Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Argon 18) became a surprise winner of the German road race championships when he made successful solo attack from a 16-rider group in the finale. He held off a late chase effort by Nikias Arndt (Giant-Alpecin) while Marcus Burghardt (BMC) completed the podium.

During the last two seasons, we have become accustomed to seeing the German champion’s jersey in the bunch sprints as they stripes have been proudly worn by André Greipel. However, next year the jersey will be more visible in the mountains after neo-pro Emanuel Buchmann took a surprise win in the German road race championships.

Buchmann was part of the very strong Bora-Argon 18 team that made the race hard on the tough circuit around Bensheim and that turned it into a selective affair. After the final passage of the main climb, it was  a 16-rider group that had emerged and pre-race favourites Greipel and John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) were still there.

However, Bora-Argon 18 had strength in numbers and Buchmann benefited from the situation by launching a strong solo attack. In a very exciting finale, he held off a late chase from Nikias Arndt by less than a second while Marcus Burghardt escaped late in the race to take third before Fabian Wegmann (Cult) won the sprint for fourth.

Buchmann has been selected for the Tour de France in his first year as a professional and so will get the chance to show the jersey in France. He will have his first chance to show himself on home soil at Vattenfall Cyclassics in August, the next major German race.

The 2015 edition of the German road race championships was held on a 26km circuit around the city of Bensheim that the riders would cover 8 times for a total distance of 204.8km. The first half was a long gradual climb while the second half was mostly downhill.

The riders had nice weather when they gathered for the start and they got the race off to a fast start with lots of attacks. Stölting were very active but it was Fabian Bintrup (Rad-Net) and Christophe Pfingsten (Bora-Argon 18) who got the first advantage.

The two attackers were brought back at the top of the first climb and things were still together at the start of the second lap. Grischa Janorscke (Vorarlberg) was the next rider to get clear and he quickly got an advantage of 40 seconds.

As the gap came down on the climb, Julian Braun (Kuota) tried to bridge the gap and made it before the top of the climb where they had a 10-second advantage over Christian Mager (Cult). However, things came back together on the descent.

Surprisingly, Janorschke and Braun could suddenly get away again and at the 45km mark they had a 20-second advantage that had grown to 1.45 at the next passage of the line. However, Linus Gerdemann (Cult) put pressure on the peloton on the climb and at the top the gap was only 25 seconds.

The escapees were finally brought back by the peloton that had splintered completely and instead Johannes Fröhlinger (Team Giant-Alpecin), Henning Bommel (Rad-Net Rose Team), Jonas Tenbrock (Team Stölting), Daniel Westmattelmann (Team Kuota-Lotto), Jan Dieteren (Leopard Development Team) and Grischa Janorschke (Team Vorarlberg) took off. At the end of the third lap, they were 10 seconds ahead of Andreas Stauff (MTN) and Nils Politt (Stölting) and 35 seconds ahead of the peloton.

After a hard chase, the two front groups merged and they managed to extend their advantage to 2 minutes. Bora-Argon 18 had taken control of the peloton on the climb where they brought it down to 1.15.

Christian Knees (Sky) tried to bridge the gap but failed to make it across. Meanwhile, Pfingsten continued to set the pace in the peloton as they gap went out to 2 minutes at the next passage of the line.

Bora-Argon 18 attacked on the climb and when the dust had settled a 13-rider group had taken off. Emanuel Buchmann (Bora – Argon 18), Ralf Matzka (Bora – Argon 18), Björn Thurau (Bora – Argon 18), Gerald Ciolek (Mtn-Qhubeka Pro Continental Team), Nikias Arndt (Team Giant-Alpecin), Christian Knees (Team Sky), Marcel Sieberg (Lotto Soudal), Linus Gerdemann (Cult Energy Pro Cycling), Lennard Kämna (Team Stölting), Paul Voß (Bora – Argon 18), Stefan Schumacher (Ccc - Sprandi) and Simon Geschke (Team Giant-Alpecin) quickly closed the gap to make it a 21-rider front group that crested the summit with a 20-second advantage.

The group was brought back on the descent where a 50-rider peloton formed. The attacking started again on the climb where Buchmann, Fabian Wegmann (Cult), Burghardt, Geschke and Florian Bissinger got clear.

The latter two were dropped while John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin), Thurau and Gerdemann took off in pursuit. Buchmann was briefly dropped but on the descent the 8 attackers came together and were also joined by Politt.

That group was brought back on the descent and instead André Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Christian Knees (Team Sky), Nikias Arndt (Team Giant-Alpecin), Linus Gerdemann (Cult Energy Pro Cycling), Christopher Hatz (Team Kuota-Lotto), Florian Bissinger (Wsa-Greenlife), Marcel Fischer (Racing Students), Leif Lampater (Maloja Pushbikers), Andreas Schillinger (Bora – Argon 18), Johannes Fröhlinger (Team Giant-Alpecin), Jan Oelerich (Team Stölting), and Nico Denz (Chambéry Cyclisme Formation) got clear. They had an advantage of 30 seconds at the next passage of the line.

Burghardt, Geschke, Kämna and Thurau managed to bridge the gap on the climb while the peloton started to lose ground. Nonetheless, Buchmann and Schumacher also made it across to make it 18 riders on the attack.

A reshuffling took place and it was  André Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Patrick Gretsch (Ag2R - La Mondiale), Marcus Burghardt (Bmc Racing Team), Christian Knees (Team Sky), Nikias Arndt (Team Giant-Alpecin), Johannes Fröhlinger (Team Giant-Alpecin), Simon Geschke (Team Giant-Alpecin), Linus Gerdemann (Cult Energy Pro Cycling), Fabian Wegmann (Cult Energy Pro Cycling), Stefan Schumacher (Ccc - Sprandi), Jan Oelerich (Team Stölting), Richard Weinzheimer (Team Kuota-Lotto), Alexander Meier (Hrinkow Advaries Cycleang), Florian Bissinger (Wsa-Greenlife), Nico Denz (Chambéry Cyclisme Formation), Marcel Fischer (Racing Students), Leif Lampater (Maloja Pushbikers), Emanuel Buchmann (Bora – Argon 18), Andreas Schillinger (Bora – Argon 18), Björn Thurau (Bora – Argon 18) who emerged in the front. Ohlerich, Fröhlinger, Gretsch, Kämna and Lampater were dropped while Degenkolb, Voss, Marcel Meisen and Matzka tried to bridge the gap.

Those three riders joined forces with Fröhlinger, Gretsch und Kämna to join the leaders. Hence it was a 23-rider group that started the final lap with an advantage of 15 seconds.

Gerdermann attacked on the climb and quickly got an advantage of 22 seconds while Geschke and Buchmann set off in pursuit. When they were brought back, Burghardt gave it a go but the group came back together.

Greipel got dropped and at the top of the climb only Burghardt, Arndt, Degenkolb, Gerdemann, Buchmann, Schillinger, Thurau and Denz were left. However, a regrouping took place on the descent and it was a 16-rider group that would decide the race, including Greipel.

Buchmann took off while Knees set off in pursuit and the youngster managed to hold off the chasers. Knees were brought back and instead it was Arndt who escaped to take second while Burghardt had to settle for third.