With Rund um Köln it was time for another prestigious German spring classic race. Especially in the first part the race was really hilly which kind of urged the riders to attack
And this is what eight riders did after 10km of racing. Johannes Fröhlinger (Argos-Shimano), Sergej Fuchs (NSP Ghost), Max Walsleben (Abus Nutrixxion), Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team), Pit Schlechter (Leopard-Trek), Franz Schiewer (LKT Brandenburg), Jan Wälzlein (Heizomat) and Christoph Springer (Vorarlberg) made their move and gained an advantage of four minutes when they entered the hilly terrain, cologne Bergisches Land.
In the front group it was mainly Fröhlinger who set the pace in the climbs. Thanks to the work of the only WorldTour-rider in the front group the leaders could increase their lead to seven minutes. But in the meantime Team Euskaltel started to ride in the bunch and with 60km to go when the leaders reached the up to 14% steep Bensberg-climb, the last one of the day, they only held a gap of four minutes.
The ride through the Bergische Land led to a natural selection in the peloton which only contained 60 riders. These riders worked together very well but also the leaders gave everything they had. With 30km the gap between the front group and the bunch was only 2min but then the bunch seemed to run out of power because it took a long time to come closer to the leaders.
With 8km to go, the gap between front group and bunch was still one minute. That`s why we could see some desperate attacks in the bunch. The most promising attempt was made by Franck Bouyer (Europcar) who nearly reached the eight leaders with 5km to go.
But when Bouyer was about to join the leading group, Springer attacked at the front and the other seven riders also increased their speed making it impossible for Bouyer to come to the front.
The last kilometers were a classic fight between leading group and chasers and in the end the eight leaders really made it to the finish line with the bunch arriving in the same time.
In the sprint of eight, Schlechter turned out to be strongest and took the victory. Frame finished second and Fuchs came home third.
Pit Schlechter (Leopard-Trek/ winner): Wow, that is the best day of my life. So incredible to take this victory. It was very close at the end but I remained calm and saved as much energy as possible for the sprint.
Since the profile wasn`t very demanding a lot of riders wanted to present themselves in a breakaway. After 15km eleven riders - Jan-Niklas Droste (Heizomat), Christoph Springer (Vorarlberg), Frank Dressler-Lehnhoff (Differdange), Pit Schlechter (Leopard-Trek), Johannes Fröhlinger (Argos-Shimano), Rick Ampler (Nutrixxion), Carlos Verona (Omega Pharma-Quick-.Step), Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team), Franz Schiewer (LKT Brandenburg), Jonathan Fumeaux (IAM) and Chad Beyer (Champion System) - broke away from the peloton and gained an advantage of one minute.
The bunch, however, wasn`t too happy with this big group and decided not to let them go away. On the contrary, after 50km the escapees were brought back.
But it didn`t take too long until the next attacks happened. But this time only two riders - again Droste and Dressler-Lehnhoff attacked and soon gained an advantage of 1:20min.
This situation was far more comfortable for the bunch. That`s why the two leaders could increase their lead to 6:30 with 100km to go.
At least four guys, however, were not satisfied with this situation and started to chase the two leaders on their own. Peter Bauer (Atlas), Zach Bell (Champion System), Jasha Sütterlin (Thüringer Energie Team) and Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) finally had success and could join the two leaders with 75km to go.
The six leaders entered the last 50km with an advantage of 2min which shouldn`t be enough to take away the victory. But the six guys kept fighting against a peloton which had been reduced to 70 riders. Only with 11km to go the six leaders were caught and it was time for the bunch sprint as it had been expected before the race.
Here the local heroes dominated the sprint with Schulze taking the win and Förster finishing second. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol) was third. With his win in his homerace Schulze could also increase his lead in the German Cycling Cup.
After a series of one day races it was time for the Bayern-Rundfahrt, one of the most demanding stage races within the German Cycling Cup. Since it was a Cat. 2.HC-race a lot of points could be scored.
The first stage was an easy one except for the category-2-climb in the middle of the race. This was the perect terrain for three young German riders to present themselves. Manuel Straub (Heizomat), Julian Hellmann (Quantec-Indeland) and Fabian Thiel (Thüringer Energie Team) started their attack after 10km and soon gained an advantage of 8min.
