Cyclist Hoffmann in fantastic form

NAMIBIAN star cyclist Erik Hoffmann has shown his continued excellent form with podium finishes in his last two major events in Europe.

His first win was in the Große Reblandtour and got another podium position in the Sachsen Tour, among some of the biggest names in pro cycling. Just after the disappointment of failure at the All Africa Games, recently Hoffmann won the Große Reblandtour through the German region of Baden over 112 km, by beating Leif Lampater (TSV Schmiden) and Frank Scherzinger (Team Rothaus) among a field of 106 finishers.Following on this, Hoffmann and Team 3C Gruppe-Lamonta entered the five-stage Sachsen Tour, where the Namibian gave his team their best result in this top level pro tour by finishing the 158 km final stage in Dresden in second place behind Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile).Tom Stamsnijder (Gerolsteiner) was third.Hoffmann joined an early breakaway group of seven, later eight, from the main field.The eight riders included Igor Abakoumov (Astana Cycling), Allan Johansen (CSC), Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile), Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques), Tom Stamsnijder (Gerolsteiner), Robert Retschke (Wiesenhof Felt) und Martin Hebik (Heinz von Heiden Focus).The break at one time had a three-minute advantage on the peleton, by the finish it had shrunk to 44 seconds.In dangerous wet conditions, the leading group split again on the final lap and Hoffmann managed to go with Schreck, Stamsnijder und Allan Johansen to make a final group of four from whom he managed to wrest his second place.The overall winner of the Tour was Joost Posthuma (Rabobank) with Bobby Julich (CSC) second, 29 seconds behind and Michael Schaer (Astana) 31 seconds down on the leader.Hoffmann’s team leader Holger Sievers (Team 3CGruppe-Lamonta) finished in 13th place, 2:30 down on the winner.Riding in support of his team leader, Hoffmann finished in 42nd position in the final general classification, 31:14 down on the overall winner.In early July, Hoffmann qualified Namibia for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by finishing second in the B World Championships in Cape Town, before being knocked off his bike in an accident in the All Africa Games, ending the cycling medal hope for Namibia.Just after the disappointment of failure at the All Africa Games, recently Hoffmann won the Große Reblandtour through the German region of Baden over 112 km, by beating Leif Lampater (TSV Schmiden) and Frank Scherzinger (Team Rothaus) among a field of 106 finishers.Following on this, Hoffmann and Team 3C Gruppe-Lamonta entered the five-stage Sachsen Tour, where the Namibian gave his team their best result in this top level pro tour by finishing the 158 km final stage in Dresden in second place behind Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile).Tom Stamsnijder (Gerolsteiner) was third.Hoffmann joined an early breakaway group of seven, later eight, from the main field.The eight riders included Igor Abakoumov (Astana Cycling), Allan Johansen (CSC), Stephan Schreck (T-Mobile), Tom Stubbe (Chocolade Jacques), Tom Stamsnijder (Gerolsteiner), Robert Retschke (Wiesenhof Felt) und Martin Hebik (Heinz von Heiden Focus).The break at one time had a three-minute advantage on the peleton, by the finish it had shrunk to 44 seconds.In dangerous wet conditions, the leading group split again on the final lap and Hoffmann managed to go with Schreck, Stamsnijder und Allan Johansen to make a final group of four from whom he managed to wrest his second place.The overall winner of the Tour was Joost Posthuma (Rabobank) with Bobby Julich (CSC) second, 29 seconds behind and Michael Schaer (Astana) 31 seconds down on the leader.Hoffmann’s team leader Holger Sievers (Team 3CGruppe-Lamonta) finished in 13th place, 2:30 down on the winner.Riding in support of his team leader, Hoffmann finished in 42nd position in the final general classification, 31:14 down on the overall winner.In early July, Hoffmann qualified Namibia for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by finishing second in the B World Championships in Cape Town, before being knocked off his bike in an accident in the All Africa Games, ending the cycling medal hope for Namibia.