“There is nothing concrete yet for next year” - Emanuel Buchmann open to BORA - hansgrohe exit after recent controversy

Could Emanuel Buchmann's time with BORA - hansgrohe be coming to an end? After his controversial Giro d'Italia omission and the subsequent war of words with claims and counter-claims, all it not well for the German National Champion and his employers.

After being left out of the BORA - hansgrohe team for the opening Grand Tour of 2024, Buchmann took to his official Instagram account to complain and alleged that he was "promised the Co-Leadership for the GC" at the Giro d'Italia. Sadly for Buchmann, he was then told he would miss the race completely, just 16 days before the Grand Depart.

“I was cancelled because my form would be enough for the top ten, but not for the podium,” Buchmann confirmed to Radsport-News.com, still clearly frustrated to miss out. "It is indeed a strange reason. I don't understand the decision, but there's nothing you can do about it now."

For their part, BORA - hansgrohe have denied Buchmann's claims of promised leadership, with sports director Enrico Gasparotto telling Sporza how "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."

Having finished 4th overall at the Tour de France back in 2019, could Buchmann now switch his attentions and support Primoz Roglic later this summer? "Theoretically that would be possible, but in practice I don't know whether it will work," the German assesses, refusing to confirm or deny if he will stay at BORA - hansgrohe when his contract finishes at the end of this year, given all that has happened in the last few weeks. “There is nothing concrete yet for next year.”