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CSC's Sorensen takes stage, lead in Austrian tour
Team CSC’s Anker Chris Sorensen slipped into the leader’s jersey at the 60th International Tour of Austria after winning the second stage on Tuesday.
Sorensen finished 12 seconds in front of Thomas Rohregger (Elk) and 27 seconds ahead of Ruslan Pidgornyy (LPR Brakes) in the stage from Toblach/Dobbiaco up to the Kitzbüheler Horn.
Dimytro Grabovskyy (Quick Step) and Michael Barry (Team Columbia) escaped the peloton after 40km and eventually built a lead of 13:40.
Sixty kilometers later, at the final climb to the challenging Kitzbüheler Horn — a 7.5km ascent with 19 turns and a maximum grade of 20 percent — the two were finally retrieved, and the stage was set.
Rohregger, who won the stage to the Kitzbühler Horn last year, attacked after the tollgate and only Sorensen was able to follow him.
"It was a tactical decision and I wanted to dare the Dane, who doesn’t know the mountain as well as me,” said Rohregger. “But unfortunately he was able to keep time."
It was Sorensen’s second stage win as a professional, following his victory in the sixth stage of this year’s Dauphiné Libéré. He said the ascent was “very difficult,” adding that he doesn’t expect to be a candidate for the overall victory.
"Thomas Rohregger for me is the favorite,” he said. “But there will be some more difficult stages and I still need to improve my time trial.”
For his part, Rohregger, who will wear the jersey of the best Austrian rider in Thursday’s third stage, picks Pidgornyy as the likely winner.
“He is very good in the time trial and improved in the mountains,” said Rohregger.
Stage three begins in Kitzbühel and finishes 170km later in Prägraten.
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