MILRAM sprinter uses fourth-place finish to reach the top of the points ranking

MILRAM’s Gerald Ciolek continues to be successful at the four-day Circuit Franco-Belge (September 30 – October 3 / UCI 2.1). After a puncture and a crash in the last lap of the circuit course couldn’t hold up the speedy German, Ciolek sprinted to fourth place in the hectic finale. The victory on the second stage was left up for three riders from the Italian Liquigas team to decide among themselves in the mass sprint of an 80-man main field. The Italian trio was lucky as it turned on to the 400 meter long straight finale after a twisting and turning course. On the rain-soaked road, Jacopo Guarnierei beat his teammates Elia Viviani and Francesco Chicci, and Gerald Ciolek.

“Our strategy worked until the last lap. After the puncture and the crash, our riders did everything for Gerald,“ summed up Servais Knaven, the directeur sportif. “Our stagiaire Michael Weicht gave up his bike to Gerald and Markus Eichler brought him back up to the front after the crash. In the finale Liquigas was simply lucky But we can be satisfied with fourth place on the stage and the green jersey.“

The overall ranking remains interesting. Stage winner Guarnieri could put on the leader’s jersey after the 181.5 kilometer stage and now leads ahead of the Britsh first-stage winner Adam Blythe (Omega Pharma) and Belgian Sep Vanmacke (Topsport Vlaanderen). MILRAM sprinter Gerald Ciolek goes into the final two stages in fifth place, only four seconds down, and will start Saturday’s stage wearing the jersey for the leader in the point ranking.

Saturday’s third stage of the Circuit Franco-Belge runs 158 kilometers from Hazebrouck to Ichtegem. The stage race ends on Sunday in Tournai after four stages and 687.5 kilometers.