Czech rider Jan Hirt (CCC-Polska) leads the overall standings ahead of today's queen stage, which leads over the Grossglockner and finishes on the Kitzbüheler Horn after 166.8 kilometres. On the previous five stages of the Tour of Austria, the German riders were hardly inferior to their successful compatriots in the Tour de France taking place at the same time - they can already point to one stage win and three days in the leader's jersey.
Rüdiger Selig got off to a successful start, crossing the finish line in first place in the prologue team time trial for his victorious Katjuscha team and taking the yellow jersey. After Selig, Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) from Cologne took the leader's jersey for two days.
Rick Zabel (BMC) celebrated his first professional victory in a bunch sprint on the third stage to Gratwein-Straßengel - a success that his father Erik Zabel never achieved in the Tour of Austria.
Rick Zabel thus joined the ranks of successful debutants at this Tour of Austria. The first stage was won by the Norwegian Sondre Holst Enger (IAM), while stages two and five went to his Australian team-mate David Tanner (IAM) and the South African Johann van Zyl (MTN-Qhubeka) - the first professional victory in a European race for both.
The Spaniard Victor de la Parte (Team Vorarlberg) won the fourth stage with a mountain finish on the Dobratsch in Villach.
The Tour of Austria ends after eight stages on Sunday (12 July) in Bregenz.
Results
Prologue, 5.4 km Team Katjusha/Yellow jersey: Rüdiger Selig (Katjusha)
1st stage, 206.6 km Sondre Holst Enger (IAM)/Yellow jersey: Gerald Ciolek (MTN)
2nd stage, 196 km David Tanner (IAM)/Yellow jersey: Gerald Ciolek
3rd stage, 181 km Rick Zabel (BMC)/ Yellow jersey: Angel Vicioso (Katjusha)
4th stage, 210.2 km Victor de la Parte (Vorarlberg)/ Yellow jersey: Jan Hirt (CCC)
Stage 5, 175 km Johann van Zyl (MTN-Qhubeka)/ Yellow jersey: Jan Hirt
Overall standings after 5th stage
1st Jan Hirt (CCC), 23:51:20 hrs.
2. Ben Hermans (BMC), + 0:02 sec.
3. Victor de la Parte (Voralberg), + 0:03 sec.
4th Natnael Berhane (MTN), + 0:15 sec.
5th Pierre-Roger Latour (Ag2r), + 0:17 sec.
