Written by Fujimoto Masaaki
With the biggest tour behind us we are heading to the final days of the season again. The big division tour is ofcourse Germany Tour. If you win that one it is the pinnacle on one's carreer. And for the rest it is your last moment to gain points to promote or keep you from relegating.
Germany Tour
With a great prologue it was Meint Sturkenboom, Jonas Pro Cycling who claimed the first leaders jersey in this seasons Germany Tour. And with a few flat stage to go it was certain he would keep it for a while. Noel Ferrin scored a nice victory for Enlish Sprinting Team in Bremen. A bunch sprint from the book and a great leadout gave him the victory. Cologne experienced a first German victory, a German rider from a German team took the flowers as Franz Adler, V02maXXers powered towards victory. Farruco Alonso, PEKAC B, delivered a great performance and claimed the General Classification on the stage towards Frankfurt am Main. Outsprinting the winner of stage four, Farruco Alonso, it was Denis Buch, AK Pro Race who took the victory in Heidelberg. PEKAC B was happy to extend his lead. Stage six fell victim to Partyk Drozdowski, Indurain team, and he attacked the leading position of PEKAC B. It was his third consecutive victory here. Munich gave a one-two for Andeby with a victory for Florian Everaerts. Just like Heidelberg it was Kempten who saw a third time victory for Patryk Drozdowski. Would he win the Germany Tour again. Denis Buch, AK Pro Race won his second stage in Potsdam and extended his Sprint Classification lead, and with a victory on the last stage it was he, with three stage victories was most happy.
General Classification
1. Farruco Alonso, PEKAC B
2. | | Patryk Drozdowski, Indurain team
3. Juanito Yegros, Team Stredet
Sprinting Classification
1. Denis Buch, AK Pro Race
2. Noel Ferrin, English Sprinting Team
3. Farruco Alonso, PEKAC B
Youth Classification
1. Patryk Drozdowski, Indurain team
2. Laurens Driessen, Il Grillo
3. Clayton Carney, peddelen
Baltimore Invitational
Smooth as a billiardtable were the roads in Maryland around Baltimore for the Baltimore Invitational. The twentysixth edition of the sprintrace in division four was again a great race to watch. A few riders tried to breakaway in the beginning but without any hills or bumps in the course their action was in vain and only good for the sponsors. In the end it all came down to a big group that battled it out in a great sprint. No real rider stood out and it was a photofinish that decided the outcome. It was Nam-jae Heo of Mark Pro Team who claimed a great victory. Beating Manfred Fritz and Aarao Salgado.
1. Nam-jae Heo, Mark Pro Team
2. Manfred Fritz, Official Hooligans
3. Aarão Salgado, CC Est
| | Critérium La Provence
South of France, where lavenders grow and fill the air with smooth sweet scents, the tranquillity is abruptly disturbed by a roaring group of riders and their followers when Criterium La Provence is starting. A great race is seen and in the end the riders one by one dropped away from the front. When the Ventoux greeted the riders at its feet only the best remained. One by one the dropped away like leaves from a tree on an autumn's day. The strongest managed to gain meters from the rest and it was Slovenian Andre Skernanc, Team Celeste who beat everybody and could raise the castle trophy for this heroic win.
1. Andre Škerjanc, Team Celeste
2. Patryk Drozdowski, Indurain team
3. Dollah Zainal, Asymm Project
Orel-Kursk Classic
Where the race in Baltimore was flat as flat in Russia the riders awaited a more difficult course. And not only a sprinter would be infront here but that rider should also be able to conquer the many hills and few mountains on the course. An allround sprinter would be favourite here. As expected many tried to break away and gain a lead early in the race and the peloton cracked into small groups. One of those groups contained Jackson Witherspoon, Supernutz and he was looking good. Maintaining pace he eventually was in the front group and could beat everybody with ease.
1. Jackson Witherspoon, Supernutz
2. Urmo Just, CC Est
3. Alexander Worre, Team Specialized Cycling
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