27 May 2013
Gerald Ciolek’s sixth place stage finish on Sunday ended Team MTN-Qhubeka’s
successful appearance at the International Bayern Rundfahrt in Bavaria, Germany. Victory on the final stage went to Heinrich Haussler.
The Team IAM rider won an exciting finale after 169.9 kilometres between
Kelheim and Nrnberg ahead of Basque Juan-Jose Del Lobado (Euskaltel) and
Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovich (AG2R).
Milan-San Remo winner Ciolek finished the only German stage race for
professionals tenth behind the overall winner, Italian Adriano Malori (Lampre-Merida).
‘We have reached our goals’
“Unfortunately our hope for a stage win didn’t work out today, but with one
stage win and the top 10 ranking overall, we have reached our goals,” said Ciolek
after the finish.
“We can be satisfied with our team’s appearance at the only remaining German
stage race. We rode for the win in every
stage.”
“Gerald and the guys once again presented the Qhubeka project to German
sports fans in a great way,” said directeur sportif Jens Zemke.
‘A lot of potential’
“There is a lot of potential in this team and in African cycling. There is still a lot
of work to do and we can’t rest on our laurels.”
The last stage was marked by an escape group, which got away despite the bad
weather conditions of rain and cold but, as in the days before, the peloton caught
them shortly before the closing city circuit in Nrnberg and the expected sprint finale
in the Nurnberger Old Town was set up.
Team MTN-Qhubeka once again showed itself to be on the same level as the
best pro teams at the Bayern Rundfahrt. Riders wearing the yellow MTN-Qhubeka
jerseys finished in the top 10 in every single stage of the race.
Stages successes
Team captain Ciolek opened the race by sprinting to fourth and second place on
the first two
stages before winning the third stage on Friday, which gave the team
its first yellow leader’s jersey.
On Saturday, Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas proved his good form after a
lengthy layoff because of injury by finishing tenth in the time trial and Ciolek rounded
matters off with a sixth place finish on the final stage.
This year the 34th Bayern Rundfahrt ran over five stages and 785,4 kilometres
from Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm in the Hallertau over the Bavarian forest to Nrnberg.
SAinfo reporter
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