BORA - hansgrohe signed Nils Politt in 2021, a move that was a matter of time as he is one of the greatest German riders of this generation. However the partnership comes to an end after three years as the two did not agree on salary demands, whilst UAE Team Emirates stepped in to satisfy Politt's request.
"Nils is a really nice guy, and I like him as a person. For sure it was a sad moment when he informed me that he would leave," team manager Ralph Denk told GCN in a recent interview. "On the other hand, he joined the team on a really good salary after second in Paris-Roubaix and fifth in Flanders (which happened in 2019, two years before the signing, ed.). So the salary was quite high and the results in the Classics for the last three years – not just one season – were not at the same level from when he joined us. He performed better in the Classics with Katusha."
Now with his contract ending, Politt asked for a salary that BORA found too high. A deal was not achieved, and Politt moves on to UAE Team Emirates where he is set to be a domestique for Tadej Pogacar. "Maybe we had not the support at times but, for sure, in some situations, Nils did not have the legs. My philosophy isn't to make him downgrade the salary and for me it wasn’t an option to stay on the salary."
Politt is a rider that could be worth quite a lot in the protection of Primoz Roglic, but he will move away towards a rival team. Whilst he put on some strong performances this season, the results sheet doesn't have too much to show for. "As a strong support rider and road captain, he was too expensive for us," Denk believes. "I’m happy for him, he found a good contract, a high contract, at UAE. But it was a fair case with all the respect there. It was big for us to have him on our team."
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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✍️ | We are delighted to announce the signing of @PolittNils 🇩🇪 on a three-year deal. Welcome to the Emirati team, Nils! 📝 Read more: uaeteamemirates.com/nils-politt-se… #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE
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