International Tour of Lower Saxony/Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt, Cat 2.5

Germany, April 15-24, 1997

Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5a
Stage 5a
Stage 6
Stage 7
Stage 8
Stage 9
Stage 10

Preview

The International Tour of Lower Saxony is one of the larger stage races in Germany for more than 20 years now. The decisive stages are always the parts through the Harz mountains, this year stages 6 and 7. But also the flat stages in the far north can be very tough, because most of the time a strong wind is blowing. Again, the Tour of Lower saxony visits the Netherlands for one day. Total length is 1606.1 km.

The stages:


April 15 - Stage 1a	Cuxhaven - Cuxhaven      	 90.2 km
April 15 - Stage 1b	ITT in Cuxhaven 	  	  9.2 km
April 16 - Stage 2 	Leer - Groningen (NL)   	158.5 km
April 17 - Stage 3 	Groningen (NL) - Melle  	237.1 km
April 18 - Stage 4 	Melle - Verden          	140.2 km
April 19 - Stage 5a 	Team time trial in Uchte         34.3 km
April 19 - Stage 5b   	Wunstorf - Osterode     	144.6 km
April 20 - Stage 6 	Osterode - Konigslutter 	150.5 km
April 21 - Stage 7 	Duderstadt - Duderstadt 	154.9 km
April 22 - Stage 8 	Duderstadt - Bad Pyrmont        182.9 km
April 23 - Stage 9 	Bad Pyrmont - Schwarmstedt      145.9 km
April 24 - Stage 10  	Schwarmstedt - Buckeburg        157.8 km

The Teams

18 Teams with six riders:

Tuul (Finnland), AGU and Rabo Regio Groningen (both Netherlands), MROZ and
Team Polski Zwiazek (both Poland), Telekom Slovenia, National teams of South
Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine, Austria and Germany (Track national team);
Saturn (USA), ZVVZ-Giant-AIS (Tchechia/Australia), Radteam Berlin, Team
Lower Saxony, PSV Team Cologne, Team Nurnberger, Agro-Adler Brandenburg (all
Germany).

Recent winners

1977	Hans Langerijs (ned)
1978	Peter Becker (Ger)
1979	Kim Andersen (Den)
1980	Wjatscheslav Dedjonow (Rus)
1981	Olaf Ludwig (Ger)
1982	Anton Van der Stehen (Ned)
1983	D. Liepnisch (Rus)
1984	Alexander Sinowjew (Rus)
1985	Uwe Ampler (Ger)
1986	Sergej Uslamin (Rus)
1987	Helmut Wechselberger (Aut)
1988	Dirk Meier (Ger)
1989	Carsten Wolf (Ger)
1990	Thomas Liese (Ger)
1991	Lubor Tesar (Tch) 
1992	Steffen Wesemann (Ger)
1993	Berd Dietz (Ger)
1994	Jens Voigt (Ger)
1995	Pavel Padrnos (Tch)
1996	Stephan Gottschling (Ger)

Stage 1a, Cuxhaven - Cuxhaven, 90.2 km:

 1. Remco van de Ven (Ned) 		1.53.15
 2. Olaf Pollack (Ger)
 3. Mike Weissmann (Ger)
 4. Steffen Rein (Ger)
 5. Uros Murn (Slv)
 6. Wassili Zaika (Ukr)
 7. Michael Skelde (Den)
 8. Christian Van Dartel (Ned)
 9. Andreas Lauk (Est)
10. Martin Muller (Ger) 		all s.t.

Stage 1b, ITT, Cuxhaven, 9.2 kms:

 1. Liese (Ger) 	     9,2 km in 12.48
 2. Voigt (Ger Giant-AIS) 		0.04
 3. Muller (Ger) 			0.05
 4. Pollack (Ger)			0.06
 5. Lehmann (Ger) 			0.17
 6. Bartko (Ger)

Overall after Stage 1b

 1. Pollack 			     2.06.05
 2. Voigt 				0.01
 3. Muller				0.04
 4. Lehmann 				0.15
 5. Zemke (Ger) 			0.20
 6. McCormack (USA) 			0.22

Stage 2, Leer - Groningen (Ned), 158,5 km:

 1. Grzegorz Rosolinski (Pol) 			       3:27:57 
 2. Christian Lademann (Ger) Track national team 	+ 0.02
 3. Milan Erzen (Slo) 					+ 0.23
 4. Remco van de Ven (Ned)
 5. Slavomir Heger (Tch) Giant-AIS
 6. Andre Korff (Ger) Giant-AIS
 7. Jens Voigt (Ger) Nurnberger
 8. Mike Weissmann (Ger)
 9. Rene Haselbacher (Aut)
10. Fred Rodriguez (USA) 				all s. t.

