Deutschland Tour (GER) - 29.08-06.09.2008

The Deutschland Tour has become a huge success after becoming part of the UCI ProTour, and is set to become one of the truly great stage races in professional cycling. It is the only German stage race in the UCI ProTour and offers nine-days of great racing on every kind of terrain.

In 2007, local hero Jens Voigt of the CSC team again captured the hearts of the German cycling fans and the praise of the international media by fighting for overall victory and the prestigious leader’s yellow jersey. It was the powerful German rider’s second consecutive success and he became the first rider to take back to back victories.

In 2006 Voigt had to fight all the way for overall victory but in 2007 he beat the USA’s Levi Leipheimer by one minute and 57 seconds, with Spain’s David Lopez Garcia third at two minutes and ten seconds.

After a difficult year for German cycling, 200,000 spectators cheered Voigt in Hannover as he sealed victory. The fans also saw rising star Gerald Ciolek take his third stage victory in the sprint, confirming that German cycling has a new generation of successful riders ready to take

over.

With a later September slot in the 2008 UCI ProTour calendar, this year’s Deutschland Tour should be even better.