The race is on.
After Buschhütten cruised to the win in the opening two rounds of the 2023 Bundesliga, Team Saar struck back in Düsseldorf. A single point now separate the two teams with two rounds to go. If Team Saar can win the next round in Tübingen, a lights-out finale will be in store in September.
In the midfield, 6 points cover 6th through 10th and a number of teams could make late charges up the standings. Further down the table, four teams appear to be in the fight to avoid relegation.
While there were no major shifts of position in Düsseldorf, then, the men’s Bundesliga is building towards an intense conclusion.
1st) EJOT Team TV Buschhütten – 59 points (no change)
Buschhütten were solid, if unspectacular, in Düsseldorf. Johannes Vogel and Jonas Schomburg broke into the top-10, finishing 7th and 9th, respectively. However, Team Saar had their number.
Till Kramp and Stefan Zachäus then finished 12th and 14th to solidify 2nd place overall.
With a stellar international cast to call upon, it would be no surprise to see Buschhütten step up to Team Saar’s challenge in Tübingen at the end of July. Yet with WTCS Sunderland and the Paris Olympic Test Event coming into view shortly afterwards, it remains to be seen how much depth Buschhütten will actually have.
2nd) Hylo Team Saar – 58 points (no change)
Lasse Nygaard Priester claimed the German title while Tim Hellwig finished 2nd in a 1-2 for Team Saar. Valentin Wernz managed to slot into 5th place to also contribute towards a comprehensive team victory. Moreover Chris Ziehmer was rock-solid in 11th and beat two of Buschhütten’s four scorers.
If Team Saar can keep their core German athletes on the start line, with Priester being of particular value following his consecutive wins, they could complete their comeback and win the series.
3rd) Sportunion Neckarsulm – 51 points (no change)
It was a bronze medal for Simon Henseleit and 3rd place overall for Neckarsulm. With European Cup wins to his name and a good showing at the European Games under his belt, the future is looking bright for the young German.
Eric Diener also had a great race in Düsseldorf on his way to 10th place. Fabian Schönke was the next man home for the team in 21st, although Silas Schmidt’s 50th place stopped Neckarsulm from challenging Buschhütten.
For this season at least, a place in the top-2 seems beyond Neckarsulm. However, they now have a fairly safe buffer over Team Berlin and have a great shot at finishing on the end of season podium.
4th) Team Berlin – 48 points (no change)
While Berlin slipped to 6th in Düsseldorf, their overall position was unaffected.
Rico Bogen was unable to match his excellent silver medal from Schliersee and came 16th. Finishing 16 seconds ahead of him was Benedikt Bettin in 13th place. Further down the standings, Janne Büttel had a decent race and finished 27th. However Maurice Witt could only manage 61st which saw the team lose some ground.
The race for 3rd overall is still alive. At worst, though, Berlin should have 4th place sewn up. Having finished 5th overall in 2022, 4th would therefore be a step in the right direction.
5th) Triathlon Team DSW Darmstadt – 43 points (up 1 place)
Darmstadt had a weird day. Despite finishing 8th overall, they gained a place to move unto 5th.
Henry Graf was their top performer in 8th place; Graf was also among the best U23 finishers of the day, even with a penalty. However Nils Huckschlag finished 46th and Ron Epple took 64th place.
In between, Lennart Sievers placed 24th.
There is a degree to which Darmstadt were also unlucky. Fabian Kraft was the lead swimmer along with Tim Hellwig but crashed on the first corner of the bike. As a result, what should have been another man in the front pack and a likely top-20 finisher was lost. Had Kraft finished, there is every chance Darmstadt could have taken 6th place away from Team Berlin.
As tempting as it is to think what could have been, it should be noted that Darmstadt are having a great season. They are now in a tight battle to hold onto their spot in the top-5. With fewer penalties and crashes, they might just hang on.
6th) PSD Bank Tri Post Trier – 42 points (up 1 place)
Gjalt Panjer was superb for Trier on his way to 6th place. His performance highlighted exactly what the team had missed in Schliersee and Trier will be praying that he is available for the final two rounds. With Panjer, they have a real shot at leap-frogging Darmstadt. Without him, it could be a little trickier.
Jonas Osterholt and Cedric Osterholt did not quite match their Kraichgau levels but still took 20th and 30th, respectively. Monty Dixon then rounded out the team in 40th.
In total that was good enough for 5th overall. Having finished 10th overall last season, Trier are on course for a major improvement.
7th) PUSCH-DATA-Team AST Süßen – 40 points (down 2 places)
Süßen struggled to replace the contribution of Maxime Hueber Moosbrugger and fell to 11th in Düsseldorf.
Ivan Abele rode well to keep in touch with the lead group on the bike and then ran to 23rd place. Linus Lehnen also had a decent day and finished 31st.
However, with Michael Ziegler in 52nd and Duncan Frey in 56th, Süßen did not have the depth they needed. They also took a hit with Magnus Männer’s DNF; had Männer enjoyed a little more luck, the team could have pushed for a better result.
They are still in the race for the top-5 but will realistically need Hueber Moosbrugger to return.
