Milram sprinter Gerald Ciolek locked up his first season victory today in the 177.3 Queen Stage of the Tour of Bavaria (Bayern Rundfahrt) between Beyreuth and Herzbruck. The German took the sprint out of a 30-man group in the race's third stage following a strong leadout by his Milram team. Slovenian Grega Bole (Lampre-Farnese Vini) and Frenchman Steve Houanard (Skil Shimano) finished second and third respectively.
"I am very happy with this win. I came to the Bayern Rundfaht to win a stage. My team put in a super performance," Ciolek said after the win. "We directed the tempo at exactly the right moment and decimated the field into a large leading group. In the sprint, I was in the wind too early, but fortunately I was able to correct it."
With his win, Ciolek marks his return to a high level after a shoulder injury suffered during a crash at the Tour of Qatar kept him out of competition. Ciolek was able to move up to second place in the general classification behind leader Ruben Perez Moreno, with both riders now on the same time. His win was enough to take over the lead in the best young rider ranking.
Milram sports director Ralf Grabsch was happy with the team's performance today. "That was a perfect day for our team. We made the race fast, to protect our chances," he said. "In the end we still had three men in the front. Christian Knees and Niki Terpstra practically carried Gerald to the finish line."
Tomorrow's stage is a 27.8 kilometer time trial that is expected to decide the overall winner. The final stage of the Tour of Bavaria will follow in Fürstenfeldbruckon Sunday to cap off the five stages and 752 kilometers.