Cycling: In 2023 the time had come. Lennard Kämna tried out for the first time as a GC captain on a major national tour. With his top 10 place at the Giro d'Italia and his stage win at the Vuelta a Espana, he made it to third place in our ranking.
Kämna completes the Grand Tour collection
The German fans were excited when the Bora – Hansgrohe team announced at the beginning of the year that Lennard Kamna will concentrate on the overall ranking at the Giro d'Italia. So far, the German has mostly achieved top results as an outlier without giving the GC a thought. This changed for the first time on the Tour of Italy. Lennard Kämna drove solidly and ended up ninth overall. They were disappointed at Bora - Hansgrohe certainly wasn't, but Lennard Kämna's first appearance as GC captain at a major national tour wasn't completely convincing either. In the end, Andreas Leknessund and Eddie Dunbar, among others, were able to place ahead of him - two drivers that the 27-year-old should actually have under control. At the Vuelta a Espana he appeared again as a free, invigorating element and promptly knew how to convince. As an outlier he won a stage. Lennard Kämna has now won a stage in all three Grand Tours.
Future as a noble helper & stage hunter?
With the signing of Primoz Roglic, it should be clear that Lennard Kämna will no longer be planned as GC captain in 2024 - and that should be fine by everyone involved. He has more fun driving when he goes on stage hunts and can take some time out to relax every now and then. The Bora - hansgrohe team also benefits most from Kämna's strengths when he acts as a noble helper and can occasionally win a stage. And even the fans would rather cheer for an active, attacking, active Kämna than someone who just holds back and tries to stay with the top riders for as long as possible on the final climb. So next season we can look forward to the irresistible attacks that often lead to stage success.