After two consecutive successful seasons with Team 3C Gruppe Lamonta on the European continental professional cycling circuit during 2006 and 2007, Namibian professional cyclist Erik Hoffmann has made a successful transfer to the Giant Asia Racing Team for whom he has just completed his third tour on the Asian Continent.
Last week Hoffmann finished sixth overall in the five-stage category 2.2 Tour of East Java, where he achieved two podium positions (second and third place) in the last two stages, and the overall second position in the King of the Mountain competition. His team finished fourth in the general classification.In February, Hoffmann rode in the eight-stage Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, which he used as a springboard to acquaint himself with the very different Asian conditions.In his second outing in March at the Tour de Taiwan, Erik demonstrated his good form and preparation for the season ahead.The eight-stage tour over 800 km took the riders all over Taiwan, with very different courses, mainly criteriums but also long mountainous road races.After two stages Hoffmann placed himself among the top ten riders.In the third stage Hoffmann sprinted to second place and improved his overall position to fifth.With a positive outlook and feeling strong, he came close to winning the sixth stage and yellow jersey when he succeeded, together with two other riders, in opening up a gap of more than a minute to the peleton 10 km before the finish.However, a marshalling error cost the breakaway group their advantage and they finished in the main bunch, with Hoffmann maintaining his fifth position overall.The remaining two stages were again criteriums, in which Hoffmann and his teammates successfully defended their first position in the Team Classification.Hoffmann’s transfer to the Asian team early in the season has proved a highly successful move in order to familiarise himself with racing conditions in Asian countries in preparation for his participation at the Beijing Olympics in August.Hoffmann qualified Namibia for the Olympic road race by winning the silver medal at the UCI B-World Championships in Cape Town in June last year.Upcoming races with Giant Asia Racing Team during the coming months will take place in Korea, Japan, China and Indonesia.His team finished fourth in the general classification.In February, Hoffmann rode in the eight-stage Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia, which he used as a springboard to acquaint himself with the very different Asian conditions.In his second outing in March at the Tour de Taiwan, Erik demonstrated his good form and preparation for the season ahead.The eight-stage tour over 800 km took the riders all over Taiwan, with very different courses, mainly criteriums but also long mountainous road races.After two stages Hoffmann placed himself among the top ten riders.In the third stage Hoffmann sprinted to second place and improved his overall position to fifth.With a positive outlook and feeling strong, he came close to winning the sixth stage and yellow jersey when he succeeded, together with two other riders, in opening up a gap of more than a minute to the peleton 10 km before the finish.However, a marshalling error cost the breakaway group their advantage and they finished in the main bunch, with Hoffmann maintaining his fifth position overall.The remaining two stages were again criteriums, in which Hoffmann and his teammates successfully defended their first position in the Team Classification.Hoffmann’s transfer to the Asian team early in the season has proved a highly successful move in order to familiarise himself with racing conditions in Asian countries in preparation for his participation at the Beijing Olympics in August.Hoffmann qualified Namibia for the Olympic road race by winning the silver medal at the UCI B-World Championships in Cape Town in June last year.Upcoming races with Giant Asia Racing Team during the coming months will take place in Korea, Japan, China and Indonesia.
