Matthews triumphs at Rund um Köln
By Cycling News published
Australian tops Kittel, Nizzolo in field sprint finale
2010 U23 world champion Michael Matthews (Rabobank) continues to impress in his first season as a ProTour rider as he sprinted to victory in Germany's Rund um Köln. The 20-year-old Australian topped Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Leopard Trek) to take his third victory of the season.
"I did not expect to win, but I had good legs today," said Matthews. "And the team was good, so I just had to remain calm and stay out of trouble. This was really an easy day for me.
"It's been a while [since the team won a race] so it's a good win for the team and for myself. I look confidently ahead to the coming races."
The race was dominated by a five-man break comprised of Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek), Cesare Benedetti (NetApp), Dominik Nerz (German National Team), Jarno Gmelich (Cyclingteam Jo Piels) and Thierry Hupond (Skil-Shimano). The escapees at one point held a six-minute advantage over the peloton but chase efforts primarily undertaken by Vacansoleil-DCM and Rabobank ultimately neutralised the move with 50km remaining in the 203.5km race.
Rabobank, starting the minimum six-rider team, played a smart tactical game, albeit with some risk involved. "Jos van Emden and Coen Vermeltfoort together with Vacansoleil brought the break back, but that also meant that they were gone sixty kilometres from the finish line," said Rabobank team manager Frans Maassen.
The team still had three sprinters in its arsenal, Matthews, Graeme Brown and Theo Bos, but when Brown and Bos were dropped on the final climb Matthews became the primary sprinting option.
"We had the feeling that Matthews would be our man, but we would make our decision after the last climb," said Maassen. "Matthews had at the time only Tom Jelte Slagter to assist him, but fortunately Bos and Brown made it back and could help keep the peloton together."
Despite a number of attacks in the race's endgame, the teams of the sprinters ensured a field sprint finish in which Matthews proved the quickest on the streets of Cologne.
1 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | 4:50:50 |
2 | Marcel Kittel (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
3 | Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Leopard Trek | |
4 | David Kopp (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
5 | Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Landbouwkrediet | |
6 | Grischa Janorschke (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
7 | Andreas Dietziker (Swi) Team Netapp | |
8 | Blaz Jarc (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
9 | Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Leopard Trek | |
10 | Dries Hollanders (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly | |
11 | Silvan Dillier (Swi) Team Vorarlberg | |
12 | Kasper Jebjerg (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | |
13 | Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
14 | Michaël Baer (Swi) Team Netapp | |
15 | Joeri Stallaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
16 | Robert Förster (Ger) German National Team | |
17 | Sylwester Janiszewski (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
18 | Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
19 | Egidijus Juodvalkis (Ltu) Landbouwkrediet | |
20 | Kenny Terweduwe (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly | |
21 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
22 | Jacob Fiedler (Ger) Team NSP | |
23 | Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly | |
24 | Blazej Janiaczyk (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
25 | Martin Hunal (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
26 | Danilo Hondo (Ger) German National Team | |
27 | Andreas Hofer (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
28 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
29 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team Netapp | |
30 | Markus Eichler (Ger) Team NSP | |
31 | Jasper Hamelink (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
32 | Stefan Ganser (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
33 | Alexander Schmitt (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
34 | Ricardo Van Der Velde (Ned) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
35 | Stefan Kirchmair (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
36 | Michaël Vanderaerden (Bel) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
37 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post - Sean Kelly | |
38 | Julian Hellmann (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
39 | Marcello Pavarin (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
40 | Luc Hagenaars (Ned) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
41 | Pim De Beer (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
42 | Emmanuel Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
43 | Mark McNally (GBr) An Post - Sean Kelly | |
44 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
45 | Christian Knees (Ger) German National Team | |
46 | Robert Retschke (Ger) Team Netapp | |
47 | Tomas Okrouhlicky (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
48 | Michal Golas (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
49 | Marco Haller (Aut) Adria Mobil | |
50 | Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Team Netapp | |
51 | Arne Hassink (Ned) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
52 | Tomasz Kiendys (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
53 | Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
54 | Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
55 | Alexander Nordhoff (Ger) Seven Stones | |
56 | Björn Schröder (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
57 | James Spragg (GBr) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
58 | Jan Oelerich (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
59 | Primoz Segina (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
60 | Patrick Bercz (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
61 | Bart Dockx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
