Ruben Perez Moreno sprinted to his first career victory in the Bayern Rundfahrt in southern Germany. The Euskaltel-Euskadi rider beat Australian Leigh Howard (HTC Columbia). Moreno's teammate Pablo Urtasun Perez completed the orange looking podium. Gerald Ciolek was the first 'local' rider over the line in fourth place.
Moreno emerged victorious after 190km. "It was a perfect day," a smiling Moreno declared after the race. "I will forever remember this date," he continued. The Euskaltel team had a perfect lead-out - not normally its specialty and even more valuable against a highly motivated Milram squad. It was also important for the Spanish team to have Daniel Sesma join the break of the day.
"That allowed us to sit in together for most of the stage," Moreno explained. But the tactic almost didn't work, as the break of the day resisted well. Besides Sesma, there were Luc Hagenaars (Kuota Indeland), Serafin Martinez (Xacobeo Galicia) and the 21-year-old Nils Plötner (Heizomat).
The crucial part of the stage was the climb to Sankt Englmar, the highest point in this year's race. "In the ascent 28km from the finish, it was Igor Antón who controlled the attacks and we could ride up a little more steadily," Moreno said. The break broke in half, but Plötner and Martinez, who took the full mountain points, stayed clear even through the descent.
It was only two kilometers from the line that the duo was caught. "The team came to the race very strong - all of us were in the [80-man] split. In the end there was a little rise, which I took perfectly." In the sprint Moreno was perfectly launched by his Euskaltel mates.
"This win is the prize for the six years as a professional," Moreno said. He started at Orbea, before joining Euskaltel-Euskadi in 2005 as a trainee. "I am really happy for my family, who always supported me. When I talked to my mother I was more emotional than when I won the race." Moreno added that he had no intentions for the overall. "I just want to enjoy this victory," he said.
Another rider who won't forget this day is Plötner, who ended up in the break and was rewarded with the sprinter's jersey, after winning the first and third intermediate sprint. He finished second on the second sprint and received the jersey with a lead of three points over stage winner Moreno. Plötner is also second in the overall, thanks to the bonus seconds. Naturally, he leads the young rider classification, while Martinez heads the mountains jersey.
Ciolek was unhappy with his fourth place. The main climb and then the final rise did him in. "The finale was very challenging. Especially the closing laps, which had a lot of turns and narrow streets," said Gerald Ciolek after the finish in Viechtach. "My team was the only one to do the chase work for the whole day. That cost us a lot of strength. I absolutely wanted to win. Of course I am disappointed. Fortunately, I will have more chances in the coming days."
The break with Sesma, Plötner, Luc Hagenaars and Martinez went after only eight kilometers and built up a maximum lead of nearly nine and a half minutes over the peloton. The gap came down only near the end of the race. With 40 km to go, at the foot of the ranked climb, the gap was nearly five minutes. After the mountain top in Sankt Englmar, the gap was down to two minutes and the chase was nearing its end. Shortly before the second lap of the closing circuit, the lead was down to 1'20 minutes.
On Thursday the riders will face 200.5 kilometers between Viechtach and Bayreuth.
Results stage 1
1 PEREZ MORENO, Ruben EUS Euskatel - 04.41.50
2 HOWARD, Leigh TRH Team Columb 00.00
3 URTASUN PEREZ, Pablo EUS Euskatel - 00.00
4 CIOLEK, Gerald MRM Team Milram 00.00
5 KLEMME, Dominik SAX Team Saxo B 00.00
6 THOMAS, Geraint SKY Pro Cycling 00.00
7 HOUANARD, Steve SKS Skil-Shiman 00.00
8 RADOCHLA, Steffen TSP Team Nutrix 00.00
9 VIGANÒ, Davide SKY Pro Cycling 00.00
10 LAGUTIN, Sergey VAC Vacansoleil 00.00
GC after stage 1
1 PEREZ MORENO, Ruben EUS Euskatel - 04.41.40
2 PLÖTNER, Nils THF Team Heizom 00.00.02
3 HOWARD, Leigh TRH Team Columb 00.00.04
4 MARTINEZ, Serafin XAC Xacobeo-Gal 00.00.05
5 URTASUN PEREZ, Pablo EUS Euskatel - 00.00.06
6 CIOLEK, Gerald MRM Team Milram 00.00.10
7 KLEMME, Dominik SAX Team Saxo B 00.00.10
8 THOMAS, Geraint SKY Pro Cycling 00.00.10
9 HOUANARD, Steve SKS Skil-Shiman 00.00.10
10 RADOCHLA, Steffen TSP Team Nutrix 00.00.10