Dominant T-Mobile: Vino wins, Schreck second
08.08.2004/ The T-Mobile Team stamped its authority all over the 20th Rothaus Regio-Tour: Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov defended his yellow jersey on Sunday's last stage to win the Tour through southern Germany ahead of his team-mate Stephan Schreck. Credit Agricole's Andrei Kaschechkin, another Kazak, finished third overall. The final placings of Cadel Evans (Australia) in fifth, Thomas Konecny (Czech) in sixth and Paolo Savoldelli (Italy) in seventh rounded off a great week for the men in magenta.
The winner of the 177.1 km fifth stage from Herbholzheim to Vogtsburg was the Frenchman Nicolas Vogondy (FDjeux.com). A first win of the season was the perfect birthday present for Vogondy, who turned 27 on Sunday. Vogondy took the stage win ahead of his compatriots and team-mates Stephane Auge and Geoffroy Lequatre in a six-man lead group. Stephan Schreck crossed the line in ninth.
A day of attacks
An eight-man group peeled off the front of the peloton early in the race and at one stage they extended their lead on the road to nine minutes. But when the peloton, and the T-Mobile Team in particular, picked up the chase, the lead was gradually whittled down to less than a minute. Six of the original eight still managed to hold off the peloton at the finish.
Back in the peloton Vinokourov and Co. always looked to have the situation under their control. "Vino" crossed the line in the main bunch 50 seconds behind the leaders. "The team worked very hard at the front of the peloton. Together they reduced the gap to the breakaways to under a minute. Torsten Hiekmann, Tomas Konecny und Christian Werner did great work leading the chase", said the T-Mobile Team's directeur sportif, Frans van Looy. "It's a huge morale booster for Vino ahead of next Saturday's Olympic road race."
Vino eyeballs Olympic glory
The Kazakh was similarly encouraged: "I used my absence from the Tour to return home to Kazakhstan and train intensively. I am in good form now, and I am eager to win an Olympic medal", said the 30-year-old, who suffered a shoulder injury in June which ruled him out of this year's Tour de France.
Source: www.t-mobileteam.com
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