HTC-Columbia rider André Greipel has netted his fifth win of the season with a victory in the final stage of the Tour of Mallorca, Spain.  Greipel was the fastest in the 158.5-kilometre stage from Magalluf to Palmanova, ahead of Spaniard Koldo Fernandez de Larrea and Portuguese rider Manuel Cardoso.

"I wasn't expecting this win.  Before the stage I thought I'd just try to hang on for as long as I could in the hillier parts, but I got over the climbs in a lot better shape than I'd thought possible," Greipel said afterwards.  "In the last 40 kilometres my HTC-Columbia teammates did a lot of chasing of the riders who'd broken away and that way we had everything under control in the last part of the stage.  There were three roundabouts in the last five kilometres where things got a bit more complicated again."

"But I followed my teammate [Vicente] Reynes.  I was about fifth wheel on the final right-hand corner onto the  finishing straight on the seafront and then I went for it in the last 200 metres.  It's always good to get a win, but I'm particularly pleased with how well I got over the climbs on a tough day, too. My teammates worked hard for this, too, and we deserved to get a win."

Greipel now heads to the Tour of the Algarve in Portugal, after which he will race in Paris-Nice in France.