47th Rund um den Henninger-Turm - Live Coverage
 

Rund um den Henninger-Turm 179 km
Welcome to our live coverage,  we join the race in progress as a large group has gone up the road... some the favorites missed the break and are leading the chase.

In the break: Wegmann, Rebellin, Wrolich, Fröhlinger, Scholz (all Gerolsteiner), Roche (Crédit Agricole), Ardila, Tankink, Kozontchuk (Rabobank), A. Schleck, Kroon ( CSC), Timmer (Skil-Shimano), Knees (Milram), Wesemann (Cycle Collstrop), Stalder (Volksbank), Voss (3C Gruppe), Glasner (Kuota-Senges), Goubert (Ag2r)

The group has over 1.00 advantage on the bunch. The break is working well together and lots of favorites except Team  High Road. The riders are now in the climbing zone. The big favorite to win the race Davide Rebellin is in the group.He has company of most of his team mates in the big break. We also see a former winner of the Henninger Turm with Karsten Kroon (2004) in the break. Gerolsteiner has to keep an eye on him if they want to win.

70 km done, so 109 km far in the race the break consists of 17 riders. In the break Wrölich (Gerolsteiner) drops off the break his work for the day is done. for sure Wesemann, Moletta, Rebellin, Wegmann, Tankink, Ardila, Kozontchuk, Stalder, Voss, Glasner, Roche, Goubert, Kroon, Andy Schleck, Dietziker, Knees and Retschke, it seems Bonnet and not Roche for Credit Agricole but lets see, it seems that Gerolsteiner has a fourth rider up there in the break with Ronny Scholz

For Steffen Wesemann it's his final Rund um den Henninger Turm as he planned to retire as a professional cyclist at the end of the year, The break has a gap of 1.05 on the bunch led by High Road and a few other teams. Davide Rebellin is setting the pace in the break now. In the back some riders are struggling to follow the pace a quick descent and they are on another climb. Wesemann, Retschke, Kozontchuk, Voss and Goubert have problems to follow the pace but are still hanging on the back.

We almost had a crash in the bunch! A car showed up on the course stopping on a corner the riders were descending through. Luckily none of the riders crashed into the car. The car was not of the organization but it looks like we had some people who couldn't wait a few minutes till the race passed.

1400 CEST - David Kopp (Cycle-Collstrop) and Serge Pauwels (Topsport Vlaanderen) attacked out of the bunch and are looking to bridge across to the break, They are 49 seconds behind on the break and moving fast.

Milram has Knees in the break. They don't have a real team leader today after Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel decided a few days ago not to start. Petacchi is suffering from a bronchitis and is also in doubt for the Giro and Erik Zabel has a problem with his knee. So it seems that Knees can go for his own chance today.

1405 CEST - 50 km to go in the race. After the big circuits through the countryside the riders have 3 local laps of 4.5 km, with an uphill finish. High Road and Topsport Vlaanderen are leading the pace in the bunch or what's left of it at this point with the pace decimating the peloton. The break is now on the next climb. It goes up for about 1,3 km. The break has 1.22 on the first chasers; it looks like the winner of the race is in front.

May 1st is Labor Day in Germany so everyone has a holiday from work. The roads are lined with lots of spectators supporting the riders. Here in Holland, as in other European countries, we have the day off too as we are celebrating Ascension Day.

1418 CEST - Crash in the break with Andrea Moletta (Gerolsteiner) and a rider of Team Volksbank. It seems that Moletta is seriously hurt again as he grabs to his arm. For Moletta it would be dramatic if he is seriously hurt as he has missed most of the 2007 season due to a crash on the descent of the Poggio in Milano-SanRemo.

40km to go and the break is on the Mammolzhainer berg now - Kozontchuk (Rabobank) and Robert Retschke dropped off the break due to the pace of Davide Rebellin. More and more riders are having  problems responding to Rebellin who is really hammering at the front up the climb -7 riders are left in front and Andy Schleck looking in trouble too.

