Vattenfall Cyclassics (GER) - 07.09.2008

The Vattenfall Cyclassics one-day race is a true celebration of cycling. It is one of the youngest one-day road races in the UCI ProTour but it is one of the best races because organizers combine a high quality professional race with a day of cycling for everyone who loves two-wheels.

While the 200 UCI ProTour riders cover the early part of the 250km course to the south of Hamburg, thousands of ordinary cyclists and their families enjoy riding on the finishing circuit near the river Elbe. They test themselves on the steep climb up from the river and then enjoy a carnival atmosphere as they watch the final part of the main race in the afternoon. Every race should be inspired by the Vattenfall Cyclassics events.

The Vattenfall Cyclassics course often inspires attacks, but the peloton usually comes together just before the finish in the centre of Hamburg. Last year, Italy’s Alessandro Ballan, of the Lampre team, won with a surprise and very strong attack in the final kilometre, managed to hold off the sprinters. 2006 winner Oscar Freire, of Spain, beat the other sprinters to take second but could only congratulate Ballan on his opportunistic but impressive victory.

This year the Vattenfall Cyclassics again comes immediately after the end of the Tour of Germany and will be an exciting climax to the end of the German cycling summer.