Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Velits scores HTC-Columbia's 100th win of 2010

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News 2010

Published on Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:45

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Peter Velits secured victory in the Vuelta's individual time trial on Wednesday, simultaneously scoring the 100th win of the season for HTC-Columbia men's and women's teams. On an all-around successful day of racing for HTC-Columbia, Micheal Albasini retains the leader's jersey at the Tour of Britain, and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg powered at the end of the Giro di Toscana's stage two to keep the leader's jersey in that six-day race.

Velits finished 12 seconds ahead of Russian Denis Menchov in the flat 46 kilometre time trial in Peñafiel, a performance that moves the Slovak rider into third place overall behind Italy's Vincenzo Nibali and Ezequiel Mosquera of Spain. Velit's victory is his first of the 2010 season, the fourth for HTC-Columbia in the 2010 Vuelta and the team's eleventh in a major Tour this season.

"This is is my first victory in a time trial, too," said Velits "and to be able to do that in the Vuelta is something almost unbelievable. It's a big but very nice surprise for both me and the team. I knew the key would be going all out in the return section, where there was a strong tailwind and I was able to make most of the difference there. Seeing [rival] Tom Danielson ahead of me on the road but slowly closing the gap on him really boosted my morale, too, and I could keep up a high pace."

"It's really nice to be able to reach a special number like 100 victories in 2010 with such an important win," added HTC-Columbia team manager Rolf Aldag. "A victory in the time trial of the Vuelta is pretty unique. Peter could hold onto third, because the chance of being on the podium of the Vuelta could motivate him to find that little bit extra in the last mountain stage of the race [on Saturday]. Whatever happens, though, he's pulled off an exceptional result, and we're very proud of him."