- HOT TOPICS:
- The new VeloNews.com (BETA)
Saturday's EuroFile: Sijmens leads Regio-Tour; Grabsch wins TEAG-Hanleite
Belgian Nico Sijmens (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) on Saturday consolidated his lead in the Regio-Tour by finishing fourth in the penultimate stage, a 12.3km individual time trial won by German Tony Martin (Gerolsteiner).
Sijmens, 27, winner of the second stage between Wehr and Müllheim, has an overall lead of 1:45 over German Torsten Hiekmann (T-Mobile) and a further seven seconds over Belgian Maxime Monfort (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago)
Monfort finished second in the hilly time trial in Waldkirch, Germany, which began at 250 meters and climbed through the Black Forest to nearly 1200 meters.
Sunday’s fifth and final stage, a 168.6km circuit between Bahlingen and Vogtsburg, includes four ascents of a first-category climb.
Stage results
1. Tony Martin (G), Gerolsteiner), 12.3km in 33:43. (21.99 km/h)
2. Maxime Monfort (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, at 0:09
3. Matthias Russ (G), Gerolsteiner, at 0:21
4. Nico Sijmens (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, at 0:43
5. Björn Papstein (G), Team Lamonta, at 0:44
Overall
1. Nico Sijmens (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, 13:59:32
2. Torsten Hiekmann (G), T-Mobile, at 1:45
3. Maxime Monfort (B), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, at 1:52
4. Matthias Russ (G), Gerolsteiner, at 2:04
5. Björn Papstein (G), Team Lamonta, at 2:27
Grabsch wins TEAG-Hanleite
German Bert Grabsch (Phonak) won the 80th TEAG-Hanleite Saturday, edging breakaway companion and countryman Thomas Ziegler (Gerolsteiner) after 183.9km of racing around Erfurt, Germany.
Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) finished with the main group. The winner of the 1997 Tour de France was using the race as preparation for the Tour of Germany, which begins Monday.
