Wiesenhof not satisfied in Hamburg

The German Professional Continental Team Wiesenhof-Felt was looking for good results in the Vattenfall Cyclassics, not only to justify its wild-card invitation but also in the hopes of attracting a new sponsor or at least new employers for the riders. The sponsor had announced that it will stop at the end of the season. But a series of crashes put an end to the hopes of the team's stars, Steffen Wesemann and Olaf Pollack.

"It's too bad. Steffen Wesemann and I were really doing well. But after they crashed in front of us for the third time, there was no more chance for a podium place," said sprinter Pollack on the team's website, wiesenhof-felt.de "That was irritating for me, since I was in very good position and would surely have ended quite far forward."

"I had good legs today and at the Waseberg was in a good position," Wesemann noted. "Unfortunately I got held back in the last few kilometres by the crashes in front of me, so I couldn't attack by myself or get away with a group. That's why I prepared the sprint for Olaf Pollack, as promised. But another crash stopped us and then we couldn't get to the front."

The two managed to avoid going down in any of the crashes, which is more than their young teammate Martin Velits could do. The 22 year-old went down about halfway through the race and had to be taken to a local hospital for stitches on his right elbow.