Fuglsang wins third Post Danmark Rundt in a row
The HTC Columbia is having a good weekend, with Hayden Roulston adding another win to the American team’s palmarès. Roulston hung on from a break to hold off peloton, led into Copenhagen by Matti Breschel. Breschel’s second place earned him the points classification. Jakob Fuglsang won the overall classification that he took over in yesterday’s time trial. Michael Reihs won the KOM jersey, taking crucial points in a fight that was tight until main rival Michael Tronborg was disqualified during the race.
With Roulston holding off the fast-flying peloton, Sports Director Brian Holm was extremely excited. “Hayden rode like he had diamonds in his legs today,” Holm said. “He was amazing when he went up the final 800m straight. It was a very, very hard stage today,” added Holm. “It was raining and it was fast all day. At 120km everything was still together so there were constant attacks.”
Just before the race hit the final laps a promising break with Mark Renshaw developed. “[Tyler] Farrar was also in the break and it looked like it might work but Renshaw punctured and came back to the peloton so then we started to chase. When we caught the break the next one went with Roulston in it.
“I’m really happy with the race today. We had someone in every break. All in all it was a good week for us. Three wins with three different riders so I’m happy. [Rasmus] Guldhammer also won the white jersey and came in sixth overall so it was a very good race for him also.”
Less happy was runner-up Breschel. “Of course, I’m very disappointed. Second place might be the worst position in the classification,” Breschel said. “Especially when you’re so close to the win that you can smell it. But the main thing for us today was to defend the jersey and it was not the usual parade. Everyone attacked from the gun and all the way to the finish line but we got what we wanted.
“At the same time, I got a chance to race on the world championship circuit where I have trained several times before. But training and racing are two different things and I think the course is a great fit for me and I’m very excited about doing the championships on home soil,” Breschel said after the race.
Exciting KOM Battle
With Vacansoleil and Saxo Bank keeping a tight grip on the peloton, it wasn’t until 41km into the race when a break succeeded. Jens Mouris (Vacansoleil), David Deroo and Koen de Kort (Skil-Shimano), Michael Berling (Glud & Marstrand-LRØ Consulting), Rene Jorgensen and Michael Reihs (Designation Catering Bluewater) and Nikolaj Olesen (Concordia Insurance Himmerland) went clear.
Reihs was there for the KOM points and by taking the first one, he ended up with a two-point lead over Michael Tronborg. Tronborg’s Glud & Marstrand-LRØ Counselling team saw the KOM jersey slipping away and put the hammer down. At km66, the lead seven were only 35 seconds ahead and caught by km72.
At km 80, four riders had a 15-second lead: Lars Bak from HTC Columbia, Jeremy Hunt from Cervélo, Arnoud van Groen from Vacansoleil and Piet Rooijakkers from Skil-Shimano. Bak’s presence doomed the move as Saxo Bank was not ready to leave its former teammate run away, since he was less than two minutes behind in the overall. Once Bak dropped back, the other three remained on the front.
Gert Steegmans (RadioShack), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) and Mark Renshaw (HTC Columbia) moved up to the break. At km 98, Tronberg was disqualified for holding onto the car of the sports director. That left Reihs in a good position with still four hill climbs to go.
Farrar, Hunt, van Groen and Renshaw all punctured, with the latter two unable to get back into the break. But at km 116 everything regrouped, just before the final loop of 14km, as will be ridden in next year’s World Championships. Castle Hill was the location of the KOM point.
After the first one, Floris Goesinnen (Skil-Shimano), Jack Bobridge (Garmin Transitions) and Hayden Roulston (HTC Columbia) went clear. Reihs then snatched two crucial points the third time up.
At km 173 the gap was still over a minute for the lead trio. Two kilometers from the line it was still ten seconds. Touch and go. Roulston prevailed just about, while Goesinnen and Bobridge were caught by the bunch.
Results final stage
1. Hayden Roulston (HTC Columbia)
2. Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank)
3. Manuel Belletti (Colnago-CSF)
Final general classification
1. Jakob Fuglsang (Saxo Bank)
2. Svein Tuft (Garmin-Transitions) +0.27
3. Matthew Busche (Radioshack) +1.35
4. Martin Mortensen (Vacansoleil) +1.38
5. Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank) +1.39