Laurent Didier is the new Luxembourgish road champion, after beating Ben Gastauer (AG2R-La Mondiale) and team mate [W:Fr?nk Schleck] in T?tange. Didier: “I’m incredibly happy with this result. It’s my first pro victory and pro title, so i’m really happy. It’s an honor to wear the colors of your country.” Didier was the national cyclocross champion as a junior (in 2000) and also the U23 time trial champion in 2005. Didier was part of a break of nine riders that formed after one third of the race. The group included Schleck and Gastauer, but also three U23 riders of the continental team LEOPARD TREK. The conditions were hard today: it was cold and it was raining the whole day. “Fr?nk launched the first attack with four laps to go. He got a small gap, but then Gastauer counterattacked and managed to stay clear for a while. He was riding very strong today. But we closed the gap again and then Fr?nk and I launched one attack after another, to isolate Gastauer. When I? eventually got away with 7 kilometers to go, Fr?nk was the perfect team mate.” Schleck stayed on the wheel of Gastauer, who to no effect tried to catch back Didier. Didier finished solo, with Gastauer beating Fr?nk Schleck to the line for second place. Alex Kirsch won the title in the U23 category. LEOPARD TREK team mates Pit Schlechter and Bob Jungels completed the podium. Alex Kirsch and Alexandr Pliuschin were both victorious at their national championships today. 20-year-old Alex Kirsch won the U23 Road Race at the National Championships in Luxembourg and Alexandr Pliuschin was the strongest in the Moldavian road Championships. “I’m obviously very happy with this win”, say Kirsch. “I’m only twenty years old and I’m dedicated to helping my leaders this season. This win is very rewarding for the work I’ve been doing and the progress I have been able to make in the LEOPARD TREK project. I’m very grateful.” Kirsch was part of a break of nine riders that included team mates Pit Schlechter and Bob Jungels, Laurent Didier and Fr?nk Schleck of RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK, Ben Gastauer (AG2R-La Mondiale), but also two other U23 riders and an elite rider without contract. Behind the three pro riders, who would battle for the win, Kirsch, Schlechter and Jungels managed to outwit the other U23 riders and rushed to the finish together, two minutes behind Laurent Didier, who won the elite race. Kirsch won, ahead of Jungels and Schlechter. “This win is very nice for me. It’s even nicer because we managed to ride with three team riders to the finish, having dropped every other U23 rider.” Pliuschin wins third elite title Alexandr Pliuschin finished solo in the National Road Championships in Chisinau, securing his third title with the elite riders and as well a ticket for the World Championships. Pliuschin: “I worked hard in the last couple of weeks, with this day in mind. I’m very satisfied with my performance, as it shows I’m on the good way. This gives me a boost of confidence ahead of the next stage races.” The race around the Moldavian capital Chisinau covered only 150 km, but it made for a hard day on the bike. Six laps with three hills in every lap offered a challenging course for strong riders like Pliuschin. “There was a break of about fifteen riders, but every lap riders got dropped from the break. The temperature was 45 degrees and so the climbing was really tough.” With one lap to go, the break had been reduced to three riders. Pliuschin, launched and attack from what was left of the peloton and jumped across to the three leaders. Soon, he was alone off the front, rushing to the finish line alone. “This is my third title with the elite. I’m very proud to wear the colors of my country.” Next up for LEOPARD TREK is a training camp in Austria, where the riders will prepare for the next part of the season. Pliuschin: “I’m really looking forward to the next stage races, particularly the French races. My shape is good already and I think it can still become better.”
