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France, 13 August 2008 - Team Columbia’s Linus Gerdemann took overall victory in the four-day Tour de L’Ain stage race on Wednesday, proving that he is back to his best after breaking his femur and damaging knee ligaments in March.

Gerdemann had to miss the most of the first part of the season and the Tour de France but always worked hard in the gym and with the physiotherapists to make a rapid recovery from serious injury. His win in France repays him and Team Columbia for their hard work and
patience.

26 year-old Gerdemann won the morning road stage on Tuesday and then extended his 12-second lead in the afternoon time trial, won by team mate Tony Martin.

Today Team Columbia controlled numerous attacks during the 138km stage, as Gerdemann marked main rivals David Moncoutie and Stephane Goubert.
Frenchman John Gadret won the last stage with a late solo attack but Linus kept his 12-second lead on Moncoutie, with Goubert finishing third overall at 36 seconds.

It wasn’t an easy final stage but we came away with a moral boosting win for Linus. This is an important victory for him as he prepares for the Tour of Germany,” directeur sportif Valerio Piva said after the race.

The stage finished with three laps of a hilly circuit and David Moncoutie made a strong attack to try and win. Only 20 rider were left at the front but Linus was up there and so was Tony Martin and they made sure Moncoutie did not gain any time.”

This is good win for Linus and for the team. He hasn’t raced a lot this year because of his crash but he’s coming into some good form.”

Gerdemann will race in Italy next week, riding the Trittico Lombardo back-to-back one-day races, before beginning his final block of training for the Tour of Germany.

We are not doing the Vuelta Espana but we’ve still got a very busy race programme in the final three months of the season,” Piva said.

We’ll have a strong team in the Italian races, at the Eneco Tour that starts next week, at the Tour of Germany with Linus and also in the Tour of Ireland, the Tour of Missouri in the USA and the Tour of Britain. I’m sure we’re going to keep on winning races right to the end of the season.”