"I was quite surprised to read that we had promised him co-leadership" - BORA - hansgrohe DS denies Emanuel Buchmann's claims as fallout continues

The fallout continues from BORA - hansgrohe's reveal of their Giro d'Italia 2024 lineup and the controversial omission of German National Champion, Emanuel Buchmann.

Revealing his frustrations at being snubbed, Buchmann took to Instagram after the team was revealed for the first Grand Tour of the year. "I can not describe my disappointment and frustration to be not nominated for the Giro d'Italia this year. All year was planned for the Giro and even BORA - hansgrohe promised me the Co-Leadership for the GC. The training went well, the shape is good," he lamented. "The last three weeks at the Teide I wanted to do the last preparation, but 16 days before the start of the Giro I got the call that I won't be in the lineup."

After a BORA - hansgrohe spokesperson told Eurosport on Tuesday how the team's plans were forced to change to a training crash of Lennard Kamna, sports director Enrico Gasparotto has elaborated further in conversation with Sporza. "That means he really wanted to be in the Giro. We need riders who go for it," he says. "I was quite surprised to read that we had promised him co-leadership. That is something new for us. It is not right. During the first meeting with the riders in November, we discussed that Daniel Martinez and Lennard Kämna would be our two classification men in the Giro."

"I called Buchmann and explained to him that we have adjusted our strategy somewhat due to Kämna's failure," Gasparotto continues. "As a team we want to go to the Giro with versatile riders who can win from the break. That was the reason why we brought Jonas Koch into the Giro selection. He can climb and is fast enough to win a sprint from a thinned-out peloton."

During his own time in the peloton, Gasparotto himself was once in a similar position as Buchmann and as such, can empathise with the German's reaction. "In 2018 I was 3rd in the Amstel and 6th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. My team Bahrain Merida then decided 1 week before the Giro to remove me from the selection. I was also disappointed at the time," he recalls. "But if a team's strategy changes due to certain things that have happened in recent months, the riders must understand and accept that."