Last year's overall winner of the Tour of Bavaria, Stefan Schumacher, who lost seven minutes at the first stage and therefore
does not play a role in the overall, started early on the stage. The German Gerolsteiner rider took over the lead with a time
of 32:57 and never lost it in the time trial which took place in Bad Neustadt an der Saale.
"It is always nice to win," said Stefan Schumacher. "I have worked hard all the time and this is the confirmation
for that. It was important to win so clear. That gives me self-confidence," said the German rider from Nürtingen from the
Gerolsteiner squad.
"I started really well, although it looked as it wasn't very fast - initially I had to ride against the wind. I had a very
good rhythm," Schumacher said after his first win of the current season.
With wind and temperatures of 23° C., the decision for the overall ranking was a close one. Swiss rider Andreas Dietz (Team
Volksbank) beat Niki Terpstra's time by three seconds and thus took over the virtual yellow jersey. Of the last 15 riders,
only Milram's Christian Knees was faster (by one second), taking fourth place in the stage. Knees also took over the overall
lead.
Christian Knees leads with three seconds over Andreas Dietz (Team Volksbank) and six seconds over his Milram teammate
Niki Terpstra.
"I am incredibly happy and I think that our whole team has earned the yellow jersey with its performance,"
said German rider Christian Knees. "We are all pulling together and work very well together. Tomorrow we will do
all we can to defend both jerseys. That surely won't be easy but if we continue to perform as we have so far in the Bayern
Rundfahrt, then we will make it."
"When you lead the overall and young rider rankings, then you can't help but be satisfied,"
said Milram's sports director Jochen Hahn. Hahn added: "Tomorrow it obviously won't be easy to defend both jerseys. We must
be especially alert at the intermediate sprints, since each has up to three seconds' time bonus. But I feel confident that
we will accomplish it."
Team Volksbank scored its first win of the season on stage 2, as Olaf Pollack won the mass sprint. It seems that the whole
team is racing with more self-confidence since Pollacks stage win. "Pollacks stage win came at the right moment. The pressure
is gone, now the boys feel released and race," said Volksbank's sports director Patrick Vetsch.
Swiss Volksbank rider Andreas Dietziker came in fifth and is now second overall. Dietziker is only 3 seconds behind overall
leader Knees. Vetsch said: "To be honest, I was a bit surprised from Andreas, he will focus on the Tour de Suisse. But that´makes
it even better. Brilliant."
Vetsch concluded: "A hectic finale. Pollack will hunt for a second stage win, Dietziker will go for the overall victory,
which will be difficult but its not unrealistic. It will depend on how the stage will develop, our opponents will not
sleep. Winning the overall would be beautiful, but not at all costs. We are already well served with how things worked
out for us during this Tour."
Volksbank's team-Manager Thomas Kofler said : "We will not give-up that easy. We will try everything. It will be an exiting
showdown."
