To wrap up our previews of the teams for the Bundesliga this year, today is part 2 of the women’s preview. You can read part 1 of the preview here.
Contained within this section are the newly promoted teams, a couple of teams that will be anxiously looking over their shoulders hoping to avoid the drop, some that will hope to maintain what they achieved last year and a few that will have eyes on finishing inside the top-6.
MEY Post-SV Tübingen
2022 position: 7th
Star names: Pia Wolf (GER), Greta Groten (GER), Helen Scheffold (GER)
Tübingen matched their 2021 result of 7th place last season. Indeed they were the model of consistency throughout. An 8th place in the season opener in Kraichgau was a solid start. Next came a 9th place in Berlin. In the final three rounds, though, the team really hit their stride as they closed their campaign with results of 7th, 5th and 6th.
The team has a number of athletes that can finish amongst the top-20 at any given race. Karina Kornmüller and Greta Groten have finished in the top-8 at Bundesliga races before. Groten, in particular, was hugely important to Tübingen in 2022, scoring at all five races.
Pia Wolf and Helen Scheffold were also key parts of the team’s success. Scheffold only made her first start in 2020 so could be one to watch this year.
In addition, Josephine Seerig is another young prospect on the time. After enjoying success in the German youth ranks, she could potentially be a source of consistent points this year.
All in all, after the consistency of the past two years, there is no reason to expect Tübingen to slip down the rankings. Realistically, this year they could look higher and compete for a spot in the top-6.
SG Dresdener Spitzen Tri Team / Erfurt
2022 position: 11th
Star names: Sophie Gießmann (GER), Anna Harbo (DEN), Caroline Pohle (GER)
After finishing 12th in 2021, Dresden/Erfurt moved up one place to 11th in 2022.
The first four of the team’s races were almost identikit. Following a 10th place in Kraichgau, they proceeded to finish 11th, 11th and 12th.
Then came the finale in Hannover. A little out of nowhere, the team stormed to a 4th place finish. Without question, Hannover was their best race last year and they will hoping to recapture some of that magic in 2023. Otherwise, more of the same can be expected.
Caroline Pohle and Sophie Gießmann was a key athletes for Dresden/Erfurt last year. With showings of 14th and 15th at the first two races, Pohle was the highest finishing athlete on the team. In addition Anna Heyder and Sophie Lingelbach were important cogs.
This year, Dresden/Erfurt could get some bigger contributions from Anna Harbo and Sophie Schumann. Both were promising Juniors and are still very young so could improve. If that happens, the team will gain some considerable depth and could potentially break into the top-10.
Team Bad ORB – Gesund im Spessart
2022 position: 14th
Star names: Lisa Gerß (GER), Amelie Hanf (GER), Stephanie Weiß (GER)
There is no beating around the bush. Last year was not a great season for Bard ORB.
Their best finish was 12th in Kraichgau and thereafter they finished in the bottom two at each race. At the end of the season, they finished last in 14th. However, with the women’s division expanding to sixteen teams this year, they were spared from relegation.
Bad ORB were promoted 2019 and managed to finish 10th in 2021 so it is clear they are capable of more than they showed last season. Furthermore they have the talent on the team to aim higher in the rankings.
Stephanie Weiß, Lisa Gerß and Amelie Hanf all logged finishes in and around the top-30. If that trio can race together and hit their best form, Bad ORB should be able to land in the top-10 at least once this year.
Based on last year, Bad ORB will be anxiously looking over their shoulder to avoid relegation to the 2. Bundesliga. Looking at the bigger picture, though, they have the faculties to make the jump back to 10th or better.
Sparda Bank Team Hagen
2022 position: 12th
Star names: Tereza Zimovjanova (CZE), Joanna Woźniak (POL), Annabel Morton (GBR)
A dodgy opening race saw Hagen kick off their season in last place. At the next race in Berlin, though, they rose to 5th.
Annabel Morton only raced once for Hagen last year but that just so happened to be in Berlin where she finished 14th. If they can get Morton to appear more than once, the team will be on surer ground.
International contributions proved vital for Hagen in 2022 with Tereza Zimovjanova and Joanna Woźniak racing well for them. Zimovjanova’s 13th in Schliersee was the team’s best finish of the season. They can also call upon Margareta Bicanova, who recently won an Asia Cup in Nepal.
