The time trial at the German Championships showed that Tony Martin (Etixx-Quick-Step) is in a league of his own. On the rolling 15km course in Einhausen that would be covered 3 times, he was 2.10  faster than Nikias Arndt (Giant-Alpecin) who again was the "best of the rest" and again took second place ,

Thus he was "very satisfied" as he said after the race. 

"My goal was the podium, and in secret I had been hoping to repeat my position from the previous year," he told radsport-news.com. He easily achived that as he was 48 seconds faster than Stefan Schumacher (CCC Sprandi) who secured the last place on the podium.

"I have given everything and in the last corner I was almost on the ground. More was not possible and therefore I must be satisfied," said the 33-year-old who had a difficult start to the year after a hand injury that he sustained in February at Etoile de Bessèges. "I've never had such a difficult start to the season. After my scaphoid fracture I was back on the bike too quickly. My goal today was the podium and it worked out," said Schumacher, who complained a little about the significant gap to Martin: "Tony is simply the best, but 2:57 is a lot."

By contrast Arndt had no reason to complain about his best result in 2015. "I have not really focused on Tony," he admitted. "You always try to minimize the gap. He was the favorite and he won in superior style," said the Giant sprinter who took some time to digest the heavy Giro d'Italia.But at the end of the first half of the season - on Sunday he will be a domestique for John Degenkolb in the road race - he felt that he was back in good shape. But to beat Martin was a bit too much. "Tony is currently one to two levels above me."