This morning at 9.40AM (UK time, 8.10PM local time) Team High Road's André Greipel (former T-Mobile) won the Down Under Classic 2008. The German rider took his victory from last year's winner Mark Renshaw.
In Glenelg this 50 kilometer race was held a few hours after the presentation of the teams which will participate in this year's Tour Down Under which starts on Tuesday.
The flat 2 kilometer track was used for 25 rounds with an intermediate sprint at the 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th crossing of the finish line. For the first time since Koos Moerenhout's (NLD) victory in 2000 a foreigner wins this race.
Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto) told in a press conference before the race he was not in top form but finished third anyway.
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The winners of the intermediate sprints
- first sprint - 5th round1. Christophe Mengin (Française Des Jeux)
2. Erki Putsep (Bouygues Telecom)
3. Adam Hansen (Team High Road)
- second sprint - 10th round
1. Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner)
2. Adam Hansen (Team High Road)
3. Philippe Gilbert (Française Des Jeux)
- third sprint - 15th round
1. Jose Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Caisse d'Epargne)
2. Igor Astarloa Ascasibar (Team Milram)
3. Allan Johansen (Team CSC)
- fourth sprint - 20th round
1. André Greipel (Team High Road)
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Caisse d'Epargne)
3. Marcus Burghardt (Team High Road)
Rabobank controls the race but Team High Road wins
While Rabobank controlled most of the race to try to place its sprinter Graeme Brown to win the race, Team High Road and Caisse d'Epargne also showed their presence at the front of the pack. Finally Team High Road won the race in a sprint in which André Greipel (Team High Road), Mark Renshaw (Crédit Agricole) and Graeme Brown (Rabobank) were at front when it started. Graeme Brown finally finished at a disappointing 17th place and Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto) takes the third place from Allan Davis (UniSA - Australia). Allan Davis was the only rider who participated in all 10 Tour Down Under editions.At the finish André Greipel said: That was a really long sprint, the last 50 meters were really hard, but I am happy. Rabobank had a bit of bad luck on the last corner so I tried to start my sprint, I thought 'OK now it's a head wind, but you have to be strong until the finish line'.
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Today's top 10
1. André Greipel (Ger) Team High Road2. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Crédit Agricole
3. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence-Lotto
4. Allan Davis (Aus) Unisa - Australia
5. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
6. Davide Vigano (Ita) Quick Step
7. Denis Flahaut (Fra) Saunier Duval-Scott
8. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
9. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre
10. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
On Tuesday the ProTour will start with Tour Down Under's first stage
The Down Under Classic officially is not part of the Tour Down Under so unfortunately for André Greipel his victory today doesn't count as his first ProTour race victory.On Tuesday the Tour Down Under's first stage will be the early start of the ProTour 2008 with a 129 kilometer stage between Mawson Lakes and Angaston.
> For more information you can click here to read my full article about the Tour Down Under 2008
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