March 17, 2013 (San Remo, Italy) – Germany’s Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) prevailed to score the biggest win of his career taking the snow-shortened, Milan-San Remo, 298km, la classica di Primavera, in a tight sprint victory besting Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale Pro Cycling in second with Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack Leopard claiming third. The win gives the newly formed MTN-Qhubeka team a huge boost as the 2013 season gets underway.

A 2-hour impasse was imposed as snow and cold conditions on Passo del Turchino saw frozen riders asked to restart in Cogoleto. Organizers were thus forced to cancel two early climbs the Turchino and La Manie, and some like Tom Boonen (Omega) abandoned with harsh words for organizers who knew the conditions at the pass with time to make alterations before the start. Many riders did not finish given the brutal conditions.

Ciolek ended up being part of a 6-man break near the end that saw Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team make a go of it in vain as Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team tried to get into the final mix also too late. At the finish Sagan lead out the sprint but Ciolek charged to line between him and Cancellara for the win.

Team MTN-Qhubeka Release – Gerald Ciolek Wins Milan Sanremo
Gerald Ciolek made history today by winning one of cycling’s monuments, Milan Sanremo. The race is the longest in the world at 298km. Today was especially hard as weather conditions forced organisers to stop the race after nearly two hours of racing because of snow and very low temperatures. The race was moved to a safer location with the run in to the finish via the Cipressa and Poggio staying the same.

Ciolek made it to the Cipressa, the second last climb of the day, in a select peloton. World Champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC) was the first to attack causing several riders to go off the front. As they crested the Poggio, the day’s final climb, Ciolek followed the two pre-race favourites, Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Leopard).

This formed what would be the winning move of the day. Ciolek outsprinted Sagan (2nd) and Cancellara (3rd) for what is the African team’s first victory at a WorldTour level.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Ciolek after crossing the finish line. “This is an unbelievable success for us and just an incredible day. We just came here as a wildcard and now we’re standing here with the trophy. This is great. I knew I had to follow all the best riders on the Poggio and it worked out perfectly.

“When I chose this team, people wondered why I would join a Pro Continental team but it’s just been unbelievable. The coaching and staff on this team is so professional. I have never seen management care so much for the riders. I am happy to be on this team,” an elated Ciolek concluded.

Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung is the first ever Professional Continental team from the African continent and thus gained a wildcard entry into the race, to compete against the top 19 teams in cycling.

“To win the first major classic ahead of Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara through these weather conditions is amazing,” said team prinicipal Douglas Ryder. “We were coming into the race hoping for a top 20 but every rider gave everything they could to help Gerald.

“I think the dedicated coaching and support he gets is what he has needed in his career. He needed to be the number one rider and have a team built around him and we are incredibly fortunate that he chose our team. He knew when he chose our team that he would race for Qhubeka and that’s greater than just winning races. He is really inspired to race and help others.”

Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung also made history when Songezo Jim became the first black South African rider to race a WorldTour event. To find out more about Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung and riding to mobilise people on bikes in Africa, <http://qhubeka.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4ea750c8dd5c222433ae6091f&id=75627bc55b&e=2f7f24f07a>click here.

