Bora-hansgrohe
Four years ago, Bora-hansgrohe hit the jackpot when they landed the prized contract of Slovak superstar Peter Sagan. He’s a rider whose extraordinary talent and effortless charisma virtually guarantees regular wins and positive publicity, and indeed he’s bagged them two green jerseys and a hatful of Classics wins during his time here.
They also have emerging climber Emanuel Buchmann, who was the revelation of last year’s Tour, producing an unassuming, but effective performance to finish fourth overall. In the mountains he defied expectations to hang with the big contenders, and the result was a huge leap forward for a rider who had never before finished inside the top 10 at a Grand Tour.
The performance clearly inspired the 27-year-old and his team, who have stated they are aiming for the podium with Buchmann this year, with stage wins and another green jersey from Sagan for good measure. Expect them to be accompanied
Looking for: Sagan to win green, and Buchmann to finish in the top 10 by a raft of quality climbers such as the youthful Austrian duo of Gregor Mühlberger and Felix Großschartner. Could Bora be the team that is about to sneak in the back door while everyone watches Ineos and Jumbo-visma?
STAR: Peter Sagan (Svk)
The all-time record-holder has made winning the green jersey so mundane that he livens up press duties just to keep boredom at bay. Now in his 30s, he’s mixed things up this year by making his debut at the Giro d’italia, and could therefore not be as fresh as usual.
HITTER: Emanuel Buchmann (Ger)
As a German squad with German sponsors to please, Bora-hansgrohe would like nothing more than a successful campaign headed by a homegrown star to recapture the imagination of a population left disillusioned by the legacy of Jan Ullrich. Buchmann might just be the man to do so.