Astana News: René Haselbacher Stage Winner in Tour of Austria

Astana Cycling Team stays with its winning style. Austrian rider René Haselbacher won the 5th stage of the Tour of Austria from Wiener Neustadt to Bad Vöslau. He beat his companion Emanuele Bindi in the sprint. Both riders successfully ended a breakaway of 150 K. Haselbacher is the new leader in the points classification and Astana Cycling Team leads the Teams Classification as well.

Thirty-five kilometers after the start in Wiener Neustadt, René Haselbacher and Lampre professional Emanuele Bindi escaped. In a very short time their lead went up to 11 minutes. In the peloton, the team Elk Haus controlled the speed. Team Columbia with André Greipel reacted too late, and so the peloton developed a time deficit of 2:33 minutes to stage winner Haselbacher. Winner of the sprint of the peloton was yesterday's stage winner Greipel.

Second in the sprint yesterday, Haselbacher is in great shape. "Bindi and I harmonized very well and we even exchanged our bottles,” said  the only Austrian rider of Astana Cycling Team. “Up to the last mountain a few kilometers in front of the finish I tested him and attacked. I wasn´t able to break away but noted that he was very tired. At the finish sprint, he had no chance."

For René Haselbacher it is his first victory of the season, his 12th as a professional rider. Next Sunday he will marry his girlfriend Suzanne from South Africa and they will welcome a baby in August: "My private life is going very well and I am very pleased to be a stage winner at the Tour of my own country."

I am very glad for René,” said Team Director Sean Yates. "We hoped to win with him on Sunday in Wien, but the earlier we have a victory, the better. Now we will focus on the 26 K time trial of tomorrow. Our leader Vladimir Gusev, 4th in the general classification, is 33 seconds behind Thomas Rohregger, the yellow jersey. Our Russian champion has the right condition. We hope he can take back that half a minute."

Result 5th Stage Wiener Neustadt - Bad Vöslau, 184,4 K

1. René Haselbacher (AST); 2. Emanuele Bindi; 3. André Greipel 2.33; 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen; 5. Danilo Napolitano; 6. Davide Viganò; 7. Danilo Hondo; 8. Peter Wrolich; 9. Oscar Gatto; 10. Tom Leezer

General Classification:

1.Thomas Rohregger; 2. Ruslan Pidgornyy 00.13; 3. Chris Anker Sörensen 0.31; 4. Vladimir Gusev (AST) 0.33; 5. Giampaolo Caruso 01.35; 6. Davide Rebellin 02.20; 7. Walter Pedraza 2.51; 8. Jani Brajkovic (AST) 03.02; 9. Jure Golcer 3.29; 10. Leonardo Moser 3.32