Gerdemann opens season with Mallorca win
By Cycling News published
German out-sprints breakaway partners
Linus Gerdemann (Team Milram) opened his season with a victory on Tuesday, out-sprinting his two breakaway companions to win the Challenge Mallorca's mountainous third stage. In rainy, windy conditions Gerdemann bested Spaniards Rafael Valls (Footon-Servetto) and Manuel Vazquez (Andalucia-Cajasur) to claim the 157.2km Trofeo Inca in a nail-biting finish.
"That was a way to open the new season with a bang," said a happy Gerdemann at the finish. "We put in a super team performance in really bad weather. Especially in light of the very difficult conditions, we showed that we are all top motivated and have big plans for this year."
The trio, along with Gerdemann's teammates Thomas Rohregger and Johannes Fröhlinger, formed the Trofeo Inca's decisive five-man break which went clear on the ascent of the category two Coll de Soller. The leading quintet crossed the summit with a 1:30 lead over the peloton, 56 kilometres from the finish in Inca.
As the escapees began their ascent of the category one Coll de Puig Major, Valls attacked the break and reached the summit with a 20-second lead over Gerdemann and Vazquez with 31 kilometres remaining to the finish.
Valls, a stage winner in Argentina's Tour de San Luis, extended his lead over the two chasers to 30 seconds in the driving rain with 14 kilometres remaining, but Gerdemann and Vazquez refused to throw in the towel.
The German and Spaniard began to claw their way back to Valls, reducing the gap to 20 seconds with eight kilometres remaining. Five kilometres later Valls held a tenuous five-second lead, and the capture was made inside the flamme rouge leading to the three-man sprint won by Gerdemann.
While Gerdemann was ecstatic about his victory, Valls expressed his frustration with the day's outcome.
"I'm a bit pissed off with everything: the final result, not being able to win and not being able to crown all the work done during my 30-kilometre solo ride, having shown I was the strongest today," said Valls.
"I had very good legs during the stage and felt good in the ascent to the Puig Major. I opened a little gap and increased it on the last descent, some turns being a little complicated, but in the end they were closing the gap to me and Matxin decided to let me stop and wait for them with three kilometers left, to play it out in a sprint after seeing we couldn't get to the finish solo.
"We tried to get Gerdemann nervous and pushed all responsibility into him for the lead-out, but the final 400-metre uphill sprint got me with no energy left and I couldn't overtake him."
1 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 3:55:45 |
2 | Rafael Valls (Spa) Footon-Servetto | |
3 | Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | |
4 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:02:22 |
5 | Aitor Pérez (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 0:02:33 |
6 | José Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
7 | Jan Bakelandsts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:02:34 |
8 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram | 0:03:24 |
9 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
10 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 0:04:09 |
11 | Jon Izagirre (Spa) Orbea | 0:04:44 |
12 | André Steensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
13 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram | |
14 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Orbea | |
15 | Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC - Columbia | |
16 | Beñat Intxausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
17 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank | |
18 | Egor Silin (Rus) Team Katusha | |
19 | Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
20 | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
21 | Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d'Epargne | |
22 | Luis León Sánchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:04:48 |
23 | Javier Moreno (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:06:58 |
24 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram | 0:07:36 |
25 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 0:09:33 |
26 | Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step | 0:09:36 |
27 | Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:13:07 |
28 | Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
29 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank | 0:13:20 |
30 | Aitor Galdos (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
31 | Christophe Brandt (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
32 | Robin Chaigneau (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
33 | Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank | |
34 | Manuel Anton (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
35 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
36 | Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
37 | Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne | |
38 | Iván Velasco (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
39 | Manuel Calvente (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | |
40 | Pablo Lechuga (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | |
41 | David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | |
42 | Martin Mares (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
43 | Unai Elorriaga (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
44 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Caisse d'Epargne | |
45 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Footon-Servetto | 0:13:29 |
46 | Nikolas Maes (Bel) Quick Step | 0:14:15 |
47 | Serafín Martínez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:14:23 |
48 | Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha | |
49 | Tassilo Fricke (Ger) Team Netapp | |
50 | Antonio Miguel Parra (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
51 | Daniel Moreno (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
52 | Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank | 0:16:34 |
53 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | 0:17:30 |
