Bora-Argon18 aiming for top 20 in Tour de France

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German road champion Emanuel Buchmann and sprinter Sam Bennett will lead Bora-Argon18 in the upcoming Tour de France. The team line-up, which includes three German riders, was announced Monday afternoon at a press conference in Düsseldorf, start of the 2017 Tour.

"Our goal is a stage win," said team manager Ralph Denk. "In the last years were were always on the podium, this time it should finally happen. We will surely have our best chance in a break group on one of the transitional stages."

Buchmann and Tour debutant Patrick Konrad will represent the Professional Continental team's GC hopes. "If everything goes well and we come through the first week with no crashes, then a top 20 place is realistic."

Bennett, who rode the Tour last year, has one sprint win this season, and has three other podium places. Neither Konrad nor Buchmann has made it to the podium yet this season, but Buchmann was third on stage 11 of the 2015 Tour de France.

Buchmann, Paul Voss and Andreas Schillinger are the three Germans on the team, and are joined by veterans Bartosz Huzarski and Jan Barta, who last year finished third in the Tour time trial. Konrad, Shane Archbold and Cesare Benedetti round out the squad and are making their debuts in the race.

The team's Tour jersey will carry a logo featuring Düsseldorf. "I am happy that we are co-operating with the German team Bora-Argon18 and that the riders will have the Grand Depart Düsseldorf 2017 on their jerseys at this year’s Tour de France and, quasi as ambassadors for the German Tour start 2017, will show that to the world," said Düsseldorf Mayor Thomas Geisel.

Bora-Argon18 for the Tour de France: Shane Archbold, Jan Barta, Cesare Benedetti, Sam Bennett, Emanuel Buchmann, Bartosz Huzarski, Patrick Konrad, Andreas Schillinger, and Paul Voss.