Preview BEMER Cyclassics Hamburg 2023 | Speedboats from Benelux taking the helm in port city

A glance at the list of past winners would hardly lead you to believe that this is a race tailored for the fast men of cycling. Names like Erik Zabel, Óscar Freire, Robbie McEwen, André Greipel, and more recently, Caleb Ewan and Elia Viviani, grace the roll of honor. Although it's important to acknowledge that sometimes breakaway riders have managed to seize victory, such as Jan Ullrich, Paolo Bettini, and Alessandro Ballan. And not to forget, last year saw Marco Haller cross the finish line as the victor!

In 2022, the Austrian cyclist from BORA-hansgrohe defied all expectations and astounded both friend and foe, along with surprising himself, by besting the top favorite, Wout van Aert, in a sprint that featured four contenders, including Jhonatan Narváez and Quinten Hermans. The bunch sprint followed less than ten seconds behind, with Jasper Philipsen taking the victory.

2022 Marco Haller
2021 Not ridden
2020 Not ridden
2019 Elia Viviani
2018 Elia Viviani
2017 Elia Viviani
2016 Caleb Ewan
2015 André Greipel
2014 Alexander Kristoff
2013 John Degenkolb 

The course in Hamburg has remained consistent over the years: featuring some hills to conquer, yet the most likely outcome is still a sprint. Tradition has seen a few riders attempting breakaways in the closing stages, though the reality often proves more challenging than the theory.

The race begins in Hamburg, a city that initially incorporated this event into a larger recreational cycling occasion to encourage local residents to take up cycling. The route heads north from the port city until a turnaround point in the town of Wrist, before retracing the path back towards Hamburg. In the final leg, the road runs parallel to the Elbe River, a vital artery of the North German region.

Following this, the city circuit within the port city commences, encompassing the climb known as Wasenberg (approximately a kilometer in length, with an average gradient of around seven percent). Traditionally, we observe some attempts at breakaways during this section. However, it generally culminates in a regrouping for a spirited sprint in the city center, specifically on Mönckebergstraße. Following the final ascent of the Waseberg, there remains a roughly seventeen-kilometer ride to the finish line.

Climbs
137.6 km: Waseberg (0.9 km a 7.7%)
179.0 km: Waseberg (1 km a 6.9%)
187.0 km: Waseberg (0.9 km a 7.7%)

Weather
The forecast indicates that the riders are likely to avoid the rain in northern Germany, as temperatures hover around 25 degrees Celsius. The wind is coming from the west, which means it will be at the riders' backs during the final stretch. This wind direction is a favorable circumstance for those with attacking ambitions.

Times.

This year's starting list is lacking a type like Wout van Aert, which seems to give the sprinters an advantage compared to last year. Nevertheless, we're eagerly anticipating Jumbo-Visma's presence at the helm, led by Olav Kooij. The Dutchman will have his dependable lead-out team supporting him on the journey to northern Germany, potentially paving the way for his first one-day victory at the WorldTour level.

However, this won't be a straightforward task, considering the somewhat outdated provisional list of participants. Notably, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is mentioned, but given his recent involvement in the Giro, Tour, World Championships, and the Tour of Denmark, his participation in this race remains uncertain.

Turning to the Belgian contingent, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) is stepping in for Caleb Ewan, who is soon to become a father. Soudal Quick-Step, in response, is fielding a strong lineup, including Tim Merlier and Ethan Vernon as potential contenders for the finish line. The sprint train is comprised of notable names like Florian Sénéchal, Yves Lampaert, and Tim Declercq.

BORA-hansgrohe is defending Marco Haller's victory from last year at home, but can the Austrian pull off the same feat again? The likelihood seems slim, although the team is also counting on Sam Bennett, Danny van Poppel, Nils Politt, and Patrick Konrad. On the other hand, INEOS Grenadiers is relying on triple winner Elia Viviani and the returning Ethan Hayter, although we do have slight reservations about these riders as well.

Jayco AlUla has presented the potentially most intriguing duo for this race on the provisional start list: Dylan Groenewegen and Michael Matthews. Other teams that could be targeting various scenarios include UAE-Team Emirates (Pascal Ackermann, along with Marc Hirschi and Tim Wellens) and Arkéa Samsic (Luca Mozzato and Matis Louvel).

Of course, some German rappers are also taking part in the domestic race. Alongside Ackermann, Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain Victorious stands out as an interesting contender, although we should not overlook Marius Mayrhofer (DSM-Firmenich) and Max Kanter (Movistar) either. They, along with Cees Bol (Astana), Arne Marit (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), and Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech), are among the riders who could potentially spring a surprise.

Top favorites:Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma)
Outsiders: Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny), Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco AlUla) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)

Eurosport is expected to switch on Sunday at 2:25 p.m. for Germany's one-day WorldTour-level race on Eurosport 1 and Eurosport.com. The finish is scheduled around 4 p.m. in the port city