BEIJING, Oct 9, 2011 (AFP) – Germany’s Tony Martin claimed his first stage
race victory as world time trial champion when he won the inaugural Tour of
Beijing on Sunday.

Russia’s Denis Galimzyanov, of Team Katusha, dominated a mass sprint to win
the fifth and final stage of the race, which is making its first appearance on
the International Cycling Union’s WorldTour.

Martin had taken possession of the red jersey with victory in the
race-opening time trial in midweek and, backed by a committed HTC-Highroad
team, managed to protect his lead throughout the race held in and around the
Chinese capital.

The victory tops and tails a stellar year for the 26-year-old German, who
began 2011 by winning Paris-Nice and recently achieved a lifelong dream of
winning the world time trial championship, at Copenhagen.

“It’s been a fantastic year and now a fantastic week for me,” Martin said.

“Its really nice to have a victory and makes me so proud to win the first
race here.

“But we had a very strong team that was pulling the whole time and I have
to thank them for the win. The whole team was magnificent.”

Galimzyanov has been one of the outstanding performers among the elite
peloton’s new boys this season, and finally ended his quest for a maiden
victory when he left Argentina’s Juan Jose Haedo and Elia Viviani in his wake.

“Of course I am very, very happy because this is my first victory on the
pro tour,” said Galimzyanov, who also won the green jersey for the points
competition.

“I needed the team to bring me to the last kilometer in a good position and
they did it.

“I am happy about the jersey of course, but I am happier about the stage.
For me it is much more important.”

Results from the fifth and final stage of the
Tour of Beijing, a 118 km race held in the Chinese capital Sunday:

Stage
1. Denis Galimzyanov (RUS) Katusha 2hr 19min 44sec, 2. Juan Jose Haedo
(ARG/SAX) same time, 3. Elia Viviani (ITA/LIQ) s.t., 4. Matteo Trentin
(ITA/QST) s.t., 5. Davide Appollonio (ITA/SKY) s.t., 6. Francesco Chicchi
(ITA/QST) s.t., 7. Heinrich Haussler (AUS/GRM) s.t., 8. Giancomo Nizzolo
(ITA/LEO) s.t., 9. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/BMC) s.t., 10. Sebastien Hinault
(FRA/ALM) s.t.
DNS: Jack Bobridge (AUS/GRM)
DNF: Zhao Yiming (CHN)

General classification
1. Tony Martin (GER/HTC) 13hr 39min 11sec, 2. David Millar (GBR/GRM) at
17sec, 3. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 26, 4. Stephen Cummings (GBR/SKY) 35, 5.
Olivier Kaisen (BEL/OLO) 39, 6. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) 41, 7.
Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) 43, 8. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 43, 9. Dario
Cataldo (ITA/QST) 43, 10. Niki Terpstra (NED/QST) 46
Selected: 18. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/RSH) 55, 44. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM)
1:24, 51. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 1:57