HTC-Highroad's John Degenkolb has captured the victory in stage two of the Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany, outpowering Germany's Marcel Kittel and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Degenkolb claimed his fourth win of the 2011 season on a 206 kilometer stage from Freystadt to Bad Gogging in a bunch sprint.

"It's a great victory for John, just in his first year as a pro. And to take a stage win in Germany's biggest stage race is very important for a local rider," said HTC-Highroad sports director Jan Schaffrath, "He's always very motivated but today on home soil he was giving it more than 100 percent."

"We did a good stage throughout, [HTC-Highroad team-mate] Gatis [Smukulis] was in a break of four all day and did a fantastic job because we didn't have to work so hard and could keep all our options option for the final sprint."

"Then we worked hard after the break was caught with 10 kilometers and even if it was a bit windy, we kept everything under control."

"John was ready to go for the bunch sprint, we'd told him yesterday that he had to stay close to the front and he was exactly in the right position to go for it when it counted."
Degenkolb's win is the 27th of the season for HTC-Highroad men's team.up there and help out Gossy for the stage win. It was good teamwork today."