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Engelhardt and Koch Take German Road Titles in Bad Liebenstein

Engelhardt's surprise men's win hands him the national champion's jersey for his first Tour de France and follows organizer changes made because of extreme heat.

Overview

  • Franziska Koch secured her third consecutive German road title after winning the women's time trial on Friday and finishing first in Saturday's shortened race.
  • Felix Engelhardt won the men's road race on Sunday in a surprise finish after rejoining a late break and out-sprinting Lennart Jasch and Nico Denz.
  • The men's course covered about 191 kilometres with roughly 4,000 metres of climbing, producing a select five-rider sprint in which Nils Politt was fourth and defending champion Georg Zimmermann was fifth.
  • Organizers adjusted race procedure because temperatures reached the mid-30s Celsius by removing formal feeding zones and shortening the women's distance following a delayed start caused by a U17 crash whose rider was hospitalized with no life‑threatening injuries.
  • Engelhardt will wear the national champion's jersey at the Tour de France in Barcelona on July 4, a result that raises his profile for the race while several top Germans chose to skip the championships to focus on Tour preparation.