On the penultimate stage, the current German National Climbing Champion showed his class: attacking on the final climb, he shattered the field. Only race leader Lopez was able to follow, while the rest of the competition was left behind — a clear demonstration of Schiffer’s incredible climbing abilities.
"I just had amazing legs yesterday and was so motivated by the race situation that I could push beyond my usual limit. When you have a chance to finish a race like this on the podium, you give everything you’ve got," said Anton Schiffer after the stage.
Last year, Schiffer had already made headlines by winning the mountain classification at the same race. But finishing 2nd overall this year is a leap to a whole new level — both for him personally and for the entire team.
It’s already BIKE AID’s second general classification podium of the season: At the Tour du Rwanda, Oliver Mattheis finished 3rd overall earlier this year. These consistent results underline the team’s upward trajectory and international competitiveness.
Once again, the team from Saarland delivers global TV exposure and gives cycling commentators plenty to talk about – constantly exceeding its own limits on the road.
“What else can we say? 2024 has already been incredibly successful for our team. At major races, we’ve managed to stand out as a Continental team. And now we’re back on the podium at a second stage race. We have to keep emphasizing this: going up against teams with million-euro budgets, we still manage to perform, to win, and to impress. We’ve put together the strongest roster we’ve ever had. I really hope this sends the right signal to our partners and potential sponsors to keep building this project with us. You simply can’t ask for more from a Continental team,” said Matthias Schnapka, BIKE AID Team Manager.
With Anton Schiffer, BIKE AID has a climber in its ranks who is not only among the best in Germany but is now making waves in general classifications on the international stage.
