German believes Kittel has already proven his worth against the best
German cyclist Simon Geschke recently admitted to VeloNation that he doesn’t know what the chances are of his Project 1t4i team getting a wildcard to the Tour de France this year, but believes the team deserves to be there.
Currently riding in Paris-Nice where he spent the day in Friday’s stage long breakaway, Geschke made mention of the abilities of sprinter Marcel Kittel on the team and the role he’d play in the sports biggest race.
“I have really no idea,” he admitted to VeloNation about how sure they are of getting a wildcard. “I do think that we deserve it this year more than ever.
“[Kittel] has beaten all of the big names already. I’m sure he has enough self-confidence to do the same in the Tour.”
Project 1t4i, formerly Skil-Shimano, has made big strides this season and had hoped to be awarded a WorldTour licence from the UCI. However it fell just short of the points cutoff and had to settle amongst the Pro Continental ranks for one more season.
To strengthen its bid to get to the top in the sport the Dutch team signed John Degenkolb and Patrick Gretsch from HTC-Highroad as well as Domenik Klemme from Leopard Trek.
Geschke says the lineup has a good balance. “It is a good atmosphere indeed. I know a lot of the guys from the years with Skil-Shimano and the new German riders from my amateur times. There’s a good spirit in the team.”
He will himself attempt to bring results in for the team like he did last year when he won stage two of the Criterium International (pictured).
“In medium-hard races I have the freedom to go for a result if I’m good enough. Also in the Ardennes Classics. If that’s not the case I do my best to support the strongest of us.
“I’m definitely not a pure sprinter. The thing that made me win in Criterium International last year was the fact that a lot of the fast guys didn’t make the time cut the first stage. That was a stage with a lot of altitude meters and only 8% time limit.
“Also our sprinter Marcel Kittel was out of the race. I have a pretty good sprint, so I could win the day after, but without any mountains before I’m nothing against the pure sprinters”
ASO, organisers of the Tour are yet to announce the wildcards for the race. However three victories this season already for Kittel against the sport’s biggest names plus a win for Gretsch in the Vuelta a Andalucia prologue are results that will go a long way when the final decisions are made.