Hershey: “I was a bit disappointed with the fourth place”

Voices at 60 Ischborn Frankfurt

01/05/2023 | (rsn) – The change of course at Eschborn – Frankfurt (1.UWT) has had the desired effect. At the 60th edition of the German Spring Classic, the sprinters’ dominance from previous years came to an end.

We’ve collected the votes in the race.

Soren Krag-Andersen (Alpecin – Dekonink / WINNER): “In the end it was more of a climb than I expected. I really struggled on the second Feldberg crossing. But I never gave up and so the race in the group finished just right for me. The win means a lot to me because I haven’t won in a long time.”

Patrick Conrad (Bora-Hansgrohe/2nd): “The second action thriller was very exciting. My plan was primarily to connect with the group and I invested a lot accordingly. I knew Soren was the guy who was going to take a beating. The moment I got to his sprint level, things looked good too. But he Resist and he is a deserved winner.”

Alessandro Fedeli (Q36.5/Third): “This is my best WorldTour result. That’s why I’m obviously thrilled. I want to thank the organization for a great race, there were no precarious lanes anywhere, the roads were good. I’m also happy for the team because we want to build on that success now “.

Mark Hershey (UAE National Team / Fourth / Team Sport): “I’m a little disappointed, I thought it could have been better than fourth place.”

George Steinhauser (EF Education – EasyPost / Sixth): “The group is very well aligned, in the end it was very difficult for me, which was also evident in the sprint. Of course, I wish I had finished a little further in the field, but I am very happy with the sixth place.”

Georges Zimmermann (Intermarche – Cirque Joubert / VII): “My conclusion is split. We spin through the last kilometer or two and suddenly I hear on the radio from Lorenzo that we have a little gap. Then I drive right over it and I’m also a few feet away, but Hershey closes the gap. I don’t know if it’s wiser to sit still, but Is there a real chance of winning the race then I loved the new course, and I’m happy to keep it that way.

John Degenkolb (DSM / 18th): “I really struggled. As expected, the character of the race was different than usual, even if you don’t see it in the start list. I had to drive in the red for a long time, but I noticed that others weren’t so good either and the mountains left their mark. I didn’t. It wasn’t completely hopeless, but I was just about to explode. But that’s where the home advantage comes into play: I know every turn, I always know how tight it is. The support has been phenomenal. It’s great to have such a race on our home turf.”

Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates / RSN): “I had a flat tire at Feldberg and after that I didn’t come back. Even then I wasn’t at the limit.”

Fabian Wegmann (Sporting Director Eschborn – Frankfurt/press conference): “It was an exciting race, in motion from the start. The second time Feldberg made the race so difficult the group finally left in Mammüllscheiner, who has been missing in recent years.”