When Emanuel Buchmann got on the plane back home on Sunday, relieved, the completely frustrating Olympic trip came to an end for him.

After the positive corona test of his roommate Simon Geschke, the cyclist had long feared that he would not be able to leave Tokyo as planned.

But after several negative tests, Buchmann only got the green light to start the road race and was allowed to go home one day later.

Maximilian Schachmann was left behind and was still competing in the time trial on Wednesday. After all, after the disappointing tenth place in the street race at Schachmann, there was a small smile under the mask. The experiences before the broke medal dream were anything but amusing. "We are in an area that is a fraction of one percent," emphasized Schachmann. "In the end I was missing five kilometers where I could have felt a little better."

And so the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz celebrated his gold coup on the high-speed racetrack on Mount Fuji. The Germans were left with a sober analysis in the shadow of the pit lane. “I'm proud of what the boys have achieved. After what we have experienced, we are satisfied, "said sports director Jens Zemke, looking back on the hours after Simon Geschke's positive corona test:" That was prison de luxe. "

The positive test by Geschke, who is now in quarantine in a hotel in Tokyo for a maximum of ten days, hit both the men's and the women's team at the foot of Mount Fuji. “We then had to stay in the rooms. I didn't get out of bed, couldn't move. Our room is ten square meters. You can't do anything about that, ”reported Schachmann. Before the 234-kilometer torture with almost 5000 meters in altitude, the 27-year-old was not allowed to strain himself, did not get a massage and the team was not allowed to move near the start.

So the driver and supervisor got up at 6 a.m. on race day, squeezed into a minibus and drove to the start for hours. Emanuel Buchmann was already waiting there, who, as Geschke's roommate, got the full attention of the Japanese corona fighters. In the middle of the night, the Ravensburger was picked up from the team hotel on Mount Fuji and taken to a clinic in Tokyo for another PCR test. There Buchmann tries to get at least a little sleep before the result and the associated start permit. "It's a strange feeling when you set the alarm clock at 3:20 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.," said the 28-year-old.

Buchmann received the receipt for the nightly farce on the route when things got down to business on the ultra-steep Mikuni Pass a good 35 kilometers from the finish.

"I missed the last percent, I didn't have the legs," said Buchmann.

Schachmann fought his way back to the top of the race after the pass, but then had to let go in the final on the racetrack.

Schachmann is now hoping to be able to prepare for the time trial in a fairly normal way.

With massage, with retraction, with a quiet night.

However, the Berliner does not have anywhere near a medal chance like in the street race.