Better write down these national champions: "Now I dream of a stage win in the Tour de France"

Alright, in Germany, it wasn’t Maximilian Schachmann or another big name who took the win. It was Georg Zimmermann who proved fastest in a sprint-à-deux, earning him a fresh Intermarché-Wanty jersey for the Tour. The 27-year-old Zimmermann has often been in breakaways at the Tour in recent years and won the overall classification at the Giro d’Abruzzo earlier this year. He seems to improve every year, so this German title might not come completely out of nowhere.

“Today was a true rollercoaster of emotions. When I got a flat tire at a crucial moment, I thought about giving up. But I managed to motivate myself again, thanks to the exceptional support of my teammate Jonas Rutsch,” Zimmermann said after the race. “In the end, everything fell into place. It’s fantastic, an honor to wear this jersey for a year; it was one of the big goals of my career. Now I dream of winning a stage in the Tour de France and participating in the Olympic Games…”

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Alongside Zimmermann, we should also keep an eye on Mauro Schmid in the Tour. The 25-year-old Swiss rider from Jayco-AlUla became national champion for the second year in a row, beating Marc Hirschi of Tudor in a sprint. “I was already very happy with my time trial title, and now having both jerseys in the same year is very special. I didn’t expect it, but I didn’t put much pressure on myself, and that definitely helped today.”

According to Schmid's own words, he felt better and better as the race went on, and he already has an important quality heading into July. “I handled the heat well and had really good legs on the climbs. I’ve had really good legs all year when it’s hot, and today I realised halfway through the race that others were starting to suffer while I just felt better and better. That really boosted my confidence.”

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In many countries, the national champion won’t be starting in the Tour de France in Lille. Danny van Poppel from the Netherlands will be there, as will Tim Wellens from Belgium. But in France (Dorian Godon), Italy (Filippo Conca), Denmark (Søren Kragh Andersen), and Slovenia (Jakob Omrzel), their champions won’t be at the Tour. However, in Spain, Iván Romeo did take the top step and will be heading to the Tour. The 21-year-old powerhouse from Movistar just keeps on winning this year, his breakthrough season.

With a beautiful solo attack, he claimed the national title, just as he already won a stage at the Tour of Valencia and the Dauphiné this year. “I hope my national jersey arrives in time for the Tour,” he joked to AS. “This is my most special victory, a day I will never forget. This was truly my dream,” he said, after having just missed out on the time trial title on Friday.