Torsten Hiekmann won the final stage of the Rothaus Regio-Tour - his first win for Team Gerolsteiner, his first this year, and, as a matter of fact, only his second pro win ever. Cyclingnews' Susan Westemeyer asked him how felt to finally score another win after a three-year drought.
Six years as a pro and only one victory - some riders might throw in the towel. Not Torsten Hiekmann. This season he changed from T-Mobile to Team Gerolsteiner, and three years after his first victory in the GP Schwarzwald in 2003, he won again claiming the final stage in the Rothaus Regio-Tour. How did he feel when he won - relieved, or vindicated, or simply happy? "I was proud and happy that I could finally stand on top of the podium again," he said
"My performance on the whole stage was promising, I was pretty sure early on that it would work out that day. That alone is a great feeling - and when you come over the finish line alone in first place, that gives you an extra kick, especially after such a long dry spell," he says, adding wryly, "Now of course, I can only hope that I don't have to wait another three years for my next win!"
Some riders have a favourite race, or a race they make their own. The Regio-Tour seems to be that race for Hiekmann. The 26-year-old has finished second on G.C. in 2003 and 2005, but he doesn't really know what it is about the race that is so good for him.
