Giro d’Italia: Emanuel Buchmann hits out after Bora-Hansgrohe non-selection

‘Bora-Hansgrohe promised me co-leadership’ says German rider as team defend their selection

16:30, Monday 29th April 2024

Daniel Benson

Editor in Chief

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Emanuel Buchmann on the attack at the UAE Tour earlier this year

Emanuel Buchmann has publicly criticised his Bora-Hansgrohe team after not being selected for their eight-rider roster for the Giro d’Italia.

Buchmann, who is out of contract at the end of the season and free to negotiate with teams, took to his Instagram account to vent his disappointment and frustration.

The 31-year-old also made the claim that he had been promised co-leadership of the team ahead of the race but that he had been called last week and told of his non-selection.

“I cannot describe my disappointment and frustration [at] not being nominated for the Giro d'Italia this year. All year was planned for the Giro and even Bora-Hansgrohe promised me the co-leadership for the GC. The training went well, the shape is good. The last three weeks at Teide I wanted to do the last preparation, but 16 days before the start of the Giro I got the call that I won't be in the lineup,” Buchmann wrote.

Bora-Hansgrohe announced their roster for the first men’s Grand Tour of the season on Monday with with Dani Martínez set to lead the line in terms of a GC threat, and then several other riders either supporting the Colombian or targeting stage wins of their own. The German squad reacted to Buchmann’s news by releasing a short statement that neither mentioned the German rider nor his claim of co-leadership.

According to the team, their strategy changed following a training incident that involved Lennard Kämna. The German rider was hit by a driver while training at altitude and left in intensive care.

“Our strategy for the Giro d'Italia has changed radically in the last four weeks,” the team said.

“Up until then, it was clear that we would go to Turin with Dani and Lennard as co-leaders. Our support team was heavily focused on the mountains. After Lennard's serious accident, we were forced to reorganise. We now have only 1 GC leader and several versatile riders as back-ups who are looking for opportunities on the hilly terrain themselves.”

Bora-Hansgrohe for the Giro d'Italia: Daniel Felipe Martínez, Giovanni Aleotti, Jonas Koch, Florian Lipowitz, Ryan Mullen, Maximilian Schachmann, Danny van Poppel and Patrick Gamper.

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