Tony Martin (Columbia-HTC) has been voted the Best German cyclist of the year outpacing teammate and sprinter Andre Greipel. Martin enjoyed a successful season that saw him take a stage win in the Tour of Switzerland along with the king of the mountains classification before his 11 day stint in the best young-rider jersey in the Tour de France.
"This is a huge compliment and I am quite surprised, because Andre Greipel was a strong fellow competitor, who won more races than I did," said Martin, bronze medalist at the World Time trial Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland.
In a survey by Radsport Magazine the 24-year-old German captured 33.5% while Greipel held onto 26.1% despite his 20 wins this season. Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo TestTeam) finished third with 16.4% after winning a stage in the Tour de France and placing second in Milan-SanRemo.
Martin can attribute the majority of his success to the Tour where, as one of the locomotives that drove the yellow and black Columbia-HTC express to the line, he helped guide British sprinter Mark Cavendish to six stage wins. The young German also finished an impressive second on the stage that finished atop the Mount Ventoux. Unfortunately for his compatriot and teammate Greipel, there was no room for another sprinter on the team's Tour roster.
In the women’s race for best German cyclist of the year Ina-Yoko Teutenberg topped the standings after a successful season that saw her win 24 races. Teutenberg stole 37.1% of the votes, beating Giro winner Claudia Hausler (Cervelo TestTeam) who received 29.8% and teammate Judith Arndt’s 14.2%.
Among Teutenberg’s victories the Tour of Flanders, three stage wins at Tour de l'Aude and the German National Road Championship.