Let’s face it! Very few people before this Tirreno-Adriatico 2024 would have bet a dime on a stage win by Phil Bauhaus. Not because the German of Bahrein Victorious isn’t strong, indeed he is blessed with a truly remarkable sprint peak, but given the fleet of sprinters competing in this year’s Corsa dei Due Mari, a few names would have come to mind before his. Jasper Philipsen (one of today’s fallers within the sight of the line), Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan, to name but three.
However, Bauhaus made the most of his chance on the draggy uphill finish in Gualdo Tadino. After being guided to perfection by his teammates (3 in the Top 10) and avoiding a crash in the last corner, he brought all his power to bear on the final straight and went for a clear victory. This is a very important one for the German, as it comes after 14 months of “fasting”, which, for a sprinter, is a nothing short of an eternity.
His last victory was at the Tour Down Under 2023, after which he scored eight podiums without standing on the top step again. “Being a sprinter, last year was not a great one for me,” he said this winter. “If you consider the victories, I only took one, but at the same time we know how difficult it is to win in the WorldTour”.
Ironically, victory came just ahead of his former team-mate Jonathan Milan, who had performed so well in Bahrain Victorious last year. “I put pressure on myself because I want to give the very best. Of course, what Milan did last year for the team was fantastic and took some pressure off the whole squad, but my goal is to repay my teammates in any sprint, that is the pressure I put on myself”.
With the success in Gualdo Tadino, Phil has lifted a great weight off his shoulders and can now look forward to the next races with a lot more confidence, and with the awareness that his teammates now know they have a sprinter who can beat the strongest in the world.
