STAGE 5

Columbia-HTC's Thomas Lovkvist soloed to victory in the last stage of the Sachsen Tour in Germany on Sunday.  The Swedish rider took off in a break of five on a stage finishing in the city Dresden with about 50 kilometres to go.  Then in the last part of the race, Lovkvist attacked and  powered away alone for his second victory of the 2009 season.

"I attacked about three and a half kilometres from the finish and could stay away for the win," Lovkvist commented.  "I'm really pleased because I'd been feeling pretty average most of the week but then this win came off and it shows I've turned a corner.  I've been training hard and now I'm ready for the rest of the season, starting with the Classica San Sebastian in Spain next Saturday."

Lovkvist said that he knew the best option for success was for him to drop the other riders before the finish.  "The pressure was rising because I knew the main group was closing on us from behind.  Fortunately we'd done the circuit three times and I could choose my spot.  I knew if I hung on then I would have real problems in a sprint, there were two guys who were faster than me for sure.  I got a bit of a gap and when it rose to about 20 seconds with two kilometres to go I was pretty sure I could win."

The Swedish rider's victory, his first since taking the Eroica Classic in March, comes on an exceptionally successful day for Columbia-HTC. The American squad also won the Tour de France's final stage in Paris with Mark Cavendish and the overall of the Tour of Thuringen in Germany with Linda Villumsen.

STAGE 1

Columbia-HTC's Andre Greipel powered to his fourteenth victory of the season in the opening stage of the Sachsen Tour in Germany on Wednesday.  The German sprinter outgunned Denmark's Alex Rasmussen at the end of a 164-kilometre stage from Dresden to Markkleberg.  Greipel's teammate Marcus Burghardt led him out in the final charge for the line and then finished third himself.

"It wasn't the easiest of victories, even though I got great help from the team, and Marcus was really strong in the final sprint," Greipel said afterward.  "The real problem was the weather.  It was in the mid-thirties all day and really humid. It felt like there was no oxygen in the air."  The team managed to bring back one dangerous two-rider break with 20 kilometres to go and then set things up for Greipel in the final sprint.  "They did really well, particularly because the finishing circuit was quite technical and pretty dangerous, which is why I accelerated with 250 metres to go, quite a way out."

Injured for most of the spring, Greipel has taken 13 of his 14 wins this season since his return to racing in May. He is now just one short of his final 2008 tally of 15 victories.  "I've been doing well for quite a while now, more than two months, but when you've got a great team like mine, as a sprinter you only really have to race hard in the last 200 metres.  So it's possible to keep your form for longer, and to keep on winning."

Thursday's stage is quite hilly, favoring breakaways, but Greipel is hopeful there will be two more bunch sprints in the five-day race.  "Friday and Saturday are my best opportunities, and I'll do everything possible to make sure I'm first across the line again."