Watch out for the German champion on Friday in the Dauphiné — and certainly at the Tour

The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes finishes Friday in Crest-Voland. The last winner there? Georg Zimmermann, in stage six of the 2023 Dauphiné. Three years later, the stage race once again returns to the French village, and once again the German will be on the start line. IDL ProCycling spoke to the friendly German on Thursday, when he also looked ahead to the Tour de France.

Zimmermann travelled to the Dauphiné with the biggest victory of his career already in the bag. On May 1, the German won Eschborn-Frankfurt on home roads — and he did so while wearing the German national champion’s jersey. After that, the 28-year-old from Augsburg did not race again, meaning Sunday marked his return to competition after more than a month away.

With Friday’s stage ahead of him, the German naturally had a little extra motivation. “Because I have won in Crest-Voland before. I still have very good memories of that. It was a really beautiful day back then. The whole team management was there at the time, and afterwards we had a really nice evening,” said the rider who was then racing for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty.

“It really is a beautiful memory,” Zimmermann repeated. Later in 2023, that victory almost translated into a stage win at the Tour de France as well. In stage ten that year, after a strong day in the breakaway, only Pello Bilbao proved too strong for him in Issoire. That remains a promising reference point.

“Extra motivation,” Zimmermann said when we asked him about that day in Issoire. “Every rider dreams of winning a stage in the Tour. That dream is still alive,” he said, already looking towards the 2026 Tour de France. Which days, then? “I have not really picked out stages yet. I have looked at the route, but I cannot tell you much more than that at the moment,” the German left hanging. In other words: keep an eye on him in the breakaway stages.

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]