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Bayern Rundfahrt Photo ©: Schaaf
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Deutschland Tour - ProT
Germany, August 15-23, 2005
Ullrich lines up against ProTour big guns in home Tour
By Hedwig Kröner
Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) gets wet in the
2004 Deutschland Tour
Photo ©: AFP
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The Deutschland Tour (Tour of Germany), a nine-day ProTour stage race, will
start in Eastern Germany's Altenburg on Monday, August 15. Covering a total
of 1,530 kilometres, the parcours forms a 'U'-shaped loop down South into the
hills of the Bavarian forest, before crossing the Alpine border to Austria.
With two Hors Catégorie climbs, three Cat. 1 and several other hills
to master, this year's race is definitely suited for climbers, with the 'Rettenbachferner'
mountain (2,684 m) on stage four to Sölden being the second highest ascent
taken on by the European professional peloton this season, and certainly a very
difficult one: its average gradient exceeds ten percent. A second mountain finish
will await the riders on stage seven to the 'Feldberg' (1.280 m) in the Black
Forest, before a 30 kilometre time trial will decide on General Classification
on the penultimate stage to Weinheim. The event finishes in former German capital
Bonn on Tuesday, August 23.
One major favourite for this year's Deutschland Tour is T-Mobile's Jan Ullrich,
who has announced his aim for overall victory after placing third at the 2005
Tour de France last month. "For me, its not a build-up race for the
Tour any more," he said about the race, which has been rescheduled from
June to August to suit the UCI ProTour calendar. "So instead of having
to save energy, I can give it my best shot."
Defending champion Patrik Sinkewitz (Quick.Step) will also be participating,
and up against such big names as Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile), Levi Leipheimer
(Gerolsteiner), Cadel Evans (Davitamon-Lotto), Bobby Julich (Team CSC), Michael
Rasmussen (Rabobank), Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi),
Jörg Jaksche (Liberty Seguros) and Jens Voigt (Team CSC).
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