At an Uncertain Moment for Germany, Suddenly Boring Doesn't Look So Bad
Bielefeld, Germany, a modest city of 338,000 people, is in every way typical of a well-off German town, with an opera house, a castle and a tidy historic district.
In fact, the city is so impossibly bland, according to a well-worn gag, it can't possibly be real; all evidence to the contrary must be part of a giant conspiracy.
'Have you ever been to Bielefeld?' the joke goes. 'Can you name one thing about Bielefeld?' The answer, of course, is no.
Even Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, piled on, saying in 2012 that she had given a speech in the city, 'if it even exists.'
Bielefeld has gamely played along, even working the teasing into its marketing. But it clearly irks local residents.
'Everyone laughs at us, because of this joke,' said Timo Teichler, the morning host on Radio Bielefeld. 'Yeah, 'Bielefeld doesn't exist.' I hate that joke.'
100 miles
Poland
Netherlands
Berlin
Bielefeld
North Rhine-
Westphalia
Czech
Republic
Germany
France
Austria
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Six stage victories, a runaway triumph in the points classification for Mads Pedersen, and a breakout performance for Vacek. Daan Hoole and Carlos Verona's stage wins were nice bonuses. The only shame was that Giulio Ciccone had to withdraw after his stage 14 crash — he was well-positioned on GC and climbing well. I also appreciated how ProTeam Polti VisitMalta relentlessly attacked throughout. They show the value of participation for smaller, local teams — after Q36.5's disappointing Giro, it underscores why there will be many complaints about Kern Pharma's non-invitation to the Vuelta a Espana. Chris: Visma-Lease a Bike. Lidl-Trek did win more stages, but Visma claimed the GC victory, as well as second and third places in the points classification. More importantly, Yates has further increased the depth of potential Grand Tour leaders within Visma's ranks, while Van Aert is beginning to rediscover his best form and Olav Kooij is continuing to develop into a top-level sprinter. 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Yes, he was unlucky in the Siena stage, the one that suited him best, with a crash and a subsequent puncture but ahead of the Vuelta in August he surely needs to decide whether he is going for stages or an overall position — and which approach actually makes the most of his undoubted skill set. 💥 ROGLIC AND PIDCOCK GO DOWN! 🇦🇺 Lucas Hamilton slides from the lead of the peloton, and brings down with him the two riders, who both make it back on the road, but they trail behind @INEOSGrenadiers and @TeamEmiratesUAE #GirodItalia — Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 18, 2025 Jacob: This Giro was a horrible experience for Roglic — whose bid to take on Pogacar and Vingegaard, always a massive ask, now looks even more difficult. He will need to go home and lick his wounds. Elsewhere, if Simon Yates rides in support of Vingegaard, Visma could have one of the strongest climbing squads in race history. If reports emerging from the Sierra Nevada are correct, claiming the Dane is producing his all-time highest numbers, we could have some race in store in July. Chris: If Van Aert was using the Giro to get himself into shape for the Tour, then Vingegaard will be delighted by the performances of his Belgian team-mate. If Vingegaard is to overhaul Pogacar, he will require Van Aert's unique abilities and engine to do so. For Pogacar, however, he may have earned himself a further super-domestique or two, if one or both of Ayuso or Del Toro end up featuring in France as well. There feels little risk of the leadership lines being blurred as far as Pogacar's status is concerned, but having either of those prodigies on his team will make UAE even greater pre-race favourites. Tim: Of all the big names in the Giro who might play a role in the Tour, Van Aert's warm-up act in Italy is excellent news for Jonas Vingegaard. 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