Grabsch wins seventh stage and Kessiakoff takes overall lead in 2011 Int. Osterreich- Rundfahrt
HTC-Highroad team’s Bert Grabsch won the mass sprint of the seventh stage of 2011 Int.Osterreich-Rundfahrt on Saturday, July 9. Fredrik Kessiakoff retained his overall leader’s yellow jersey.
The 36-year-old German road bicycle racer took a total of 34 minutes and 36.90 seconds to cover the distance of 30.1 kilometres.
After winning the stage, Bert said, “I could have gone faster, but these high temperatures are definitely not my favourite conditions,” They cost me about 15 percent of my performance. But I wanted to win this stage and I have, so I am very satisfied.”
Recently, Bert took the first place in National Time Trial Championship and took the seven stage of Tour of Austria. He also grabbed the overall fifth place in Three Days of De Panne.
Jesse Sergent (Team RadioShack) was the runner-up with 22.82 seconds behind Bert, while Patrick Gretsch (HTC-Highroad) finished third with a difference of 32.75 seconds.
The race leader, Fredrik Kessiakoff, showed his good effort and grabbed fifth place with a difference of 55.77 seconds ahead of Jan Barta and Mads Christensen.
Nicolas Edet of Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne took the title of Mountain classification with 38 points ahead of Alexandre Geniez (Skil –Shimano) and Mads Christensen (Saxo Bank Sungard).
Leopold Konig (Team NetApp) took the title of Young rider classification with a timing of 24 hours, 26 minutes and 33 seconds. Petr Ignatenko (Katusha) was in second place with a difference of 3 minutes and 23 seconds.
Fredrik took the overall standing with a timing of 24 hours, 24 minutes and 5 seconds, while Leopold Konig was in the second place with a difference of 2 minutes and 28 seconds.
Fredrik told the media, "The yellow jersey has inspired me. If you are in good shape you can be fast everywhere, in the mountains, in the time trial. I just have to survive the stage tomorrow. I am looking forward to Vienna where my grandfather was born."
Carlos Sastre Candil finished third with a difference of 3 minutes and 5 seconds and stage winner, Bert, was in the 65th place with 35 minutes and 37 seconds behind Fredrik.
The next stage will start in Podersdorf am Neusiedler See and end in Vienna. All the cyclists will cover the distance of 133.8 kilometres.
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