In the only climb of the day with 84km to go there was a real battle between these three riders because all of them wanted at least to take the mountain jersey and to get it at the very first day was actually the best possibility. So they attacked each other. First it was Straub who struggled and short time before the KOM also Hellmann had some problems which made Thiel the winner.
Shortly after the KOM Hellmann and Straub could return to Thiel so that again a three man gang was in the lead. And they still held a gap of six minutes. But on the next flat kilometers the bunch increased its speed and with 30km to go the three leaders only had an advantage of 2min.
The last 10km were very thrilling that day. Thiel, Straub and Hellmann entered the last 10km with an advantage of 30 seconds but were finally caught with 3km to go. Afterwards it wasn`t a real bunch sprint that took place because with 2km to go there was a short climb with gradients of 5%.
Kevyn Ista (IAM/ winner): This was a perfect stage for me. I knew that a lot of pure sprinters would have their problems in the last kilometers but I also knew that it was not too hard for me. So I had a good position for the final kilometers and the sprint then was actually quite easy.
Paul Voß (NetApp-Endura/ 2nd): Apparently there is always someone who is stronger than me. I`m riding quite consisting but what really counts are victories. So of course I am again disappointed.
After a sprint decision on day one of the Bayern-Rundfahrt it was time for the climbers to show their abilities. A category-1-clim, a category-2-climb and some more unclassified climbs promised a very interesting stage.
Right after the start four riders, among them Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol) attacked and gained an advantage of 30 seconds. After 16 kilometers Sieberg could win the first intermediate sprint of the day, but short time later the four leaders were caught again.
Benoit could keep this advantage over the bunch until the category-1-climb began with 85km to go. At the beginning the climb was very steep with 11%. In this section three riders Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team), Johan Coenen (Differdange) and Yuriy Vasyliv (LKt Brandenburg) attacked and started to chase Benoit. Since Benoit wasn`t the best climber in the peloton the three chasers could soon reach the Quantec-rider so that four guys led the race.
The four guys worked together very-well and held an advantage of 3min over the peloton. When they reached the top of the mountain the alliance stopped however because each of the riders wanted cross the line first. In the end it was Frame who won the KOM.
In the bunch it was Manuel Straub (Heizomat) who attacked because he also wanted to score some points. He was successful and finished fifth which brought him into second position in the overall KOM.
With 56km to go the four leaders hit the next climb, this time category-2-mountain. In this climb with sections of 13% it was again Frame who was first at the KOM. In the overall KOM the Australian rider led with 26points, Coenen was second with 18, Vasyliv third with 16. In this climb it was Benoit who struggled and lost contact.
Although the riders were done with the categorized climbs there were more climbs to come. And in one of these climbs with 46km to go, Frame launched an attack and left his two remaining companions behind him. The Thüringer-rider gained an advantage of 30 seconds but on the following downhill Coenen and Vasyliv could fight back.
In the finale the bunch increased its speed bringing some riders in problems including Paul Voß (NetApp-Endura) who lost contact. With 28km to go only 40 riders were part of the main peloton.
With 25km to Pieter Serry (Omega Pharma-Quick-STep) launched an attack which created a 13 rider strong chasing group consisting of Reto Hollenstein (IAM), Silvio Herklotz (Stölting), Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2r), Cristian Salerno (Cannondale), Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2r), Oliver Hofstetter (Leopard-Trek), Joel Zangerle (Leopard-Trek), Pirmin Lang (IAM), leader Kevyn Ista (IAM), Serry, Dirk Müller (Abus Nutrixxion), Natnael Berhane (Europcar) and Jesus Ezquerra (Leopard-Trek).
While this group was only 2min behind the leading group Paul Voß fought his way back and could re-join the favourite group in a downhill section.
But this situation changed every kilometer. With 11km to go it wars Frame who attacked his two companions and went solo. In the small chasing group behind race leader Ista, Berhane and Serry started a move and let the other guys behind them.
Soon Serry couldn`t follow anymore and was dropped. Also Berhane was too weak for Istas pace. The IAM-rider soon also reached Vasyliv and Coenen who had no energy left. With 2km to go the three riders were 35seconds behind Frame.
