Just before heading to Turin to take on the Giro d'Italia, Emanuel Buchmann has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him at Bora-Hansgrohe until the end of 2024.
The German climber turned professional with the team in 2015 and make his breakthrough as a Grand Tour contender by finishing fourth overall at the 2019 Tour de France.
The following season was disrupted by the pandemic and his Tour de France hopes were scuppered by a crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné. This year he's targeting the Giro d'Italia, which begins on Saturday with a route comparatively light on time trialling, but the long-term ambition is for Buchmann to lead the team's Tour de France challenge in the coming years.
"I'm happy that we'll be able to make it to at least 10 years together. But seriously, for me Bora-Hansgrohe is still the perfect team. Last year was quite difficult for me, and it’s in difficult times, and not necessarily in the good times, that it becomes noticeable whether a partnership still harmonises," Buchmann said.
"The support that I received showed me that I am in the right team. I feel very comfortable and we still have a big common goal, the Tour de France podium, which we will now continue to work towards."
After racing at Continental level in Germany, Buchmann joined Ralph Denk's team when it was still a second-division outfit known as Bora-Argon 18. He won the German road race title and rode the Tour de France in 2015 and 2016 as the team earned wildcard invitations.
When the team stepped up to WorldTour level in 2017, so did Buchmann, who was top-10 in the Tour of the Alps, Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné before placing 15th at the Tour de France and going on to double up with a debut at the Vuelta a España.
Buchmann consolidated his stage race development in 2018 with an even longer string of top-10s before placing 12th at the Vuelta. The trend continued until he made his big breakthrough on the biggest stage, with a consistent performance in the second and third weeks to finish fourth at the Tour.
Although 2020 didn't go as planned, Denk is convinced his team's stage race future is in good hands.
"Emanuel has been a fixture in our team since 2015. He has improved year on year, as he is an incredibly meticulous worker. Last year we experienced a setback, but that only serves to make us stronger," Denk said.
"I think Emu’s best years are still ahead of him and I'm confident that he can prove this with a strong Giro. I hope that next year's Tour course will suit his abilities a little better, then we'll set our sights on the Tour podium again."
