"It has been a long time since I was successful in the WorldTour" - Max Schachmann overwhelmed with emotions after first top.level win in 4 years
Cycling
Max Schachmann has gone full circle in his career. He started out in Quick-Step as a World Tour debutant in 2017; moved to BORA where he had the climax of his career and then it's downfall as well; but in 2025 he returned to Soudal - Quick-Step and today at Itzulia Basque Country he's taken his first World Tour win in four eyars.
“I am really happy with this. The Basque soil apparently does me good”, the German said in a post-race interview. “I booked most of my professional victories on Spanish soil. It is great to be able to wear the leader's jersey again. I am really overwhelmed by emotions. It has been a long time since I was successful in the WorldTour. I have to thank the team for believing in my abilities. This is a nice way to repay them.”
Schachmann is a rider that over the past few years has delivered but less frequently, and at age 31 he was no longer a promising talent like most that are signed in the current peloton. The German has been performing well this year, finishing fifth at the Volta ao Algarve for example, but he was not counting with a victory today in the Basque Country's opening time-trial.
He spent several hours in the hot seat, and on two occasions he had opponents finish a second or even less from his time. “That was even harder than the time trial itself. It was very exciting and I was just on the right side twice. In the end it was just enough," he was happy to say.
With this, Schachmann positions himself as a potential GC contender, taking into consideration his history in this region and his ability in the explosive races, but the truth is that the Belgian team has also finished with Ilan van Wilder in sixth place which positions them pretty much in the ideal position into the race. "This is really a great start for our team. We are in shape and ready for the remaining stages,”
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Podium time for @MaxSchachmann at #Itzulia2025!
— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) April 7, 2025
So happy for this guy 😃 pic.twitter.com/7X4AK72lq7
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- I mean the year before cables were external aspect should help narrow down the options as that can only be 1 year if you look at every bike it's the year cables disappeared.HoopoeChai15-04-2025
- If other riders just give up when VDP and Pog turn up to race why bother at all. Sad to hear this attitude and there is the problem riders saying we have lost before the start . We have seen loads of time both riders can be beaten. Less neg and more positive.paultryan200215-04-2025
- I always though the very best in a sport drove each other and their closest rivals to be better, Tadej and MVDP are driving each other to be better does that mean the rest have given up? To hear many of the pundits you'd think that was the case, they need to drag themselves up to the level to beat MVDP and Tadej because the two of them are not going to waitslappers6615-04-2025
- Must feel like a dream when he's back riding the smooth roads hahaPogboom15-04-2025
- Covid racing was great! You could actually hear the cyclist suffering.
Front24215-04-2025 - I'm pretty sure that it was 2011, when he as on the Saxo Bank team, and the bikes in question are the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL3 and SL4.
santiagobenites15-04-2025 - It looks like either year, they were sponsored by Specialized. Good to know.acem8214-04-2025
- Alcohol is never an excuse, on the contrary, it's an aggravating factor.
maria2024202414-04-2025 - In the race they talk constantly to each other; it seems as if they're teammates. Obviously, when the crucial moment arrive, they attack each other to win, but it's evident the respect, sympathy, and friendship between them.maria2024202414-04-2025
- True, sorryMistermaumau14-04-2025