Tankink and Wesemann off the back as Andy Schleck fights back into the group.  The riders left in the break are Davide Rebellin, Fabian Wegmann, Andy Schleck, Karsten Kroon, Mauricio Ardila, William Bonnet, Bjorn Glasner and Christian Knees

1430 CEST - 35 km to go, Steffen Wesemann has rejoined the front group. 9 leaders now with 35 km to go. It's Nicolas Roche in the break of 9 and not William Bonnet for Credit Agricole.

We have a world class break in the final of the Henninger Turm with multiple winner of a classic races Davide Rebellin, German champion Fabian Wegmann, the second of the 2007 Giro Andy Schleck, the winner of a tour stage and former winner of the Henninger Turm Karsten Kroon, Mauricio Ardila a climber of Rabobank, Nicolas Roche a promising rider and son of former world class rider Stephen Roche.

1438 CEST - 100 metres behind the lead group we have some riders between the cars trying to come back in the break. It are Florian Stalder (Volksbank) and Bram Tankink (Rabobank). High Road and Topsport Vlaanderen still working in the bunch not sure how far they are behind the break. Bram Tankink tries on his own to bridge across as Stalder is dropped. It looks like Tankink is not going to succeed as he can't close the final meters on the group.

In the break, Ardila is under pressure to cooperate; but refuses, he says to the others I won't work with team mate Tankink is coming. It doesn't look that Tankink will succeed. Ardila looks back, sees Tankink isn't coming and immediately starts working again.

1445 Cest - 20 km to go, The bunch is 2.00 behind the break, it doesn't look like they will catch the nine leaders at this point. In the break Kroon rides alongside another former winner of the Henninger Turm and that is Davide Rebellin. Both Kroon and Rebellin have a good sprint. But Knees and Wegmann are not slow either.

15 km to go, The riders are now entering Frankfurt heading towards the first finish passage and three local laps of 4,5 km. The peloton has closed the gap to 1.33, but I think they are responding too late to catch the leaders.

1455 CEST - 400 mt to go to the first finish passage - they cross the line now, three laps to go. The break is still working well together. It's waiting till the first attacks will come. I'm sure that guys like Ardila, Glasner and Schleck are not going to wait for a sprint, unless they play the cards of Kroon at CSC.

Schleck and Kroon have a quick chat discussing there tactics. 1 km to go the the next finish passage...

1504 CEST - 2 laps of 4,5 km to go, the peloton is 1.10 down on the break.

7 km to go the break is all together, expect attacks in the next three kilometers... the last 400 meters to the finish are uphill, advantage Rebellin who loves a power finish like this, and the man must be hungry for the win after the Ardennes classics.

FINAL LAP - 4,5 km to go, Andy Schleck leads the pace of the break. Attack of Christian Knees (Milram). Andy Schleck, Davide Rebellin bridges across the others are back too. Now Davide Rebellin goes on, Andy Schleck is going to get him. Knees is up there too. Now Knees goes again. It's again Schleck who chases him down. Kroon must be feeling good, he's been sitting on for a while.

Again 8 leaders... final km - Attack by Fabian Wegmann but CSC chases him down

final corner - 400 meters The sprint has started, Kroon comes takes the lead

Rebellin counters, but

Karsten Kroon wins!!!!

Kroon takes an impressive victory with a bike length... For Kroon it's his second Henninger Turm win after 2004, Rebellin second, Ardila in for third. A great win, for Kroon, though he would have preferred one of the Ardennes Classics.

Kroon wins thanks to the work of Andy Schleck chasing all the attacks down and leading the pace for the final 3 km . For sure Andy Schleck has a great future. We will not see him in the Giro as he doing the Tour next to his brother Fränk and team leader Carlos Sastre.