8th) SSF Bonn Triathlon Team – 39 points (up 2 places)
Lasse Lührs continued his return to form following injury with a 4th place finish. Late on in the run, he was passed by Henseleit but otherwise had a reassuring day.
Nick Emde was the next best finisher as he took 17th place. Jonathan Trebst and Paul Wiesner then crossed the line in 26th and 38th, respectively. Neilan Kempmann was another man to be caught out in a crash. In general, though, Bonn had a solid day and consolidated their place inside the top-10.
9th) Team Weimarer Ingenieure – 39 points (down 1 place)
Team Weimarer Ingenieure put in a balanced showing to take 7th place. With all of their scorers falling between 25th and 34th, everyone pulled their weight.
Alexander Kull led the way in 25th place with Theo Sonnenberg was close behind in 29th. Richard Feuer and Marcel Lehmberg were then separated by 7 seconds as they finished 32nd and 34th.
Currently they are missing a top-10 athlete which is what is separating the likes of Bonn and Trier from them. With that final piece of the puzzle, Team Weimarer Ingenieure could push towards the top-6 or better.
10th) Triathlon Potsdam e.V. – 36 points (down 1 place)
Justus Töpper returned after missing Schliersee and delivered Potsdam’s best male finish at the weekend. He took 18th place and was 90 seconds ahead of his next closest teammate.
Luca Fahrenson followed in 37th place while Franz Löschke came 39th, matching his result from Schliersee. Malte Kreibich then rounded out the team in 53rd.
With Töpper onboard, a place in the top-10 should be secure. If he misses anymore races, though, Potsdam could be hunted down by the likes of Witten.
11th) triathlon.one Witten – 31 points (up 1 place)
Witten were another team to suffer with the large crash in the chase group on the first lap of the bike. With tactics catching them out in Kraichgau and now the crash in Düsseldorf, Witten have had their fair share of misfortune this season. At some point, their luck will have to turn.
After a strong showing the relay, Samuel Linsenmeier was the team’s top male finisher in 22nd place. Marcel Bolbat then followed in 33rd while Victor Goené was close behind in 36th.
Max Meckel was the final scorer in 67th.
The team is good enough to get into the top-10. The only question is whether Lady Luck will let it happen.
12th) WEICON Tri Finish Münster – 29 points (down 1 place)
Münster remain on course to match their 2022 overall finish of 11th. To do that, though, they will need to have a strong end to the season.
In Düsseldorf, they received solid scores from Jonas Hoffmann in 28th and Thomas Pietrera in 35th. Pietrera, in particular, has been a real asset to the team this season.
Alejandro Canas del Palacio then finished 42nd while Yannic Stollenwerk took 63rd place.
In Düsseldorf, then, Münster scored 168 points across their four finishers. However, in Schliersee they earned 161 points but ended up 4 places higher. As such, Münster did not have a bad day in Düsseldorf and if they maintain their levels they could nab the crucial points they need to catch Witten.
13th) Absolute Teamsport KTT 01 – 24 points (up 1 place)
Peter Denteneer had a good race as he finished 19th. However, he did not get enough of the back-up he needed for KTT 01 to push into the top-10.
Karl Diedrich was next over the line in 45th while Kenneth Warmuth followed in 47th place. Nicklas Hogervorst rounded out the scoring in 55th place.
KTT 01 were were only 8 points (in terms of total finishing positions) behind Witten, so a top-10 was there for the taking. In the next rounds, then, they just need someone to step up to give a helping hand to Denteneer.
14th) Triathlon Team KSV Baunatal – 24 points (down 1 place)
KSV Baunatal had a very similar fay to KTT 01.
Thomas Guilmot was their top finisher in 15th place. Thereafter, though, no one broke into the top-40.
Jannik Hoffmann finished 48th, Dario Ernst finished 51st and Fabian Reuter was the fourth and final scorer for the team in 57th. There is no question that KSV Baunatal can beat KTT 01 at the end of the season. At the same time, though, KTT 01 could easily be KSV Baunatal. Expect a very tight battle for 13th place.
15th) SV Würzburg 05 – 21 points (no change)
Würzburg were fairly consistent as all four of their scorers finished within 11 places of one another. However, they lacked a big result that could have propelled them higher.
Philipp Mack led the way in 41st place. Jonas Kreckel also earned a spot in the top-50 with his 49th place. Stijn Jansen and Markus Klinder then completed the team with finishes of 54th and 60th, respectively.
Würzburg are only 3 points away from safety but it will take two massive results in the final two rounds to escape the relegation zone. One of KTT 01 or KSV Baunatal could be there for the taking. Beating both, though, seems like a tall order.
16th) Team B&H Sport-Club Itzehoe – 16 points (no change)
Itzehoe did not have a great day in Düsseldorf. None of their athletes broke into the top-50 which saw them finish a distant last place.
Junias Benjamin Groth was their first man home in 58th place. Friedrich Hegge was only 6 seconds back on his way to 59th. Thereafter, Constantin Johannsen finished 66th and Daniel Roggenland finished 69th.
Itzehoe have made a great effort this season, but it seems they do not quite have the firepower to yet contend in the top division.
