Ignatiev and Tinkoff close out Regio

Mikhail Ignatiev is steadily demonstrating that he will be one of the riders of the sport's future. The 22 year-old Russian took stunning early season wins and has gone on to show that those not just one-offs with his ride in the 23rd Regio Tour. He won the race's time trial while helping Tinkoff Credit Systems go on to win the team general classification with his second place overall.

"We cannot be more satisfied with how the race went here in Germany," explained Tinkoff Credit Systems Directeur Sportif Orlando Manini. "Certainly the overall victory would have been the icing on the cake but I have to admit that the boys were great and, in particular, Ignatiev, who once again showed his talents."

Ignatiev has claimed victories this year in the Tour Méditerranéen, Trofeo Laigueglia, Ster Elektrotoer and the Vuelta a Burgos. For more about the Olympic Points Champion read The first of many more to come.

The team was also pleased with its stagiaire Alexander Gottfried who finished ninth in the final overall classification, the attacks of Vasil Kiryienka in stage five and the Nikolai Trusov second place to Petacchi in opening stage.