German National Championships - CN

Spalt, Germany, June 29, 2003

2002 results Results Past Winners

Zabel...solo

By Jeff Jones

Telekom's Erik Zabel has added another German championship to his own and his Telekom team's collection: The past 11 titles have all been won by Telekom, with Zabel and Jan Ullrich now having two apiece. Although the hilly course suited him, Ullrich wasn't at the start today due to the fact that his girlfriend Gaby is expecting soon. Instead, Erik Zabel surprised everyone by bridging to the lead group and attacking with 40 km to go, to eventually win alone by 1'49 to Patrik Sinkewitz (Quick.Step). Gerolsteiner's Fabian Wegmann took third place, another minute back.

The course in Spalt was a tough 14.6 kilometre figure eight, with two 120+ metre climbs to be completed in each of the 12 laps. It was a selective course, and the 30 degree temperatures today contributed to the fact that only 33 riders finished. After a nervous start with a number of fruitless attacks, German time trial champion Michael Rich (Gerolsteiner) escaped on the third lap, and was allowed to get a 2'20 lead before Tosten Hiekmann (Team Telekom), Uwe Hardter (Gerolsteiner), Malte Urban (Bianchi), Timo Scholz (Wiesenhof Leipzig) went after him, and closed the gap on the sixth lap.

The gap to the field was a manageable 1'40 and it didn't take long for the peloton to start breaking up as it commenced the chase of the five leaders. Telekom played its cards at the front with Torsten Hiekmann attacking mid-way through lap seven and building up a bigger lead over his erstwhile companions and the rest of the bunch. This forced Gerolsteiner to chase, but Hiekmann managed to ride out to a 4'05 lead with around four and a half laps to go.

Uwe Peschel (Gerolsteiner) and Stephan Schreck (Telekom) managed to get clear of the field at this point, and quickly bridged the gap to Hiekmann as the steep climbs began to really take their toll. The three leaders had a minute on the main group with the favourites, such as Zabel, Udo Bölts and Jens Heppner.

With three laps to go, Zabel attacked out of the main group and rode across to Schreck and Peschel in front. Peschel couldn't hold the pace, leaving Zabel and Schreck to form a Telekom duo in the lead. They were being chased by Patrick Sinkewitz (Quick.Step) and Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), who could not close the gap.

Zabel was too strong for Schreck, and found himself in the lead with just over two laps to go. The chase was broken behind him, as Sinkewitz and Wegmann joined with Hiekmann and Schreck, but were rapidly losing time to the German sprint king. With one lap to go, Zabel had 1'10 over the lone Sinkewitz, who had no match for Zabel's power but fought hard to hold onto second place. Wegmann beat Schreck in the sprint for third, while the rest of the field followed at scattered intervals.

It was a very impressive performance by Erik Zabel, who will now go to the Tour de France with the German National Champion's jersey on his shoulders as he did in 1998.

Women: Worrack wins five up sprint

In the women's race, which was run over seven laps of the 14.6 km course, Nürnberger's Trixi Worrack proved to be the strongest, winning a five up sprint from Christiane Söder (LG Stuttgart) and Tina Liebig (SSV Gera 19). Worrack therefore kept the jersey within her team, after defending champion Judith Arndt finished 17th, and Petra Rossner and Hanka Kupfernagel both abandoned.

The race was hard from the beginning, as the stronger teams tried to reduce the field. Nürnberger was particularly active, with Cornelia Cyrus, followed by Hanka Kupfernagel and then Birgit Söllner going on the attack. The latter went with three laps to go, but was caught by the peloton, setting up a nice counter attack from Trixi Worrack with two to go. Worrack took Senff, Liebig, Söder and Kenty with her, and the five rode clear of the peloton.

On the last lap, Worrack tried to get away but was chased down by the other four. However she was too strong for them in the sprint and won her first German title in the senior ranks.

