Team Plasmatreat – d.u.h. Group Starts the 2026 Season with High Hopes
Last weekend, the Plasmatreat team from the D.U.H. Group came together for their official kick-off event at the stylish LEGERE Hotel in Erfurt. Anticipation for the upcoming season was palpable as the team structure was presented in a motivating round and goals were defined. Everyone looked ahead to the future with enthusiasm.
Four new faces in the team
The team welcomes four new riders. Hannah John from Göttingen and Paula Jelinek from Erfurt impressed the sporting management from the U19 team Vermarc. Lenka Schlittermann, another Vermarc U19 rider, is joining the women's team from Team Sachsen. Schlittermann particularly impressed team manager David Buske in the Oder Rundfahrt, where she wore the leader's jersey for part of the race. "But that wasn't the deciding factor for us. Lenka is a highly trained athlete who will help us in many ways," Buske said in an interview. "I didn't have to spend much time — or any time at all — promoting her to the sports management."
From road cycling to the para-tandem stage
Jenny Hofmann, from SC DHfK Leipzig, is a unique top athlete who adds value to the team. Just a few years ago, she was riding alone among the national cycling elite, winning bronze at the German Road Championships and achieving other successes. Today, she rides a tandem bike and is responsible for herself and her partner, Johanna Recktenwald. Recktenwald is a visually impaired athlete who has enjoyed great success in winter sports, including becoming a para-biathlon world champion in 2025, and she has big ambitions on the bike. The two have set a clear goal together: to compete in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. "Cycling has never really left me, and in para-sports, I have found a new, exciting challenge and motivation," says the Erfurt native. Her enthusiasm for road cycling began as early as elementary school. In 2017, she transferred from the Erfurt Sports Gymnasium to Leipzig to join the ambitious Girls Team Saxony, led by Olympic and world champion Petra Rossner. After the team disbanded, Hofmann rode for various club teams in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as a professional team in England. In 2022, she decided to end her competitive sports career. The pandemic had taken its toll — there were hardly any competitions and few prospects. "I realized how important life outside of sports is to me — friends, family, and a bit of normality," she said.
New expertise in the sporting arena
There has also been a boost in management and coaching: Team boss Buske has gained Rene Schmieder as a sporting director. Schmieder was previously active in women's cycling in Saxony. Buske said, "I didn't have to do much persuading. René brings a wealth of expertise and will focus fully on our team in 2026." After analyzing the 2025 season, Sport Director Werner Grundkötter is confident. "We have specifically selected riders who can immediately help us address our weaknesses. One area was clearly the track, which probably cost us third place in the Bundesliga table in 2025." Meanwhile, the core of the team remains intact, including riders such as Anna Scheffler and Katharina Venjakob, as well as the regional touch that is extremely important to the team: Lea-Sophie Rammer, Fenja Zehe, Svea Lüdorff, and Luisa Schmitt-Rodermund. Goals for the 2026 season Buske puts it clearly: "Looking only at ourselves, we are going into this season expecting to finish in third place." Grundkötter adds, looking toward the top: "Of course, we are also looking at leader jerseys, such as the one for the mountain classification." The first major stage race will be the Oder Tour once again. Schmieder comments: “Stage races are simply part of the racing calendar and offer different opportunities. We are currently planning one or two more tours, including the Tour of Lower Austria."
Thus, Team Plasmatreat – d.u.h. Group is entering the 2026 season with a successful mix of proven strengths, young talent, and an extraordinary new perspective, ready to set new standards in both sporting and human terms.
