October 4, 2008 – German fastman Andre Greipel has finished his 2008 season exactly as he started it, with his arms raised in victory in a bunch sprint. Victorious in the Tour Down Under Classic in Australia way back in January – his first race of the year – the Columbia rider’s final win of the season came in the Munsterland-Giro in Germany on Friday.

Greipel will now call a halt to his nine-month long season after racking up a remarkable total of 15 victories, including stages in the Tour of Italy and Tour of Germany as well as four stages and the overall of the Tour Down Under.

“It’s been an amazing season for Andre.” commented Jan Schaffrath, the Columbia sports director in the Munsterland-Giro, “and it’s a great way for him to finish the year.”

“The sprint worked out perfectly, [team-mate] Gerald Ciolek gave him a lead-out and he took the win comfortably.”

“It was a slight uphill finish, not too technical, and Andre judged it well.”

Greipel’s team-mate Tony Martin crashed on a bend with about a kilometre to go but Schaffrath reports that fortunately he did not suffer any serious injuries.

“The team rode really well, working with the other sprinters’ teams bringing back a break of five guys with about 20 kilometres to go.”

“It was always pretty inevitable we would have a bunch sprint, because the course was really flat, there was no wind and it was a clear, dry day.”

“Once the break had been brought back, [Greipel’s team-mates] Servais Knaven and Marcel Sieberg kept the pace high on the front so there wouldn’t be any more attacks.”

“The race did a couple of laps through the finishing city, but it wasn’t too technical, just a few cobbled sections and nothing too stressful.”

“Then we set it up perfectly for the sprint. It’s a fantastic way for Andrei to end his season – by far the best of his career.”