Overall after Stage 2:

 1. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg          5:34:25
 2. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 				+ 0.01
 3. Martin M|ller (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg 		+ 0.04
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		+ 0.15
 5. Jens Zemke (Ger) Team Nurnberger 			+ 0.20
 6. Frank Mc Cormack (USA) 				+ 0.22
 7. Steffen Blochwitz (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg 	+ 0.23
 8. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Cologne 			+ 0.25
 9. Christian van Dartel (Ned) 				+ 0.26
10. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 		+ 0.29

Stage 2 Report

Christian Lademann of the german track national team has been the most active rider on stage 2 of the Tour of Lower Saxony. In his first attempt, Lademann got a lead of more than two minutes but was caught again. With 25 km to go, he launched a new attack, only followed by the Polish rider Grzegorz Rosolinski. Rosolinkski did not much work to save his power for the final meters. So, he won the sprint without any problems.

Stage 3, Groningen (Ned) - Melle, 237,1 km:

 1. Ralf Schollhammer (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 5.42.30
 2. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg
 3. Milan Erzen (Slo)
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony
 5. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Nurnberger
 6. Slavomir Heger (Tch)
 7. Sascha Hendrix (Ger)
 8. Rene Haselbacher (Aut)
 9. Alexander Scharapow (Belorus)
10. Freddy van der Werff (Ned) 			all s.t.
14. Van de Ven (Ned)
32. Legtenberg (Ned) 
68. Barsingerhorn (Ned)
70. De Jong (Ned)
71. Van Dartel (Ned)
78. Veneberg (Ned)
93. Kil (Ned)
98. Slagter (Ned)
105. Tolhoek (Ned)
106. Helmers (Ned) 				1.36
107. Rykens (Ned) 				7.24

Overall after Stage 3:

 1. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg       11.16.47
 2. Jens Voigt (Ger) ZVVZ-Giant-AIS 			0.09
 2. Martin Muller (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony		0.23
 5. Jens Zemke (Ger) Nurnberger 			0.28
 6. Frank Mc Cormack (USA) Saturn 			0.30
 7. Steffen Blochwitz (Ger) Agro-Adler Brandenburg 	0.31
 8. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 		0.34
 9. Christian van Dartel (Ned) 				0.34
10. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) PSV Team Cologne 		0.36
11. Van de Ven 						0.46
42. De Jong 						2.49
52. Legtenberg 						3.17
53. Van der Werff 					3.18
55. Kil 						3.32
65. Tolhoek 						6.55
73. Veneberg 						7.44
76. Barsingerhorn 					7.56
84. Slagter 						8.19
94. Helmers 					       10.21
95. Rykens 					       10.50


Teams after Stage 3:

1. Agro Adler Brandenburg
2. Team Nurnberger + 1.22

Stage 3 Report

Ralf Schollhammer of the Team Lower Saxony won the 3rd stage of the Lower Saxony Tour in a mass sprint in Melle. After 237.1 km - the longest stage in the Tour's history - Olaf Pollack of Agro-Adler Brandenburg came in 2nd, defending his lead in the overall standings. By getting a time bonus of eight seconds for his 2nd place, Pollack extended his lead to nine seconds. Second overall is Jens Voigt of the ZVVZ-Giant-AIS-Team.

The 3rd stage with excellent conditions saw loads of attacks. A 90 km solo ride of Gerd Audehm (Team Nurnberger), who got a lead of nearly nine minutes, was stopped at km 140.

Stage 4, Melle - Verden, 140,2 km:

 1. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 	2.56.10
 2. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Team Nurnberger
 3. Andreas Kappes (Ger) Team PSV Cologne
 4. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS
 5. Sascha Hendrix (Ger) Team PSV Cologne
 6. Pavel Chumanov (Slo)
 7. Milan Erzen (Slo)
 8. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony
 9. Christian Lademann (Ger) Track national team
10. Dariusz Wojciechowski (Pol) 		all s.t.