While Ista couldn`t get rid of Vasyliv and Coenen on the last 1500m Frame also kept a small advantage and took the stage win with a gap of 14seconds. Coenen finished second, Vasyliv was third and Ista missed the bonus seconds finishing fourth.
The time differences behind the four first placed riders were enormous. Berhane finished fifth 50seconds behind the winner, Serry who finished sixth even lost 1:46. In the GC Frame also took the lead with an advantage of 15 seconds of Ista.
Classification:
1. Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team)
2. Johan Coenen (Differdange) +0:14
3. Yuri Vasyliv (LKT Brandenburg)
4. Kevyn Ista (IAM)
5. Natnael Berhane (Europcar) +0:50
6. Pieter Serry (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) +1:46
7. Jesus Ezquerra (Leopard-Trek) +2:49
8. Silvio Herklotz (Stölting)
9. Guillaume Bonnafond (Ag2r)
10. Paul Voß (NetApp-Endura)
Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team): Wow, this was an awesome race. When I attacked in the first half of the race I actually only aimed at the KOM points, but then my legs turned out to be amazing. This is probably the best day in my cycling career with also having the leader jersey.
Kevyn Ista (IAM): Although I lost the lead in the GC this was a perfect day. I could bring a lot of rivals into trouble and could gain a big advantage over the other GC riders. Now my aim is to win this tour.
After a very dramatic queen stage which saw Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team) as the winner and big time gaps of most of the race favourites todays profile only offered two category-2-climbs in the first part of the race which should be perfect for a breakaway group.
In the quite hilly first part of the race it was Robert Retschke (Quantec-Indeland) who attacked together with Tom Stamsnijder (Argos-Shimano). Some kilometers later the two leaders were joined by Emanuel Buchmann (National team) and Frank Dressler (Team Differdange). These four riders could quickly gain an advantage of a minute while Retschke took the first KOM of the day.
After the first climb of the day the bunch relaxed and let the four riders gain an advantage of over seven minutes. Retschke and his fellow escapees could keep this advantage for a long time. Only when they entered the second categorized climb of the day with 67km to go, the bunch had reduced the gap to four minutes.
In the climb it was Dressler who had some problems while Stamsnijder accelerated. In the end it was Retschke who could also take the KOM while Dressler could re-join them in the following downhill section.
When the gap of the four leaders had been reduced to 2:30min with 30km to go it was Retschke who decided to go solo.
While his three former breakaway colleagues were caught with 13km to go, Retschke could still hold an advantage of 1:10 over the bunch. This promised a very exciting finale for this stage.
Retschke gave everything he had. With 8km to go he still had an advantage of 50seconds and with 5km to go he had 30seconds. He was even the leader when he entered the last kilometer, but the bunch came closer and closer.
Finally Retschke was caught with only 200 kilometer to go. In the end he finished third.
The sprint was then won by Kevyn Ista (IAM) who had previously won stage 1. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2r) came in second. Loser of the day by the way was not Retschke but Paul Voß (NetApp-Endura) who was not concentrated in the finale and lost 1:30min. That meant that his gc ambitions belonged to the past.
In the gc Frame could keep his leading position while Ista could reduce his deficit to 5sec.
Results:
1. Kevyn Ista (IAM)
2. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2r)
3. Robert Retschke (Quantec-Indeland)
4. Willi Willwohl (LKT Brandenburg)
5. Jesus Ezquerra (Leopard-Trek)
GC:
1. Alex Frame (Thüringer Energie Team)
2. Kevyn Ista (IAM) +0:05
3. Johan Coenen (Differdange) +0:16
4. Yuriy Vasyliv (LKT Brandenburg) +0:19
5. Natnael Berhane (Europcar) +1:01
6. Pieter Serry (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) +1:57
7. Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2r) +2:54
8. Jesus Ezquerra (Leopard-Trek) +3:00
9. Oliver Hofstetter (Leopard-Trek) +3:00
10. Silvio Herklotz (Stölting) +3:00
Quotes of the day:
Robert Retschke (Quantec-Indeland/ 3rd): I will never forget this day. I really thought I could make it. It is no problem to get caught 5km before the finish line, but when 200m are missing, that is hard to swallow.
