Burghardt had "best racing year of my life"

T-Mobile's Marcus Burghardt is on vacation now, but can look back on a highly successful season. The 24 year-old noted that he had a lot of successes, calling it "the best racing year of my life. First [it was] the win in the Classic Gent-Wevelgem and then riding the Tour de France. [These are] successes, which I wish for every young rider."

Burghardt's determination made him prominent from March through September. "If you really want to achieve a goal, and work towards it with discipline, diligence and consequence, then you will usually achieve it," he wrote on his website, marcus-burghardt.blog.ch.

The German third-year pro ended his regular season with two stage wins in the 3-Länder Tour, before heading to Stuttgart for the World Championships. He called Stefan Schumacher's bronze medal "a great success."

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"Our German team did outstanding work and can leave the highlight of the season with a clear conscience. Along with Jens Voigt, I controlled the field for a long time, and had to fall back only in the last few kilometres."

Burghardt continued, "Even though Stefan usually rides as a rival with Team Gerolsteiner, I supported him to the end in the national team. Stefan gave his all and really didn't disappoint us. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to win the sprint finish but it was still a great performance.

"When we young riders continue to be so successful in the next few years, as we were this year, then one of us Germans will become World Champion. That's not something you can achieve alone, you need a team for it."