54 | Kalle Kriit (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:17:46 |
55 | Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:17:47 |
56 | Martin Pedersen (Den) Footon-Servetto | |
57 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank | 0:18:15 |
58 | Yoeri Havik (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
59 | Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step | |
60 | Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
61 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
62 | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | |
HD | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:19:04 |
HD | Pedro Merino (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 0:19:51 |
HD | Jose Antonio De Segovia (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:20:25 |
HD | Gustavo Rodríguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:20:28 |
HD | Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Footon-Servetto | 0:20:34 |
HD | Charles Wegelius (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:22:35 |
HD | Alan Pérez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:23:55 |
HD | Rubén Pérez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
HD | Gorka Verdugo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:23:56 |
HD | Manuel Ortega (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:24:04 |
HD | Jose A. Carrasco (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
HD | Job Vissers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | 0:25:25 |
HD | Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
HD | David Deroo (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
HD | Sylvian Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step | 0:25:27 |
HD | Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step | |
HD | Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:25:50 |
HD | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:26:00 |
HD | Pascual Orengo López (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | 0:26:18 |
HD | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team Netapp | 0:26:21 |
HD | Jan Barta (Cze) Team Netapp | 0:26:52 |
HD | Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
HD | Xabier Zabalo (Spa) Orbea | 0:27:46 |
HD | Antonio Cabello (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:28:04 |
HD | Gustavo Dominguez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:29:06 |
HD | Branislau Samoilau (Blr) Quick Step | 0:29:26 |
HD | Bert De Backer (Bel) Skil - Shimano | |
HD | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step | |
HD | Frantisek Kloucek (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
HD | Andri Kunitski (Blr) Quick Step | |
HD | Jose Vicente Toribio (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:29:48 |
HD | Delio Fernández (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | |
HD | Vladimir Isaychev (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:30:42 |
HD | Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:30:49 |
HD | Jeffrey Wiersma (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | 0:33:31 |
HD | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:33:34 |
HD | Kasper Klostergaard (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
HD | Chris Sorensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | 0:33:38 |
HD | Nico Sijmens (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:33:39 |
HD | Alberto Losada (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 0:33:57 |
HD | Oscar Grau (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | 0:33:58 |
HD | Josae Luis Roldan (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | |
HD | Sergio Carrasco (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:34:25 |
HD | Carlos Castaño (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | 0:35:14 |
HD | Bartt Van Haaren (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | 0:35:52 |
DNS | Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNS | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Team Milram | |
DNS | Peter Velits (Svk) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNS | Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNS | Mikel Ilundain (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Joan Horrach (Spa) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Juan José Oroz (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | |
DNF | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step | |
DNF | Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram | |
DNF | Matthias Russ (Ger) Team Milram | |
DNF | Michael Albasini (Swi) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank | |
DNF | Eugeni Petrov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Joaquín Rodríguez (Spa) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Noe Gianetti (Swi) Footon-Servetto | |
DNF | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Footon-Servetto | |
DNF | Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Footon-Servetto | |
DNF | Iban Mayoz (Spa) Footon-Servetto | |
DNF | Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step | |
DNF | Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram | |
DNF | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram | |
DNF | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
DNF | Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank | |
DNF | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank | |
DNF | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank | |
DNF | Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank | |
DNF | Tejay Van Garderen (USA) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Craig Lewis (USA) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Rasmus Guldhammer (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia | |
DNF | Tom Stubbe (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
DNF | Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
DNF | Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
DNF | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
DNF | Glenn D'hollander (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | |
DNF | Kevyn Ista (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | |
