The 20-year-old finished second on the final stage, thereby clinching the overall victory.
Zemke put in a strong performance across all four stages. In the team time trial, which kicked off with a 12.8-kilometre circuit around Grâces, he finished 13th alongside his REMBE® rad-net team-mates. “We’d been hoping for a bit more there, but fortunately the gaps weren’t too big,” said Ralf Grabsch, sporting director of the REMBE® rad-net team. The following day, Zemke sprinted to twelfth place on the 200-kilometre stage from Calanhel to Gourin.
Zemke laid the foundations for his eventual overall victory on the third stage, a 170-kilometre route from Trévarez to Carhaix. A leading group had broken away, which Zemke, together with Johannes Adamietz, managed to catch up with around ten kilometres from the finish. The group, from which Zemke sprinted to sixth place, crossed the finish line 44 seconds ahead of the nearest pursuers. This also saw him move up to sixth place in the general classification – though he was still 32 seconds behind leader Victor Guernalec (CIC).
On the 190-kilometre-long final stage from Stade de Roudourou to Rostrenen, a leading group was out in front, which Zemke caught up with single-handedly. In the final stretch, Guillaume Adam (Veloce Club Rouen) attacked and crossed the finish line just ahead of Zemke. That was enough for the REMBE® rad-net rider to move into first place in the general classification. In the end, he finished seconds ahead of Adam and 13 seconds ahead of Guernalec. “When I crossed the finish line in second place, I was a bit frustrated, because when you’re racing, you always want to win. But then I was told that I was first in the general classification. It’s an incredible feeling,” said Zemke at the finish.
The Frankfurt-born rider went on to explain: “It’s truly incredible. It’s such a wonderful day. I’ve felt extremely strong throughout the entire tour. But today it was really tough to be in the mix at the finish because I had to close the gap on my own. But in the end, I’m just incredibly proud of the overall victory. It’s another big step forward. I think I’ve made a huge leap forward compared to last year, starting with the stage win in Rwanda and the many other top-ten finishes, such as eighth place in the Tour of Cologne.”
Grabsch said: “Jermaine has worked hard for this overall victory. The way he rode was impressive. I’m absolutely delighted that he took a risk today and rode with confidence. He also had a superb team behind him who did the crucial groundwork for him. In Brittany, the course is constantly going up and down, so you always have to be well positioned. That’s why his performance deserves even greater credit. A fantastic stage race victory!”
Zemke laid the foundations for his eventual overall victory on the third stage, a 170-kilometre route from Trévarez to Carhaix. A leading group had broken away, which Zemke, together with Johannes Adamietz, managed to catch up with around ten kilometres from the finish. The group, from which Zemke sprinted to sixth place, crossed the finish line 44 seconds ahead of the nearest pursuers. This also saw him move up to sixth place in the general classification – though he was still 32 seconds behind leader Victor Guernalec (CIC).
On the 190-kilometre-long final stage from Stade de Roudourou to Rostrenen, a leading group was out in front, which Zemke caught up with single-handedly. In the final stretch, Guillaume Adam (Veloce Club Rouen) attacked and crossed the finish line just ahead of Zemke. That was enough for the REMBE® rad-net rider to move into first place in the general classification. In the end, he finished seconds ahead of Adam and 13 seconds ahead of Guernalec. “When I crossed the finish line in second place, I was a bit frustrated, because when you’re racing, you always want to win. But then I was told that I was first in the general classification. It’s an incredible feeling,” said Zemke at the finish.
The Frankfurt-born rider went on to explain: “It’s truly incredible. It’s such a wonderful day. I’ve felt extremely strong throughout the entire tour. But today it was really tough to be in the mix at the finish because I had to close the gap on my own. But in the end, I’m just incredibly proud of the overall victory. It’s another big step forward. I think I’ve made a huge leap forward compared to last year, starting with the stage win in Rwanda and the many other top-ten finishes, such as eighth place in the Tour of Cologne.”
Grabsch said: “Jermaine has worked hard for this overall victory. The way he rode was impressive. I’m absolutely delighted that he took a risk today and rode with confidence. He also had a superb team behind him who did the crucial groundwork for him. In Brittany, the course is constantly going up and down, so you always have to be well positioned. That’s why his performance deserves even greater credit. A fantastic stage race victory!”
Source: Photo by Mario Stiehl
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