Results (provisional)
1 - Karsten Kroon
2 - Davide Rebellin
3 - Mauricio Ardila
4 - Fabian Wegmann
5 - Christian Knees
6 - Nicolas Roche
7 - Steffen Wesemann
8.- Bjorn Glasner
9.- Andy Schleck
10.- Bert DeWalle
Official Results below:

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Rund um den Henninger-Turm 179 km Results
1  Kroon, Karsten Csc Team Csc 04:25:36
2  Rebellin, Davide Gst Gerolsteine 04:25:36 00:00:00
3  Ardila Cano, Maurici Rab Rabobank 04:25:36 00:00:00
4  Wegmann, Fabian Gst Gerolsteine 04:25:36 00:00:00
5  Knees, Christian Mrm Team Milram 04:25:36 00:00:00
6  Roche, Nicolas C.A Crédit Agri 04:25:36 00:00:00
7  Wesemann, Steffen Cos Cycle-Colls 04:25:36 00:00:00
8  Glasner, Björn Trs Team Kuota- 04:25:39 00:00:03
9  Schleck, Andy Csc Team Csc 04:25:40 00:00:04
10 De Waele, Bert Lan Landbouwkre 04:26:46 00:01:10
11 Martens, Paul Rab Rabobank 04:26:46 00:01:10
12 Ciolek, Gerald Thr Team High R 04:26:46 00:01:10
13 Kopp, David Cos Cycle-Colls 04:26:46 00:01:10
14 Renders, Sven Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:26:46 00:01:10
15 Abakoumov, Igor Mit Mitsubishi- 04:26:46 00:01:10
16  Dessel, Cyril Alm Ag2r La Mon 04:26:46 00:01:10
17  Bak, Lars Ytting Csc Team Csc 04:26:46 00:01:10
18  Retschke, Robert Thm Team Mapei 04:26:46 00:01:10
19  Steurs, Geert Sil Silence-Lot 04:26:46 00:01:10
20  Coenen, Johan Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:26:46 00:01:10
21  Eltink, Theo Rab Rabobank 04:26:46 00:01:10
22  Ongarato, Alberto Mrm Team Milram 04:26:46 00:01:10
23  Capelle, Andy Lan Landbouwkre 04:26:46 00:01:10
24  Velo, Marco Mrm Team Milram 04:26:46 00:01:10
25  Buchacek, Tomas Psk Psk Whirlpo 04:26:46 00:01:10
26  Brandt, Christophe Sil Silence-Lot 04:26:46 00:01:10
27  Voss, Paul 3cg Team 3c Gru 04:26:46 00:01:10
28  Selvaggi, Mikro Cos Cycle-Colls 04:26:46 00:01:10
29  Le Mevel, Christophe C.A Crédit Agri 04:26:46 00:01:10
30  Barry, Michael Thr Team High R 04:26:46 00:01:10
31  Pauwels, Serge Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:26:46 00:01:10
32  Mamos, Philipp Tsp Team Sparka 04:26:52 00:01:16
33  Müller, Dirk Tsp Team Sparka 04:26:53 00:01:17
34  Mares, Martin Psk Psk Whirlpo 04:26:53 00:01:17
35  Den Bakker, Maarten Sks Skil-Shiman 04:26:54 00:01:18
36  Kozontchuk, Dimitriy Rab Rabobank 04:26:54 00:01:18
37  Delfosse, Sébastien Lan Landbouwkre 04:26:54 00:01:18
38  Gourbert, Stephane Alm Ag2r La Mon 04:26:54 00:01:18
39  Habeaux, Gregory Mit Mitsubishi- 04:26:54 00:01:18
40  Bonnet, William C.A Crédit Agri 04:26:54 00:01:18
41  Veuchelen, Frederik Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:26:54 00:01:18
42  Mederel, Maxime C.A Crédit Agri 04:26:54 00:01:18
43  Sonnery, Blaise Alm Ag2r La Mon 04:26:54 00:01:18
44  Papstein, Björn 3cg Team 3c Gru 04:26:54 00:01:18
45  Kangert, Tanel Alm Ag2r La Mon 04:26:54 00:01:18
46  Dietziker, Andreas Vgb Team Volksb 04:26:54 00:01:18
47  Stalder, Florian Vgb Team Volksb 04:26:54 00:01:18
48  Niermann, Grischa Rab Rabobank 04:27:02 00:01:26
49  Klier, Andreas Thr Team High R 04:27:07 00:01:31
50  Marcato, Marco Cos Cycle-Colls 04:27:07 00:01:31
51  Timmer, Albert Sks Skil-Shiman 04:29:02 00:03:26
52  Verbist, Evert Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:38:59 00:13:23
53  Vandewalle, Kristof Tsv Topsport-Vl 04:39:11 00:13:35