Results

Elite Men - 175.5 km

1 Erik Zabel (Team Deutsche Telekom)            4.49.41
2 Patrik Sinkewitz (Quick Step-Davitamon)          1.49
3 Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner)                    2.45
4 Stephan Schreck (Team Deutsche Telekom)          2.48
5 Jörg Ludewig (Saeco)                             3.39
6 Rolf Aldag (Team Deutsche Telekom)
7 Jens Heppner (Team Wiesenhof)                    4.27
8 Andreas Klöden (Team Deutsche Telekom)
9 Uwe Peschel (Gerolsteiner)
10 Raphael Schweda (Team Bianchi)                  5.24
11 Jens Voigt (Credit-Agricole)                    7.53
12 Lars Wackernagel (Team Wiesenhof)
13 Heiko Szonn (Flanders Iteamnova.com)
14 Udo Bölts (Gerolsteiner)
15 Grischa Niermann (Rabobank)
16 Christian Werner (Team Deutsche Telekom)
17 Steffen Wesemann (Team Deutsche Telekom)
18 Matthias Ruß (RV Adler Em)                     10.06
19 Timo Scholz (Team Wiesenhof)
20 Torsten Hiekmann (Team Deutsche Telekom)
21 Stefan Kupfernagel (Phonak Hearing Systems)    12.12
22 Enrico Poitschke (Team Wiesenhof)
23 Malte Urban (Team Bianchi)
24 Bert Grabsch (Phonak Hearing Systems)
25 Andreas Klier (Team Deutsche Telekom)          12.18
26 Björn Papstein (Team Lamonta)                  15.13
27 René Weissinger (Team Vermarc Sportswear)      15.20
28 Hans-Jürge Juretzek (Team Comnet)              15.25
29 Sebastian Denke (Team Rose V)                  15.37
30 Mathias Jelitto (Team Vermarc Sportswear)      16.07
31 Uwe Hardter (Gerolsteiner)                     16.13
32 Reto Matt (SG Rheinfel)
33 Björn Schröder (Team Wiesenhof)                17.10

Elite Women - 102.2 km

1 Trixi Worrack (Equipe Nürnberger)             3.12.58
2 Christiane Soeder (LG Stuttgart)
3 Tina Liebig (SSV Gera 19)
4 Theresa Senff (BC 07 Arnst)
5 Daniela Kenty (Frankfurter)
6 Regina Schleicher (USC Chirio)                   2.28
7 Angela Brodtka (RSC Cottbus)                     5.28
8 Karen Bockel (Rona-Esker)
9 Kerstin Scheitle (Equipe Nürnberger)
10 Liane Bahler (Thüringer R)
11 Sarah Düster (RU 1913 Wan)
12 Susanne Beyer (LG Stuttgart)
13 Clarissa Breuer (SSV Gera 19)
14 Birgit Söllner (Equipe Nürnberger)
15 Claudia Hecht (RSC Turbine)
16 Judith Arndt (Equipe Nürnberger)
17 Claudia Stumpf (RV 1919 Que)
18 Désirée Schuler (RSV Linden)
19 Tanja Hennes (Team Next 1)
20 Luise Keller (RSC Cottbus)
21 Sabine Batz (Charly Lietsport)
22 Kerstin Sosnowski (RV Viktoria)                 7.25
23 Christiane Holst (RSG Harsewi)                 10.00
24 Jane Knietzsch (RSC Turbine)                   35.02
25 Charlotte Becker (RSV Unna 19)
26 Carolin Hildebrandt (Frankfurter)
27 Kerstin Schmidt (LG Stuttgart)
28 Verena Joos (RC Silber-P)                      36.02
29 Susanne Juranek (RSV Adler G)
30 Laura Lange (RSC Turbine)
31 Elke Gebhardt (RSG Badenia)
32 Anette Griner (RU 1913 Wan)
33 Jutta Schubert (RSC Kempten)
34 Sandra Mißbach (Farm-Frites-Hartol)
35 Patricia Hempel (Equipe Nürnberger)
36 Cornelia Cyrus (Equipe Nürnberger)
37 Anja Ritter (1.RV Stuttgart)
38 Caroline Humplik (LG Stuttgart)
39 Karin Bürger (Dresdner SC)
40 Johanna Stephan (TSG Münsing)
41 Nicole Kampeter (RC Endspurt)                  40.02
42 Marga Bargheer (RSG Hannover)

Past Winners

Men

2003 Erik Zabel (Telekom)
2002 Danilo Hondo (Telekom)
2001 Jan Ullrich (Telekom) 
2000 Rolf Aldag (Telekom)
1999 Udo Bölts  (Telekom)
1998 Erik Zabel  (Telekom)
1997 Jan Ullrich (Telekom)
1996 Christian Henn (Telekom)
1995 Udo Bölts  (Telekom)
1994 Jens Heppner (Telekom)
1993 Bernd Gröne (Telekom)

Women

2003 Trixi Worrack (Nurnberger)
2002 Judith Arndt (Saturn)
2001 Petra Rossner (Saturn)
2000 Hanka Kupfernagel
1999 Hanka Kupfernagel
1998 Hanka Kupfernagel
1997 Hanka Kupfernagel
1996 Viola Paulitz
1995 Hanka Kupfernagel