Title defender Olav Kooij has to withdraw from the ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg this coming Sunday. Last year, the sprinter from Visma | Lease a Bike won the German WorldTour classic and was once again considered one of the top favorites. The Dutch team still has a top contender, as they have called up Wout van Aert as his replacement. He has already finished second in Hamburg.
This year, the race in the North German port city has been made more challenging. With Van Aert's entry, the Belgian immediately becomes the leader at Visma | Lease a Bike. Head of Racing, Grischa Niermann, will be the team director in his home country. "After a strong Tour of Poland, Olav experienced symptoms of illness this week and ultimately wasn't fit to start. With Wout, we have a fantastic replacement ready. He is highly motivated to make it a great end to the season."
For Van Aert himself, this marks a slightly earlier comeback than planned. Initially, he was set to return in the Tour of Germany, which starts next week. Due to the classic in Hamburg, he will miss the Gravel National Championship this Sunday in his home region. "I immediately liked the idea of Hamburg when it came up this past week," he says.
"Adding this race was a small adjustment to my build-up and training plans. This is a WorldTour race that often comes down to a battle between sprinters and stronger classics riders. In my only participation in 2022, the course suited me well." In a breakaway group of five, he was essentially unbeatable but got outpaced by Marco Haller.
Laporte’s Return
The ADAC Cyclassics in Hamburg also marks the reunion of Christophe Laporte with Visma | Lease a Bike. He is making his comeback after 315 days, having been sidelined by cytomegalovirus since February. The last race the Frenchman competed in was Paris-Tours in October 2024. Incidentally, Laporte won that edition as well.
