The Paris-Nice today stands for his second stage, and the German Maximilian Schachmann (Bora) hopes to defend the title he won last year, although he knows it won’t be easy as he has strong rivals up front.
27-year-old Schachmann is an adult runner who wants to get stronger in one-day and weekly races. and it is a critical part of his team’s change of philosophy, which previously sought partial triumphs with Peter Sagan. He is an all-terrain racer.
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Schachmann has 11 wins in his career. In addition to the title in Paris-Nice in 2020, he won the GP de Premio Industria & Artigianato and has won stages in the Giro d’Italia, Basque Country, the Volta a Catalunya.
EL TIEMPO spoke to him and the runner shared his expectations for 2021, what he thinks of Nairo Quintana and talked about Egan Bernal’s options.
Will Nairo Quintana lose fame while on a second-tier team?
I don’t think it has lost any of its prominence. Arkea is a good team, with an ambitious project. We also meet Nairo and he is a runner who does not give up, one of the great climbers and in the mountains he is too strong. I recognize his qualities. He is a cyclist who excels.
Nairo Quintana, Colombian racing cyclist.
Still a rider who can take a big win over a big one?
I think you can. He is a great runner. It has its conditions and experience.
Should Colombians be calm with Egan Bernal, after what happened to him in 2020, or is it a concern?
Honestly, I’ve never talked to Egan, I don’t know much about him, but I hope he recovers as cycling needs him. He is a very good, strong runner. I’ve seen his performances and he has done very well. He will fight the big races. He has a big smile (laughs). He is a leader and has a lot of strength.
How do you get to Paris-Nice with the aim of defending the title?
It’s a good question (laughs). I have not raced or driven this year. Although I have trained a lot to reach an ideal level of competition. I have prepared a lot for height on the roads of Spain. I think I’ll be at a good level, but until I’m in competition where other types of situations are seen, I won’t really know what I’m going to be like. I know I trained very hard.
This year there are stronger rivals than in 2020, such as Primoz Roglic …
There are really strong runners. You said it, there is Primoz. I know they will make it much harder for me, no doubt about that. I think we will see a race with a very strong pace and with devastating steps. There are specialists in week-long races, so it’s going to be a very, very, very difficult Paris-Nice.
Will it be more difficult because of the route and the rivals to defend the champion’s condition?
As for the route, it will be very similar to last year, and it was difficult. You have to go through the career path very carefully, the steps in which we can be strong; Also look at those who can attack us and go step by step. I think the mountain will be final.
Last year I still remember a lot that Nairo Quintana caused major damage during the last stage
What should you take care of?
Last year I still remember a lot when Nairo Quintana did a lot of damage in the last stage, and now I know how to take care of those kind of riders who climb very fast, like Roglic or Tao Hart. I don’t know which team Ineos is coming with, maybe Richie Porte. It’s going to be a great race to watch.
How is your health after last year’s accident in the Giro Lombardia when you hit a crossed car?
I feel very good. I have not had any pain or other accident during my recovery. My body has behaved well. I was very lucky because it was a really hard blow, but we are good.
What to do so that these facts do not appear?
I think they are racing situations and you also play with luck. Measures have been taken to be safer in the mountains, but accidents do happen and I am proof of that. It’s everyone’s job, but it’s luck.
Has the Bora changed the philosophy of fighting for the victories in the classics and going for the one or three week races?
I think we’ve changed the way we run and got interested in racing. Now we have other goals and we have improved as a team. It’s cycling and we evolve. For example, now we have the chance to do well in the mountains, and with me the team is there. We have changed, it is true.
Podium Paris-Nice 2020: Tiesj Benoot, second; Maximilian Schachmann, champion; Sergio Higuita, third.
And what do they refer to?
We want wins in Grand Tours and Overall Leader Boards. This year may be a bit difficult, but we will keep fighting in the future. I can personally say that our goals in the camps have been clear and I want to fight the big rivals.
And in that order, what is your goal according to the Bora philosophy?
I don’t like to talk about future goals, so I’ll talk about the present. First, I have to be positive about my physical condition and be honest about my abilities. We would like to participate in the battle for Milan-San Remo, a very beautiful and very strong race, for Bora it would be important to win a monument.
If the Giro, Tour and Vuelta routes are known, which one would you like to target?
We have not yet decided what to race, between the Tour and the Vuelta. It is clear that we are not going to the Giro. We need to see how we feel in these races with our work plan. For the time being we don’t know.
Which Colombian cyclist would you like to have on the Bora?
I would like to have several because they are very good, with many qualities, but I dare not say a name. I hope they don’t make it difficult for me, yes.
Lisandro Rengifo
Drafting EL TIEMPO
@lisandroabel