With a thrilling performance, Simon Geschke put on a mountain jersey on the first Alpine stage of the Tour de France. However, defending it should be difficult for the 36-year-old. The Berliner can assess his chances in the high mountains very realistically.
Mountain King Simon Geschke enjoyed the view of the Alps from the Hotel “Le Castellan” and took it easy on the rest day of the Tour de France. The 36-year-old sat on his bike for a good hour, his helmet and pants already had the design of the famous white jersey with the red dots. “The day break was necessary. Now I’m trying to keep the jersey as long as possible,” said Geschke. He gets his mountain jersey on Tuesday. On the stage to Megève it should be possible to keep the lead in the mountains classification.
At home in Freiburg, you are now full of tour fever. Geschke’s dog Jimi, a French bulldog, posed for a photo in the garden wearing a mountain jersey. “I don’t even know if they bought a jersey especially. The picture came from my mother-in-law,” said Geschke. His dog had already become a bit of a celebrity on social media two years ago through a video when he enthusiastically welcomed Geschke at the train station after his Tokyo Olympics, which had been shattered by a corona quarantine.
Due to his own history and the Corona failure of his captain Guillaume Martin, Geschke had respect for the mandatory tests of the tour. The veteran received his negative result on Monday morning. “The relief was huge. I was sitting next to Guillaume on the bus, so I was worried. We’re in good spirits now with the result,” said Geschke. The focus can thus move away from the corona fear and towards the defense of the mountain jersey. The captain’s departure is even an advantage. “We will passionately defend the jersey, it’s a very good challenge,” said Cofidis sporting director Alain Deloeuil.
“It was really an all-out action. I’m just super happy that it worked,” Geschke meanwhile looked back on his hussar ride in an interview with the sports information service. “I already said on the bus: ‘I really want to try it,'” said the Berliner: “I died a few deaths in the last mountain classification, but it was worth it.” On the first Alpine stage of the tour, he put up an unbelievable fight on Sunday.
On the Col de la Croix, as the leader of a breakaway, Geschke initially secured ten mountain points. Then at the Pas de Morgins, when the leading group had long since been blown up and the large field was breathing down his neck like a predator, he fought his way over the hilltop in fifth place – and got the decisive two points. “The mountain classification was my personal finish line. I then skied down the subsequent descent like on eggshells,” reported Geschke. In the end he finished 32nd as if on eggshells.
He himself thinks it’s utopian for Geschke to wear the jersey all the way to Paris. “I think only ten percent of the mountain points were awarded. I have my limits in the high mountains, you have to say that clearly. Just over 2000 meters,” explained Geschke. On Wednesday and Thursday, the two difficult Alpine stages will take you to the really high altitudes.
Geschke’s career is not lacking in highlights. Conquering the mountain jersey belongs to the upper shelf of achievements. “My stage win on the Tour is of course the biggest thing,” said Geschke about his success in Pra-Loup 2015. “On the Tour, the mountain jersey comes directly afterwards.” Looking at his entire career, Geschke ranked third place at the Tour de Romandie this year or third place at the Tour Down Under 2020 even higher. Maybe that will change the longer he wears the mountain jersey.
