For the German men, cycling world championships are mostly only experience value, but hardly any result value.
The last German road racing champion was Rudi Altig in 1966, the last medalist André Greipel in 2011. It is certain that the World Championship race on this Sunday will be an experience, even with spectacular features.
After all, the route criss-crosses and up and down in the region where cycling history is particularly rich and enthusiasm is particularly unbreakable: Flanders.
There Corona will now be "forgotten for a day", says Nils Politt and predicts a pent-up Belgian desire for folk festival-like scenes on the side of the route.
Politt is the most successful German professional cyclist this year.
The fact that Politt was chosen as captain and manager in the German team, especially on his favorite classic terrain, came as no surprise.
If the Cologne man should defeat the assembled elite, it would be, no question, a huge surprise.
If he should struggle for a long time within reach of the medals, but not.
Politt is riding stronger than ever this year.
After his triumph in the Tour de France stage in Nimes, the 27-year-old recently achieved overall victory in the Germany Tour.
John Degenkolb, nominated as Politt's helper at the World Cup, experienced its strength up close.
“Nils is currently in excellent shape.
On the Germany Tour he actually only had to steer, he drove like a moped, ”said the 31-year-old from Oberursel.
"The course is irregular"
Politt will also need a special drive for the finale and highlight of the Flemish World Cup festival week.
Due to the sheer length of the race (267.7 kilometers from Antwerp to Leuven) including the bombardment of small, steep hills constantly appearing in front of the handlebars, a grueling exchange of blows between the best is expected.
“It will be an extremely difficult race.
The course has many curves at the beginning, is irregular, a mixture of Ardennes and Flemish classics.
Everything that Belgium has to offer in cycling, ”says Politt in anticipation of the extremely demanding six and a half hours in the saddle on Sundays.
Alaphilippe wants to defend title
In the race finale, only a manageable number of the selected field should compete for the rainbow jersey of the world champion.
It would not be surprising if Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe were left at the end of the elimination race.
The former, the Belgian all-rounder, wants to crown his outstanding season at home, supported by a well-known team.
The Frenchman Alaphilippe is committed to defending his title. It remains to be seen whether the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel is back to (his enormous) strength after his fall in the Olympic mountain bike race. And the Slovenian team will start with none other than the current Tour Champion Tadej Pogacar and the current Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic. In this peloton, Politt can observe from the comfortable position of the ambitious outsider what the Belgians want to do with their home title fights as the likely lead riders.
“If the head is right, then the legs are right.
I already had that in 2019, and I found my way back to it this year, ”says the professional from the Bora-hansgrohe team, who sharpened his profile in the peloton two years ago with second place at Paris-Roubaix.
After a dry spell in 2020, Politt is now at the height of his creative power.
"My chances?
Hard to say, ”he says.
"I've surprised myself this year."