German at the Tour de France: master strategist Simon Geschke in a mountain jersey

Privately, says Simon Geschke, he would not walk around in this color combination.

But in a professional capacity, she is "one of the most beautiful there is".

Red dots on a white background - at the Tour de France, this fabric is a hit with the public.

On the side of the road and at the fan festivals, you see significantly more people in polka dot jerseys than in yellow jerseys.

It always looks a bit childishly cute when one of these spindly little climbers slips into the jersey of the best climber.

It was different with Geschke, whose full-bearded face on the podium on Sunday radiated deep satisfaction with his day's work.

Because it also represented one or maybe even the high point of his late work as a professional cyclist.

With announcement

With his brisk ride over the first climbs in the Alps, the 36-year-old has also put a bracket around his long personal tour history.

In the summer of 2015, Geschke won a difficult Alpine stage in Pra-Loup as a soloist - "with the crowbar", as he said at the time with tears of joy in his eyes.

His coup in Châtel on his personal anniversary tour (his tenth participation), on the other hand, was achieved more with brains, experience and clever calculations.

With an announcement, mind you.

The morning before the stage – the loss of their captain Guillaume Martin, who was doing well in the race due to the corona virus, had just shaken up his Cofidis team – Geschke had announced to his colleagues that he wanted to conquer the Maillot à Pois on the 193 kilometers from Aigle in Switzerland to Châtel .

After he had already started collecting points in the mountain classifications on Friday on the Alsatian section of the Super Planche Des Belles Filles in the breakaway group, the plan on the way up to the ski resort of Châtel worked out perfectly.

With one of theirs in a mountain jersey, Geschke's French team has already taken some of the pressure off at this Grande Boucle.

And in general, a lot of pressure was taken off this Tour of France on Friday, at least temporarily.

According to the world association UCI, the mandatory corona tests were negative for everyone in the peloton.

This means that all 165 drivers (of the 176 originally started) can continue the race.

After the end of the stage, Geschke had already verbally created the horrible picture that he might have to travel home in the points jersey.

It would have been his second corona infection with great public awareness.

The professional, who was born in Berlin and lives in Freiburg, had tested positive at the Olympic Games in Tokyo - and sometimes humorously shared with the world his day-long existence in a small hotel room.

"Several deaths died"

In the French Alps, on the other hand, he was at his best.

He has long been a driver who knows exactly what he can do and when he should use his strength in a targeted manner.

Because then Geschke, who has mostly been used as a helper throughout his career, is still a driver who can set himself apart from the peloton in the long term.

The Breisgau veteran gets out of the saddle with passion on these grueling stages with endless ups and downs and steep climbs.

"There was a chance and I really wanted to take it," he said.

"It has always been a small dream of mine to wear a jersey on the tour." Geschke worked hard to achieve this dream.

On the Col de la Croix, a mountain in the first category, he cleared all the mountain points, but then, realistically assessing his strength, gave up the hunt for a possible stage win.

Shortly afterwards, with the group wearing the yellow jersey breathing down his neck, five kilometers at the Pas de Morgins, "in which I had to go very deep and died several times", two more decisive points.

"Defend as long as possible"

Geschke is the eighth German overall and the first since Paul Voß in 2016 in a mountain jersey on the tour.

The 1.70 meter short athlete had already delivered an excellent work test in the mountainous terrain earlier in the year with third place overall at the Tour de Romandie.

Now how long can its red and white dotted glory go on?

"I'll enjoy it and of course I'll try to defend the jersey for as long as possible," said Geschke.

But he doesn't see himself in a mountain jersey for very long, because from now on many points will be awarded in this prestigious classification in the Alps.

And in the three Alpine stages that follow from this Tuesday, which will demand an extremely large number of meters in altitude every day from the pros, the German is at a disadvantage compared to the pure climbing specialists.

"I have my limits there," says Geschke.

But nobody can take at least two days with this special cycling men's outerwear from him.

On the rest day on Monday, he was allowed to drive out the spot with the team during the usual coffee round.

And this Tuesday afternoon (1.05 p.m., in the FAZ live ticker for the Tour de France and on Eurosport) Geschke will be able to stand in the front row at the start in Morzine.

In addition to the superstars of his guild in yellow (Tadej Pogacar) and green (Wout van Aert).

In a polka dot look that he might not wear later at home, but will certainly cherish.