DNF | Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Jonas Jorgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank | |
DNF | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank | |
DNF | Cheng Ji (Chn) Skil - Shimano | |
DNF | Frederik Wilmann (Nor) Skil - Shimano | |
DNF | Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
DNF | Gustavo Cesar Veloso (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | |
DNF | José Fco Pacheco (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | |
DNF | Alberto Fernandez (Spa) Xacobeo Galicia | |
DNF | Noel Martin (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Adrián Saez (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Jon Aberasturi (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Beñat Urain (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Andoni Blazquez (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Aritz Etxebarria (Spa) Orbea | |
DNF | Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Dimitri Clayes (Bel) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Bastien Delrot (Fra) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Timon Seubert (Ger) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Duyn Huub (Ned) Team Netapp | |
DNF | Antonio Tauler (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | David Muntaner (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Rafael Serrano (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Ibán Leanizbarrutia (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Petr Bencik (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Tomas Buchacek (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Stanislav Kozubek (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Jakub Danacik (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Leopold Konig (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Tomas Danacik (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Vojtech Dlouhy (Cze) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | André Schulze (Ger) PSK Whirlpool - Author | |
DNF | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Stefan Vreugdenhil (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Bob Schoonbroodt (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Rikke Dijkxhoorn (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Sander Oostlander (Ned) Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | |
DNF | Diego Gallego (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | Raúl Santamarta (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | Fco David Delgado (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | Iván Melero (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | José Carlos Lara (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | Ramon Domene (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Airán Fernández (Spa) Spanish National Team | |
DNF | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne | |
DNF | Andrés A Antuña (Spa) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | |
DNF | Gregory Obando (CRc) Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon |
1 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 17 | pts |
2 | Rafael Valls (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 14 | |
3 | José Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 13 | |
4 | Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 10 | |
5 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram | 10 | |
6 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram | 8 | |
7 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Orbea | 8 | |
8 | Javier Moreno (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 7 | |
9 | Mikel Nieve (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi | 6 | |
10 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 6 | |
11 | Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC - Columbia | 6 | |
12 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | 6 | |
13 | Aitor Pérez (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 5 | |
14 | Jan Bakelandsts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto | 3 | |
15 | Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 1 | |
16 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 1 |
1 | Mitchell Docker (Aus) Skil - Shimano | 1 |
1 | Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram | 3 | pts |
2 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram | 2 | |
3 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 1 |
1 | Rafael Valls (Spa) Footon-Servetto | 21 | pts |
2 | Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram | 17 | |
3 | Manuel Vazquez (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 12 | |
4 | Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram | 11 | |
5 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Saxo Bank | 10 | |
6 | Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Team HTC - Columbia | 6 | |
7 | Javier Moreno (Spa) Andalucia - Cajasur | 4 | |
8 | Mikel Landa (Spa) Orbea | 3 | |
9 | José Iván Gutiérrez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne | 2 | |
10 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram | 1 |
1 | Team Milram | 11:54:48 |
2 | Euskaltel - Euskadi | 0:04:17 |
3 | Caisse d'Epargne | 0:04:28 |
4 | Footon-Servetto | 0:08:29 |
5 | Andalucia - Cajasur | 0:12:45 |
6 | Omega Pharma-Lotto | 0:22:44 |
7 | Rabobank | 0:23:51 |
8 | Team Saxo Bank | 0:24:31 |
9 | Team Katusha | 0:24:41 |
10 | Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne | 0:26:57 |
11 | Orbea | 0:29:41 |
12 | Quick Step | 0:34:33 |
13 | Skil - Shimano | 0:41:32 |
14 | Spanish National Team | 0:44:14 |
15 | Xacobeo Galicia | 0:47:43 |
16 | Team Netapp | 1:00:03 |
17 | Van Vliet Ebh Elshof | 1:02:28 |
18 | Burgos 2016 - Castilla y Leon | 1:06:03 |

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
after your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Jakobsen undaunted by Tour de France debut, in it to win
QuickStep-AlphaVinyl teammate Asgreen rules himself out of first-day yellow jersey bid -
Teams change plans after pre-Tour de France COVID-19 testing
More positive cases emerge as Jungels awaits Thursday's confirmation tests following positive