Cycling: The new German WorldTour team-to-be, BORA-hansgrohe, continues to work on its squad for the coming season. After the sensational coup around Peter Sagan, veteran Marcus Burghardt and the reigning German U23 champion Pascal Ackermann also switched to the racing team from Upper Bavaria.
After more than five years at BMC, this chapter will end for the German veteran Marcus Burghardt for the coming season. The 33-year-old will join BORA-hansgrohe and would like to use his experience to support the young drivers in the team and help them develop. “When you move up to the WorldTour as a team, you suddenly end up doing races at the highest level all the time. For young drivers, this is an enormous stimulus, both physically and psychologically. I think that with my experience here I can do a lot to help the young drivers in the team cope a little better with this step." Burghardt himself comments on his role in the team.
Of course, he is also looking forward to driving in a team with Peter Sagan in the future, he openly admits. All in all, he sees BORA-hansgrohe as an important pointer for German cycling: “Of course it's very nice to drive for a German team again. It took far too long for German cycling to recover.”
U23 champion Pascal Ackermann should take the next step: "I'm overjoyed"
In addition to veteran Marcus Burghardt, BORA-hansgrohe also announced the signing of newly crowned German U23 champion Pascal Ackermann today. The 22-year-old dares to make the leap from the rad-net ROSE team to the highest racing class and is above all a man for fast sprints. “I'm looking forward to the new challenge in the WorldTour and I hope to catch up quickly. The focus is definitely on working for the team. If I get chances, I will definitely try to take advantage of them. But I think, because you never stop learning, as you know, I'm back at the beginning again. In any case, I face the new tasks and challenges with a big smile on my face." the youngster looks forward to the next step in his career with joy and hope.
He too can't wait to be on the same team as Peter Sagan and almost raves about it: “Just a few months ago I would never have believed that I would now be driving with Peter Sagan. It is unique in cycling, one of a kind. Sagan impresses with his style of driving and is fun in the field. One can get the impression that the cycling world revolves around him. I'm really overjoyed.” Even the previous team from rad-net ROSE does not harbor any grudges about the departure of the huge talent - on the contrary: “We are delighted that Pascal made the leap into the WorldTour and that we were able to accompany him on his way there. We wish him all the best for the future and keep our fingers crossed that he can achieve his goals,“ says rad-net ROSE team manager Ulrich Müller