JJ jumps locals to claim Köln win

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Team Saxo Bank rider Juan Jose Haedo upset the local favourites to win Rund um Köln on Easter Monday. The Argentinean outsprinted local rider André Greipel of HTC-Columbia, with Enrico Rossi (Ceramica Flaminia) taking third.

Teams Milram and Rabobank led the field into the last kilometre, wth the Dutch squad pulling through to lead the charge up towards the finish line. And as HTC-Columbia's sprint train failed to fire, Haedo was able to edge out Greipel at the line.

"It was a superior sprint from JJ [Haedo] and Greipel was not even close to taking the win as he didn't get away from Haedo's wheel," said Saxo Bank directeur sportif Bradley McGee. "It's obvious that JJ has taken his sprint to another level this year.

"Normally, sprinters need a great deal of confidence to participate in these mass sprints. Not only has he got the confidence, he now has the power to beat the very best in the peloton."

The first part of the race was marked by an escape group, as five riders got away early and built up a lead of over five minutes. The field was happy enough to let Oscar Pujol (Cervelo TestTeam), Dimitry Claeys (Team NetApp), Gregory Joseph (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator), Michael Berling (Glud & Marstrand) and Josef Benetseder of Vorarlberg-Corratec go in the early part of the race.

They were caught about two-thirds into the race, with various groups then counter-attacking. Team Milram, the only German ProTour team and HTC-Columbia took charge of the race as they led the peloton around Köln and refused to let any of the escapees build up a substantial lead. The last of the would-be breaks were caught within the last kilometres, setting up the expected mass sprint.