ereignisse beschäftigen die Profis
An diesem Sonntag machen die beiden Hessen nun gemeinsame Sache bei den Europameisterschaften in der belgischen Provinz Limburg. Degenkolb und Rutsch sind nominiert für die deutsche Nationalmannschaft für das Rennen auf dem 222,8 Kilometer langen und mit 1273 Höhenmeter recht flachen Parcours.
Wenn es zu einer Sprintentscheidung kommt, werden beide nicht in die Entscheidung eingreifen können. Eine Topplatzierung scheint für den Oberurseler und den Erbacher nur möglich, wenn sie Teil einer erfolgreichen Fluchtgruppe werden sollten.
Noch immer beschäftigen beide die Ereignisse von der Renewi Tour. „Ich bin im wahrsten Sinne mit einem blauen Auge davongekommen“, berichtet Degenkolb der F.A.Z. von seinem harten Sturz. Hämatome im Gesicht und eine leichte Gehirnerschütterung trug der 35-Jährige davon – dass sein Helm am Hinterkopf stark beschädigt war, verdeutlicht die Wucht des Aufpralls.
For the experienced professional, who is a paragon of consistency and caution in the saddle, this marked the end of a nearly three-year series in which he had reached the finish line in every race he entered. And began a period of suffering lasting several days. “The days that followed were a real ordeal. I’ve never had such whiplash before,” says Degenkolb.
His wife Laura, co-organizer of Eschborn-Frankfurt on May 1st, had to pick him up in Belgium because Degenkolb couldn’t even think about driving a car. The professional is still reminded of the accident by tension. What happened? At one point in the race, when many drivers were pushing forward, there was a heavy braking in front of Degenkolb “and I didn’t react quickly enough in the battle for position,” he says. “A normal racing situation in which nothing happens nine times out of ten.”
It’s amazing how he managed to fight his way through the line of cars back into the peloton and finish the stage. “My body had turned on the emergency generator,” says Degenkolb. “I didn’t have any problems concentrating then. That only came the next day.”
Mental stress
Degenkolb was just getting back into the swing of things after the recovery break after the Tour de France, before he was slowed down again. He is certainly not in top form at the moment, “but I am looking positively towards the last weeks of the season,” said the professional from the dsm-firmenich PostNL team.
Jonas Rutsch is also doing this, having had a season marked by setbacks and uncertainty, but also by some good days on the bike. In recent months, the man from the Odenwald has had the experience of having to cycle for a new job in the top league of his profession.
Rutsch entered the last year of his contract with the racing team EF Education-EasyPost in 2024. He told the FAZ that he also felt that the particular pressure of having to present himself well in order to continue working for his American team or another address was a mental burden.
Especially since he didn’t get the chance to show off at one of the three big national tours. He wasn’t scheduled to take part in the Tour de France for the second year in a row, and the chance to start at the Giro d’Italia was dashed. So between mid-June and mid-August he only took part in the German Championships (eighth place).
Since then, the man from Erbach has shown himself to be a very frequent cyclist, taking part in three tours within three weeks: the Tour of Poland, the Tour of Germany and the Renewi Tour. “You should use your legs when they’re there,” says Rutsch, referring to his currently very good condition.
Plan didn’t work
This almost resulted in the greatest success of his career in the aforementioned final stage. The man from Hesse stayed in the breakaway group for a full 154 kilometers, and was able to keep up with every increase in pace that ultimately reduced the group to four men. He believed he was one of the strongest riders in the final and was already pondering the best tactics.
“I tend to throw out my energy too early. So I said to myself: gamble, stay calm, you don’t have to launch an attack.” But the nice plan didn’t work because the top team UAE suddenly set a hellish pace at the back of the field and caught up with the breakaway riders in the battle for the rankings.
Once again, he failed to achieve his first victory in his fifth year as a professional. In a year in which he gave it his all, including completing two three-week training camps at altitude – and the reward on the road is still a long way off. But recognition for his performance came in a different form in recent weeks. Rutsch has signed a new contract with a WorldTour team, which is to be officially announced in the next few days. The uncertainty is over.
Will John Degenkolb’s successful career come to an end in 2025? His contract with his Dutch team is running out. “The team and I personally haven’t decided yet. In any case, I still have a lot of fun riding at this level. The Tour de France showed me that I still have what it takes,” said the family man.
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