Results

1. André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia 4:55.40
2. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
3. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4. Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Sparkasse
5. Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Rabobank Continental
6. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC-Saxo Bank
7. Daniel Musiol (Ger) Team Volksbank
8. Jonas Aaen Jørgensen (Den) Team GLS-Pakke Shop
9. Matej Stare (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj
10. Christian Poos (Lux) Differdange-Apiflo Vacances
11. Dennis Pohl (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
12. Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus
13. Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental
14. Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
15. Radoslav Rogina (Cro) Perutnina Ptuj
16. Robert Wagner (Ger) Skil-Shimano
17. Wim De Vocht (Bel) Silence-Lotto
18. Adriaan Helmantel (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
19. Tim Klessa (Ger) Team Kuota-Senges
20. Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Continental
21. Kim Marius Nielsen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
22. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
23. Reinier Honig (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus
24. Robert Sydlik (Ger) Team Vlassenroot
25. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
26. Roy Hegreberg (Nor) Team GLS-Pakke Shop
27. Mads Rydicher (Den) Differdange Apiflo Vacances
28. Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
29. Marco Brus (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
30. Thomas Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
31. Jelle Hanseeuw (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner
32. Kristjan Fajt (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj
33. Matti Breschel (Den) Team CSC-Saxo Bank
34. Gregory Habeaux (Bel) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
35. Cyrille Heymans (Lux) Differdange-Apiflo Vacances
36. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
37. Domenik Klemme (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
38. Alexander Schmitt (Ger) Team Vlassenroot
39. Thomas Berkhout (Ned) Rabobank Continental
40. Mitja Mahoric (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj
41. Kim Lachmann (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
42. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram
43. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner
44. Mindaugas Striska (Ltu) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
45. Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team Sparkasse
46. Marcel Beima (Ned) Rabobank Continental
47. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto
48. Robin Chaigneau (Ned) Skil-Shimano
49. Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Columbia
50. Anders Lund (Den) Team CSC-Saxo Bank
51. Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
52. Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Columbia
53. Mitja Schlüter (Ger) Continental Team Milram
54. Aart Vierhouten (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus
55. Dirk Müller (Ger) Team Sparkasse
56. Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team Columbia
57. Gregor Gazvoda (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj 0.09
58. Paul Voss (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe 0.12
59. Domenik Klemme (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
60. Andreas Klier (Ger) Team Columbia 0.23
61. Jarno Van Mingeroet (Bel) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
62. Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei
63. Timothy Vangheel (Bel) P3Transfer-Batavus 0.25
64. Kevin Neirynck (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner 0.26
65. Geert Van Der Sanden (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
66. Micha Glowatzki (Ger) Team Vlassenroot
67. Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
68. Olaf Pollack (Ger) Team Volksbank
69. Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner
70. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
71. Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Kuota-Senges
72. Laurent Didier (Lux) Team Kuota-Senges
73. Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner
74. Glenn d’Hollander (Bel) Silence-Lotto
75. Christopher Stevenson (Swe) Team GLS-Pakke Shop
76. Philipp Mamos (Ger) Team Sparkasse
77. Nick Gates (Aus) Silence-Lotto
78. David Hesselbarth (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
79. Karsten Volkmann (Ger) Isaac
80. Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Gerolsteiner
81. Dieter Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner
82. Nicolaj Olesen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens 0.34
83. Rob Ruygh (Ned) Team Sparkasse
84. Felix Schäfermeier (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
85. Richard Faltus (Cze) Team Sparkasse
86. Fredrik Johansson (Swe) Differdange-Apiflo Vacances
87. Florin Monreal (Ger) Differdange Apiflo Vacances
88. Robert Retschke (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
89. Erik Magnusson (Swe) Differdange Apiflo Vacances
90. Mathieu Deschenaux (Swi) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei
91. Guillaume Bourgeois (Swi) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei
92. Christian Leben (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
93. Kristijan Durasek (Cro) Perutnina Ptuj
94. Bart Vanheule (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
95. Daniel Westmattelmann (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
96. Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano
97. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
98. Tilo Schüler (Ger) Team Sparkasse
99. Mart Van Blanken (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
100. Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Silence-Lotto
101. Hans Bloks (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
102. Björn Papstein (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
103. Hans Koch (Ger) Isaac 0.42
104. Stefan Ganser (Ger) Team Kuota-Senges 0.51
105. Christian Kux (Ger) Team Milram 0.53
106. Jens Mouris (Ned) Mitsubishi-Jartazi 0.57
107. Arne Hassink (Ned) Team Milram
108. Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia 1.05
109. Geert Omloop (Bel) Mitsubishi-Jartazi 1.17
110. Kas Larsen Schjönem (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens 1.34
111. Jacob Nielsen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
112. Tho Riber Sellebjer (Den) Team GLS-Pakke Shop
113. Hannes Blank (Ger) Differdange-Apiflo Vacances
114. Hakan Nilsson (Swe) Differdange-Apiflo Vacances
115. Martijn Keizer (Ned) Rabobank Continental
116. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC-Saxo Bank
117. Lasse Bøchmann (Den) Team CSC-Saxo Bank
118. Michael Christensen (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
119. Moritz Mainzer (Ger) Team Kuota-Senges
120. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 1.37
121. Janick Wisler (Swi) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei 2.22
122. Matej Marin (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj 2.25
123. Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
124. André Korff (Ger) Team Volksbank
125. Luc Hagenaars (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus 2.34
126. Wouter Mol (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus
127. Jens Grewe (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath 3.19
128. Henrik Albinus (Ger) Team Vlassenroot 3.35
129. Maurice De Bekker (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
130. Tobias Sydlik (Ger) Team Vlassenroot
131. Nico Schneider (Ger) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei
132. Glenn Bak (Den) Team GLS-Pakke Shop 3.38
133. Christoph Schwerdt (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath 3.39
134. Sebastian Schwager (Ger) Team Milram 3.40
135. Kenny De Ketele (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
136. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Silence-Lotto
137. Jacob Kodrup (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
138. Lars Wackernagel (Ger) Team Sparkasse
139. Michel Kreder (Ned) Rabobank Continental
140. Marco Kiritschenko (Ger) Isaac
DNF Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence-Lotto
DNF Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia
DNF Dennis Haueisen (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Steven Kleynen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner
DNF Yohan Cauquil (Fra) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
DNF Frank Dressler (Ger) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
DNF Kalle Kriit (Est) Mitsubishi-Jartazi
DNF Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Skil-Shimano
DNF Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil-Shimano
DNF Koen Barbé (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Iljo Keisse (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Alexander Egger (Aut) Team Volksbank
DNF Gerrit Glomser (Aut) Team Volksbank
DNF Philipp Luderscher (Aut) Team Volksbank
DNF Fabien Wolf (Swi) Atlas-Romer’s Hausbäckerei
DNF Marcel Wyss (Swi) Scott-American Beef
DNF Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
DNF Ruud Fransen (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels
DNF Michael Berling (Den) Glud & Marstrand Horsens
DNF Wim Botman (Ned) P3Transfer-Batavus
DNF Jure Kocjan (Slo) Perutnina Ptuj
DNF Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Continental
DNF Sergej Fuchs (Ger) Team 3C Gruppe
DNF Tobias Dörrer (Ger) Isaac
DNF Karsten Rieger (Ger) Isaac
DNF Patrick Schubert (Ger) Isaac
DNF Michael Kurth (Ger) Team Kuota-Senges
DNF Joachim Tolles (Ger) Team Kuota-Senges
DNF Florian Völk (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
DNF Jonas Schmeiser (Ger) Team Mapei Heizomath
DNF Patrick Bercz (Ger) Team Vlassenroot