Results

1. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka 5:37:20
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale Pro Cycling
3. Fabian Cancellara (Sui) RadioShack Leopard
4. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
5. Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha
6. Ian Stannard (Gbr) Sky Procycling
7. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
8. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha 0:14
9. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
10. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
11. Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Esp) Movistar Team
12. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
13. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
14. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
15. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar
16. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol
17. Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
18. John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano
19. Yoann Offredo (Fra) FDJ
20. Oscar Gatto (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
21. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
22. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Esp) Katusha
23. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
24. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Esp) Katusha
25. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp) Movistar Team
26. Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar
27. Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Sky Procycling
28. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
29. Maxime Bouet (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
30. Grégory Rast (Sui) RadioShack Leopard
31. Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
32. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
33. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
34. Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
35. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
36. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
37. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) IAM Cycling
38. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:20
39. Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
40. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
41. Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ 0:56
42. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
43. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha
44. Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack Leopard 2:39
45. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 2:42
46. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida 3:26
47. Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge
48. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team 3:35
49. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 4:40
50. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
51. Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Merida
52. Davide Appollonio (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale 5:13
53. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN-Qhubeka
54. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
55. Fabio Felline (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
56. Danilo Hondo (Ger) RadioShack Leopard
57. Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
58. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol
59. Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling
60. Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling
61. Mauro Finetto (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
62. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
63. DNF Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
64. Vicente Reynes Mimo (Esp) Lotto Belisol
65. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
66. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
67. Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge
68. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
69. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack Leopard
70. Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin-Sharp
71. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
72. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
73. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
74. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin-Sharp
75. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-Merida
76. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
77. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Astana Pro Team
78. Grega Bole (Slo) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
79. Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano
80. Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Esp) Movistar Team
81. Jorge Azanza Soto (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi 7:49
82. Paul Martens (Ger) Blanco Pro Cycling Team 8:59
83. Marco Bandiera (Ita) IAM Cycling 9:20
84. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Argos-Shimano
85. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
86. Stuart O’grady (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 9:22
87. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
88. Ioannis Tamouridis (Gre) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:11:19
89. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:11:21
90. Greg Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol 0:11:29
91. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol
92. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp
93. Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
94. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp
95. Alessandro Proni (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:11:39
96. Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:11:44
97. Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ
98. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
99. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
100. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
101. David Tanner (Aus) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
102. Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Esp) MTN-Qhubeka 0:11:46
103. Jacobus Venter (RSA) MTN-Qhubeka
104. Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
105. Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
106. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
107. Massimo Graziato (Ita) Lampre-Merida
108. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
109. Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:11:49
110. Alex Howes (USA) Garmin-Sharp
111. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
112. Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
113. Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Esp) Movistar Team
114. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia
115. Rick Flens (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
116. Gustav Larsson (Swe) IAM Cycling
117. Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol
118. Martin Elmiger (Sui) IAM Cycling
119. Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar
120. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha
121. Tomas Aurelio Gil Martinez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
122. Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
123. Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
124. Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:11:56
125. Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:13:09
126. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
127. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar
128. Andreas Stauff (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
129. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
130. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
131. Dominic Klemme (Ger) IAM Cycling
132. Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
133. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ
134. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia 0:15:03
135. Vladimir Isaichev (Rus) Katusha 0:18:25
DNF Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF Manuel Belletti (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Steve Chainel (Fra) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Hugo Houle (Can) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Ben Gastauer (Lux) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Matteo Montaguti (Ita) Ag2R La Mondiale
DNF Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Jackson Rodriguez (Ven) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Emanuele Sella (Ita) Androni Giocattoli
DNF Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
DNF Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
DNF Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
DNF Marco Canola (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
DNF Filippo Fortin (Ita) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox
DNF Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
DNF Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
DNF Maarten Wynants (Bel) Blanco Pro Cycling Team
DNF Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team
DNF Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
DNF Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
DNF Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
DNF Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Miguel Minguez Ayala (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Robert Vrecer (Slo) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ
DNF Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ
DNF Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin-Sharp
DNF David Millar (Gbr) Garmin-Sharp
DNF Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha
DNF Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNF Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
DNF Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol
DNF Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
DNF Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF Eloy Teruel Rovira (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF Martin Reimer (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
DNF Jim Songezo (RSA) MTN-Qhubeka
DNF Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN-Qhubeka
DNF Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
DNF Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
DNF Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
DNF Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
DNF Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack Leopard
DNF Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
DNF Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling
DNF Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Sky Procycling
DNF Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Sky Procycling
DNF Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Sky Procycling
DNF Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
DNF Cheng Ji (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano
DNF Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Team Argos-Shimano
DNF Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar
DNF David Veilleux (Can) Team Europcar
DNF Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
DNF Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
DNF Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
DNF Jonathan Monsalve (Ven) Vini Fantini-Selle Italia