A decade ago, in 2013, Hagen finished 5th overall. To repeat that this year would require a major effort and in reality it may be hard to get their internationals onto enough start lines to do so. If the likes of Morton, Zimovjanova, Woźniak and Bicanova show up regularly, though, anything is possible.
Dr. Loges Triathlon Team Lüneburg
2022 position: 8th
Star names: Robin Dreyling (NED), Franka Rust (GER), Heidi Juránková (CZE)
Lüneburg were promoted after the 2021 season and took to the first division like ducks to water.
Across their first season, they finished 7th, 8th, 6th, 11th and 8th. In what was a fairly untroubled season, they finished 8th overall in relative comfort.
One thing that stood out was that they had a rotating group of athletes able to bring valuable finishes to the table. Franka Rust finished 9th in Schliersee while Heidi Juránková finished in the top-20 at two of her races. Robin Dreyling also contributed a 13th in Kraichgau.
That trio is a strong core and in an ideal world Lüneburg would have them race as often as possible.
Furthermore Antonia Koch was a true stalwart for the team. She appeared in all five races and was constantly among the team’s three scorers. They will need the same from her this year; if she can also improve her finishes slightly, which is feasible given her age, the team will be in a very good position.
Lüneburg had a great first season at the top. This year they will need to avoid second season syndrome. If they can get their season right, though, they could even break into the top-6.
SV Würzburg 05
2022 position: 13th
Star names: Kim Van ‘t Verlaat (NED), Vera Nickel (GER), Sarah Schönfelder (GER)
Würzburg finished 13th in their first season in the top division after being promoted in 2021. On two occasions, they finished last at races however an 11th place in Hannover also showed some real promise.
Having consolidated their status in the Bundesliga, now they have the opportunity to move up.
Vera Nickel was a real star for them, appearing at every race and logging three results in the top-40. Alongside Nickel, Würzburg have a number of young talents including Sarah Schönfelder and Sarah Karollus. Schönfelder finished 27th in Schliersee which was the team’s best solo performance last year.
With experienced athletes like Sandrine Benz and Cindy Friebel also in the set-up, there is a lot going for them.
There is a risk that Würzburg end up in a similar boat to Team Bad ORB and slip into a relegation battle, however they should mostly steer clear of such difficulty. If anything, this year they can look towards improving into the top-12.
Heikotel Tri Team Hamburg
2022 position: Promoted from 2. Bundesliga (Nord)
Star names: Nina Rosenbladt (GER), Lena Kalthoff (GER), Jenny Jendryschik (GER)
Hamburg were promoted in 2022 after finishing 3rd in Bundesliga Nord behind Team Berlin II and TRO KTT 01 II. They were only 1 point behind 2nd (KTT 01 II) and 4 points behind Team Berlin II. As such, a minor swing in points at one race could have landed them the title.
Nina Rosenbladt and Jenny Jendryschik were reliable performers for Hamburg in Bundesliga Nord and contributed a hefty number of points. Rosenbladt was the second highest scorer across the division, Jendryschik was fourth with one race fewer.
For the team to survive this year, both will need to bring their A-game.
Pia Mozdzanowski is also a young prospect that could potentially contribute to the team, although it may be a little early in her career.
After winning the opening round in Bundesliga Nord last year, Hamburg have made fast starts before. If they can achieve a similar fast start in Kraichgau, that will ease some nerves and go a long way to helping them stay up.
Karlsruher Lemminge
2022 position: Promoted from 2. Bundesliga (Süd)
Star names: Sabrina Roth (GER), Claudia Wipfler (GER), Saskia Haug (GER)
Karlsruhe finished 2nd in Bundesliga Süd behind TSV Amicitia Viernheim II last year which earned them promotion. In the second division, they finished 2nd twice and 3rd once, showing good consistency across the board.
Sabrina Roth brought the most points home for the team and Karlsruhe will likely depend on her this year. At the same time Claudia Wipfler finished 6th in the first race of the season in Darmstadt to demonstrate her potential while Saskia Haug was an important part of the team.
It will be interesting to see how Karlsruhe’s athletes will handle the step up. As with Hamburg, a fast start in Kraichgau would help a lot and they have a great chance of remaining in the league at the end of the season.