62 | Harald Totschnig (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
63 | Edwig Cammaerts (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
64 | Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
65 | Sergej Fuchs (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
66 | Björn Thurau (Ger) Team NSP | |
67 | Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
68 | Mario Schoibl (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
69 | Mario Vogt (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
70 | Norbert Durauer (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
71 | Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek | |
72 | Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
73 | Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek | |
74 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Leopard Trek | 0:00:16 |
75 | Brian Megens (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
76 | Stefan Poll (Aut) Team Vorarlberg | 0:00:18 |
77 | Tomaz Nose (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
78 | Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | 0:00:19 |
79 | Ladislav Fabisovsky (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | 0:00:20 |
80 | Maxim Belkov (Rus) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
81 | Kajetan Fricke (Ger) Team Vorarlberg | 0:00:22 |
82 | René Obst (Ger) Team NSP | |
83 | Lucas Schädlich (Ger) Team NSP | |
84 | Steffen Radochla (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
85 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
86 | Christopher Roth (Ger) Seven Stones | |
87 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) German National Team | |
88 | Andreas Klier (Ger) German National Team | |
89 | Matthias Bertling (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
90 | Dimitri Claeys (Bel) Team Netapp | |
91 | Stefan Van Winden (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
92 | Jarno Gmelich (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
93 | Pawel Charucki (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
94 | Mitja Mahoric (Slo) Adria Mobil | |
95 | Martin Pedersen (Den) Leopard Trek | |
96 | Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
97 | Dirk Müller (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
98 | Tom Stubbe (Bel) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
99 | William Clarke (Aus) Leopard Trek | 0:00:27 |
100 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) German National Team | 0:00:28 |
101 | Huub Duyn (Ned) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
102 | Cheng Ji (Chn) Skil - Shimano | 0:00:31 |
103 | Jan Deutschmann (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
104 | Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 0:00:35 |
105 | Nils Plötner (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
106 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | 0:00:38 |
107 | Mathias Belka (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | 0:00:46 |
108 | Roger Kluge (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
109 | Dominic Klemme (Ger) Leopard Trek | |
110 | Martin Reimer (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 0:00:49 |
111 | Blaz Furdi (Slo) Adria Mobil | 0:00:51 |
112 | Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | 0:01:01 |
DNF | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
DNF | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
DNF | Jens Mouris (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Dominik Nerz (Ger) German National Team | |
DNF | Jonathan Breyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet | |
DNF | Hans Dekkers (Ned) Landbouwkrediet | |
DNF | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Mateusz Taciak (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
DNF | André Schulze (Ger) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
DNF | Tomas Smolen (Pol) CCC Polsat Polkowice | |
DNF | Sebastian Forke (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
DNF | Sebastian Körber (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
DNF | Michael Schweizer (Ger) Nutrixxion Sparkasse | |
DNF | Florian Monreal (Ger) Team Eddy Merckx - Indeland | |
DNF | Sven Forberger (Ger) Team NSP | |
DNF | Markus Fothen (Ger) Team NSP | |
DNF | Timo Thömel (Ger) Team NSP | |
DNF | Jan Van Puyvelde (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
DNF | Dominik Ivo (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
DNF | David Charles Brown (RSA) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
DNF | Joachim Tolles (Ger) TT Raiko Argon 18 | |
DNF | Christian Mager (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
DNF | Marius Jessenberge (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
DNF | Alexander Krieger (Ger) Team Heizomat | |
DNF | Hans Joachim Benning (Ger) Seven Stones | |
DNF | Michael Hümbert Jr (Ger) Seven Stones | |
DNF | Ron Pfeifer (Ger) Seven Stones | |
DNF | Dominik Brändle (Aut) Team Vorarlberg | |
DNF | Matic Strgar (Slo) Team Vorarlberg | |
DNF | René Weissinger (Ger) Team Vorarlberg | |
DNF | Marc Obkircher (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
DNF | Daniel Rinner (Lie) Tyrol Team | |
DNF | Martin Weiss (Aut) Tyrol Team | |
DNF | Sander Helven (Bel) Donckers Koffie - Jelly Belly | |
DNF | Tomas Holub (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
DNF | Vaclav Hlavac (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
DNF | Tomas Hruby (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
DNF | Rostislav Krotky (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
DNF | Jiri Nesveda (Cze) AC Sparta Praha | |
DNF | Mathias Gade Jacobsen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | |
DNF | Kasper Linde Jorgensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | |
DNF | Michael Berling (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | |
DNF | Christian Moberg Jörgensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand - LRO | |
DNF | Jelle Posthuma (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | |
DNF | Matej Gnezda (Slo) Adria Mobil |

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