TEAM BARLOWORLD RACES INTO 2ND PLACE IN COURSE DE LA PAIX

Team Barloworld’s Gianpaolo Cheula piled on the pressure at the Course de la Paix (Peace Race) in the Czech Republic, finishing in 2^nd place in yesterday’s Stage 5 of the race.

Cheula remained with a small breakaway during much of the race, and managed to brush off continuous attacks from numerous teams up to the finish.

Cheula, along with teammates Felix Cardenas and Ryan Cox finished well ahead of Pro-riders Danilo Hondo (Team Lamonta) and Steffen Radochla (Team Wiesenhof).

While Gianpaolo Cheula is lying in 2^nd position overall for the tour, just points behind the race leader with three stages to go, the general classification after stage 5 sees four of Team Barloworld’s riders in the top 25 – Cheula, Cardenas, Cox and Mads Christensen.

The riders have covered over 800 kilometers in the 8 day race, with Team Barloworld finishing in the top 20 during every stage. Star Italian sprinter Giosué Bonomi finished 5^th in stage 1, 4^th in stage 2 and 8^th in stage 3. In stage 4, the team’s tactics proved to be successful after Columbian climber Cardenas finished 5^th and Cheula 11^th.

Today’s stage covers 172 kilometers through Germany. The stage ends on the ‘Steilen Wand’ (steep wall) in Meerane which must be climbed three times in the final laps.

Says Team Barloworld team manager Claudio Corti: “Cheula finished in an equal time with Siotsou, but it’s only a matter of points that place him second. We are hopeful and determined to take the leaders jersey over the next three stages.”