Overall after Stage 4:

 1. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 	    14.12.47
 2. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 				0.19
 3. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 		0.22
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony		0.33
 5. Steffen Blochwitz (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 		0.41
 6. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team PSV Cologne 		0.43
 7. Christian van Dartel (Ned) 				0.44
 8. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 		0.44
 9. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Team Nurnberger 		0.53
10. Danilo Klaar (Ger) 					0.56

Teams:

1. Agro Adler Brandenburg 			42.39.47
2. Team Nurnberger 				42.41.09
3. Team Lower Saxony 				42.41.28

Stage 5a, Team Time Trial in Uchte, 34,3 km:

  1. Germany -Track national team
  2. Agro-Adler Brandenburg (Ger)      		+ 0.24
  3. Radteam Berlin (Ger)                     	+ 1.24
  4. Team Lower Saxony (Ger)             	+ 2.12
  5. ZVVZ-Giant-AIS (Aus)                      	+ 2.21
  6. Saturn (Usa)                      		+ 3.27
  7. Poland                              	+ 4.51
  8. Team PSV Cologne                        	+ 5.12
  9. Team Agu (Ned)                         	+ 7.09
 10. Ukraine                               	+ 7.15

Stage 5b, Wunstorf - Osterode, 144.6 km:

 1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Giant 		       3.44.41
 2. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony
 3. Andreas Kappes (Ger) Team Cologne
 4. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn
 5. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Team Nurnberger
 6. Grzegorz Rosolinski (Polen) Mroz			all s.t.
 7. Remco van de Ven (Ned) AGU Sport 	    		+ 0.13
 8. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Nurnberger
 9. Pavel Schumanow (Bul) Krka
10. Sascha Hendrix (Ger) Team Cologne 			all s.t.

Overall after stage 5 a and b:

 1. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg             18.37.38
 2. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 		     		+ 0.17
 3. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 		+ 0.23
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		+ 0.30
 5. Steffen Blochwitz (Ger) Adler Brandenburg		+ 0.46
 6. Danilo Klaar (Ger) Radteam Berlin 			+ 0.54
 7. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 	  	+ 0.59
 8. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin 	        + 1.14
 9. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Ad. Brandenburg 		+ 1.17
10. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn 		           	+ 1.26

Stage 6, Osterode-Konigslutter 150,5 km:

  1. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) PSV Cologne            3.48.18
  2. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin
  3. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Team Nurnberger
  4. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS                all s.t.
  5. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Saturn                + 0.44
  6. Andreas Kappes (Ger) PSV Cologne
  7. Bogdan Fink (Slo)
  8. Sascha Hendrix (Ger) PSV Cologne
  9. Pavel Schumanov (Bul) Krka
 10. Slavomir Heger (Cze) Giant-AIS             all s.t.

Overall after Stage 6:

  1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS               	      22.26.10
  2. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg       	+ 0.30
  3. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin            	+ 0.53
  4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		+ 1.00
  5. Danilo Klaar (Ger)                     		+ 1.24
  6. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team     		+ 1.29
  7. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) PSV Cologne              	+ 1.31
  8. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 	+ 1.47
  9. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn                     	+ 1.56
 10. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Team Nurnberger           	+ 2.00

Stage 6 Report

Jens Voigt of the Australian Team ZVVZ-Giant-AIS is the new leader in the Tour of Lower Saxony. His 4th place in stage 6 from Osterode to Konigslutter, the most decisive stage of the Tour, was enough to take the overall lead with 30 seconds ahead of Martin Muller (Agro Adler Brandenburg).

Winner of Stage 6 was Ralf Grabsch of the PSV Team Cologne. Grabsch won the sprint of a group of four riders. Jens Voigt acted very clever on the ride through the Harz mountains. Short time before the last mountain top, he escaped with Jan Schaffrath (Ger/Radteam Berlin), Gerd Audehm (Ger/Nurnberger) and Ralf Grabsch (Ger/PSV Team Cologne). By reaching Konigslutter, these four had a lead of 44 seconds.

The first 50 km of the stage were dominated by South African rider Andrew McLean, who escaped right after the start and was first on four of five mountain tops.

Stage 7, Duderstadt - Duderstadt, 154.9 kms:

 1. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Nurnberger 		     3.58.12
 2. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Saturn
 3. Andre Korff (Ger) 
 4. Slavomir Heger (Tch) Giant
 5. Andreas Kappes (Ger) Team PSV Cologne
 6. Remco van de Ven (Ned)
 7. Dino Tolhoek (Ned)
 8. Alexander Charapow (Pol)
 9. Michael Skelde (Den) Team Cologne 
10. Ralf Schollhammer (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		all s.t.

