Geraint Thomas finishes second in Bayern Rundfahrt

Thomas, Malori and Barta on the podium, Bayern Rundfahrt 2013, stage five

Geraint Thomas (Sky) finished the 2013 Bayern Rundfahrt stage race in second place overall behind winner Italian Adriano Malori (Lampre-Merida).

Malori took the lead in the race after taking victory in Saturday's individual time trial. He successfully defended his position in the final stage on Sunday to clinch the overall victory.

Thomas placed fourth in the TT and eighth on the two opening stages of the UCI 2.HC classified event, eventually missing out on Malori's time by just 23 seconds. Fellow Brit Ian Stannard (Sky) also put in a strong ride to finish eighth overall.

Thomas and Stannard's Sky team-mate Ben Swift finished 20th on GC after he placed second on the opening stage and fourth on stage three. It's only Swift's second race back after an early season ruined by injury.

Thomas won the general classification of the race back in 2011 - the first British rider to do so.

Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) won the final stage in Nuremberg, his first victory since winning a stage of the Tour of Beijing in October 2011.

Bayern Rundfahrt 2013: Stage winners

Stage one: Alex Rasmussen (Den) Garmin-Sharp

Stage two: Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge

Stage three: Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN Qhubeka

Stage four (ITT): Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Merida

Stage five: Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling

Final overall classification

1. Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Merida in 19-28-20

2. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky at 23 seconds

3. Jan Barta (Cze) NetApp-Endura at 26 seconds

4. Jeremy Roy (Fra) FDJ at 33 secs

5. Simon Geschke (Ger) Argos-Shimano at 33 secs

6. Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida at 43 secs

7. Marcel Wyss (Swi) IAM Cycling at 48 secs

8. Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky at 59 secs

9. Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling at 1-02

10. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN Qhubeka at 1-13

British

20. Ben Swift (GBr) Sky at 2-09

39. Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Sky at 14-42

63. Russell Downing (GBr) NetApp-Endura at 31-01

DNF Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (GBr) Sky

Heinrich Haussler takes the sprint at the end of stage five

Final podium (centre l-r): Geraint Thomas (second), Adriano Malori (winner) and Jan Barta (third)

You're not coming down from there until you've finished it all

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