Germany Review – Day 5
  
  Day 5 of the Germany will decide who wins the Tour. The morning King stage will separate the men from the boys with huge time gaps, though riders in the afternoon hilly stage can also pick up vital bonus econds by finishing in the top 3. The question on everyone’s lips was whether Giovanny Enrico could write himself a little piece of history.
  
   Germany Tour trivia
  
  Stage 8: Munich – Kempten
  
  The big mystery in each Germany Tour is why the organizers transfer the riders eastwards from Freiburg to Munich and let them cycle back westwards to Kempten after the ITT.
  
  The riders also take a detour. This stage is the King stage of the tour and to find some decent mountains on the way to Kempten, the riders cycle southwards towards the southern tip of Germany where the Alps begin. The landscape around Munich is flatter than one would expect in the close proximity to the Alps.
  
  Therefore, the stage actually begins in the Southern outskirts of Munich, in Pullach, where the notoriously unsuccessful Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND-the German secret service) has its HQ.
  
  The riders go south towards the Alps in increasingly mountainous terrain. The hardest climbs are actually encountered in Austria, before the riders turn northwest towards Kempten im Allgäu. This part of Germany is best known for its milk and cheese.
  
  Most riders will not enjoy the lovely landscape due to the mountains but also due to the fact that they ride the wrong way. After the stage, there is no hotel room waiting for the riders, but only the longest bus transfer of Germany Tour.
  
  
  Stage 9: Leipzig – Potsdam
  
  After more than 500 km in the bus, the riders arrive late in East Germany, in Leipzig where the next stage starts. However, while the riders could enjoy a mostly flat stage northwards, the organizers made this a hilly stage by having the route cross every bump they could find in the topography. This is the stage on which the final decision on the GC will be seen.
  

  The final climb goes up the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam. Here, the riders who do not compete in any classification anymore may enjoy three final rounds up and across this hill. They will see a garden-like area scattered with classic observatories, institutes and old trees. At the end of the 19th century, this became the centre of geodetic science in the world and still is. However, you do get the feel of how pleasant it may have been to have been a scientist back then however boring your field of expertise might have been.
  
  Leipzig was the starting point for the only really successful revolution in German history in 1989, with its famous Monday demonstrations. At its end, the Berlin wall came down and the GDR collapsed.
  
  By Eli
  
   Day 5 Racing News
  
  A day that started with bloodshed ended with tempers flared between two of the highest profile riders of the Tour. The morning stage was a classic – both in terms of the riding and publicity that came out of it. Domenico De Assis’ (Team airik) took his first Tour stage win in the King Stage, in which, crucially, Yegor Astapkovich (Mypa) finished far enough ahead of Giovanny Enrico (CCFC) to take Yellow.
  
  However, the win was completely overshadowed by the histrionics that occurred further back along the road between members of Gradient Levellers and Hommerts Cycling Team. The Newsflash earlier on this afternoon covers this in more detail.
  
  The afternoon hilly sprint started in bizarre fashion with Jeremy Nieuwendijk (Hommerts Cycling Team) sporting a large, white bandage above his left eye. Blood had appeared in the centre of the bandage in what was inadvertently a homage to his captain, Susmu Miyazaki, the victim of the earlier verbal attack by Gradient Levellers’ Teodoro Lurdes. The image of Nieuwendijk and his ‘Kamikaze bandage’, as it has become known, is the standout image of this year’s Tour.
  
  The afternoon was the last chance for riders to gain time. With only an 8 second advantage in Yellow, the question was whether Astapkovich could hang on. Rumours began circulating the peleton that CCFC were planning something for the final sprint. If they could get Enrico to finish 2nd, then the Tour would be the Italian’s. In Kyle Abston, Enrico had the

perfect leadout.
  
  What happened next will be replayed again and again on TV and will no doubt feature in compilations of any cycling’s biggest disaster DVDs and it ultimately cost the Italian his piece of history. With 200 metres left it looked perfect – Abston was in 1st position with Enrico on his tail. As the Englishman got ready to move across and let him through, Broderick Rimmer (Equipo Easy On) found a burst of acceleration and moved ahead. Abston, clearly still thinking about his Green Jersey, then accelerated again to follow the Bahamas rider, an acceleration that Enrico couldn’t follow. Rimmer, Abston, Enrico was the order across the line, an order that meant Enrico was still 4 seconds shy of Astapkovich.
  
  Whilst TV stations were still showing replays of the final sprint and, indeed, the Fraga vs Nieuwendijk bout, a few select journalists were waiting outside the CCFC Tour van for interviews. Loud voices were heard and objects thrown against walls and it became clear that Enrico was less than happy with Abston’s actions. An hour later the Italian made a short statement,’I think everyone knew the plan today but we weren’t able to execute it. Kyle is a nice chap but he made a mistake today and he knows it. He knows not to expect any help from me tomorrow.
  
  Had it come off, CCFC’s plan would have been one of the most well-executed plans in OCM history. It would have probably given them both the Yellow and Green jerseys. Abston now leads the Green jersey competition by 22 points. Only a major disaster or lack of team organisation will stop him retaining his title. Surely they won’t mess up again. Or will they?
  
  Yellow Jersey standings after Day 5
  
  1. Yegor Astapkovich, (Mypa) at 0’
  2. Giovanny Enrico (CCFC) at 4’
  3. Aksana Putin (Bajen Belfast) at 26’
  4. Isaak Papadimitriou (Club Ciclista Riaza) at 2,52’
  5. Broderick Rimmer (Equipo Easy On) at 3,23’
  
  For the latest standings and Tour info, please click here