Overall after Stage 7

 1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 			      26.24.22
 2. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 		+ 0.30
 3. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin 		+ 0.53
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		+ 1.00
 5. Danilo Klaar (Ger) Radteam Berlin 			+ 1.24
 6. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 		+ 1.29
 7. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team PSV Cologne 		+ 1.31
 8. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 	+ 1.47
 9. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn 				+ 1.56
10. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Nurnberger 			+ 2.00

Stage 8, Duderstadt - Bad Pyrmont, 182.9 kms:

 1. Fred Rodriguez (Col) 4.43.14
 2. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Nurnberger
 3. Remco van de Ven (Ned)
 4. Sascha Hendrix (Ger) Team PSV Cologne
 5. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony
 6. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin
 7. Anatoly Schubar (Ukr)
 8. Steffen Rein (Ger)
 9. Slavomir Heger (Tch)
10. Alexandr Scharapow (Pol)

GC after Stage 8

 1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS                        31.07.36
 2. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg               + 0.30
 3. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin                 + 0.53
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony                + 0.58
 5. Danilo Klaar (Ger) Radteam Berlin                   + 1.24
 6. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team               + 1.28
 7. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team PSV Cologne                 + 1.31
 8. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Adler Brandenburg         + 1.47
 9. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn                             + 1.56
10. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Nurnberger                        + 2.00

Stage 9, Bad Pyrmont - Schwarmstedt, 145.9 km:

 1. Steffen Rein (Ger) Nurnberger 3.15.22
 2. Remco van de Ven (Ned) AGU Sport 
 3. Fred Rodriguez (Col) Saturn 
 4. Mike Weissmann (Ger) Nurnberger 
 5. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 
 6. Andreas Kappes (Ger) Team PSV Cologne 
 7. Andre Korff (Ger) Radteam Berlin 
 8. Ronny Lauke (Ger) Track national team 
 9. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 
10. Slavomir Heger (Tch) Giant-AIS 		all s.t.



Overall after Stage 9:


   1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 		      34.22.58
   2. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 		+ 0.30
   3. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin 		+ 0.53 
   4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony 		+ 0.58
   5. Danilo Klaar (Ger) Radteam Berlin 		+ 1.23  
   6. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 		+ 1.28 
   7. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Cologne 			+ 1.31
   8. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Adler Brandenburg 	+ 1.47 
   9. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn 				+ 1.56
  10. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Nurnberger 			+ 2.00




Stage 10, Schwarmstedt - Buckeburg, 157.9 km:


 1. Andre Korff (Ger) Radteam Berlin 		4.26.13
 2. Slawomir Heger (Tch) Team Giant
 3. Frank McCormack (USA) Saturn
 4. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Adler Brandenburg
 5. Remco van de Ven (Ned) AGU Sport
 6. Mike Wei_mann (Ger) Nurnberger
 7. Robert Bartko (Ger) Track national team
 8. Andreas Kappes (Ger) Team Cologne
 9. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony
10. Darek Skoczylas (Pol)




Final GC:


 1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Giant-AIS 		      38.49.11
 2. Martin Muller (Ger) Adler Brandenburg	+ 0.30
 3. Jan Schaffrath (Ger) Radteam Berlin		+ 0.53 
 4. Lutz Lehmann (Ger) Team Lower Saxony  	+ 0.58
 5. Danilo Klaar (Ger) Radteam Berlin  		+ 1.23  
 6. Guido Fulst (Ger) Track national team 	+ 1.25 
 7. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Cologne 		+ 1.31
 8. Stephan Gottschling (Ger) Adler Brandenburg + 1.47 
 9. Bart Bowen (USA) Saturn			+ 1.56
10. Gerd Audehm (Ger) Nurnberger 		+ 2.00

108 Starters, 80 Finishers




Teams, Final GC:


 1. Agro-Adler Brandenburg 	      116.30.17
 2. Radteam Berlin 			   2.04
 3. Team Lower Saxony 			   2.29
 4. GIANT-AIS				   4.03
 5. Nurnberger 				   5.07
 6. Saturn 				   5.22
 7. Team PSV Cologne 			   6.19

10. Germany, Track national team 	  15.42
12. Switzerland 			  33.18
15. Austria 				1.02.39