Team RadioShack’s Ben Hermans won the Trofeo Inca in the third race of the Challenge Ciclista a Mallorca. The Belgian rider sprinted faster than his two companions Arkaitz Duran (Geox) and Xavier Tondo (Movistar). For Ben Hermans and Team RadioShack it is the first victory of the season.

One-hundred ninety riders started in Inca for a race over two climbs, the 2nd category Soller and the Puigmajor (1st category). “I made a big mistake in the beginning,” said Hermans. “I made a bathroom stop just 2 K before the start of the first climb. I had to start that climb between the cars as the last rider of the peloton but I knew I had to be more or less in the front at the top of the Coll de Soller as the descent was said to be very wet and slippery. I did a 6 K uphill sprint and went over the top in about 20th position. My legs still felt good. On the next climb of the Puigmajor, Movistar pulled for Tondo. I saw a lot of guys suffering, but I still felt good. That’s why I attacked at 1K from the top. Only Tondo and Duran were able to follow. We immediately took 20 seconds and in the last 40 K to the finish we built up the advantage to 1 minute with the three of us working well together. I was not so confident for the sprint, but apparently, the other two guys were still more tired than I was.”

It is Ben Herman’s second victory as a professional rider. Last year he won for Team RadioShack the queen stage in the Tour of Belgium.

“This is a nice compensation for all the work Ben did in the winter,” explained Team Director Dirk Demol. “Apart from the team training camps, he organized his own training camp in Spain, as the weather was too bad to train in Belgium. Previously in the Tour Down Under Ben was one of the best riders in the peloton. I am convinced he will win more this year.”

1. Ben Hermans (BEL/RadioShack), les 166,6 km en 4 h 02:23 (moyenne: 41,24 km/h)
2. Arkaitz Duran (ESP/Geox) m.t.
3. Xavier Tondo (ESP/Movistar) 01.
4. Murilo Fisher (BRA/Garmin) 45.
5. Sebastian Langeveld (NED/Rabobank) m.t.