With defending champion Riccardo Zoidl losing time already in stage 1, Trek didn't get the best start to their Tour of Austria campaign. However, the team bounced back in the second half and came away with two stage wins and an overall top 5.

The short 122.8-kilometer stage eight concluded the Tour of Austria Sunday, and with no climbs in the parcours it was designed to end in a mass sprint finish.

Five men formed the day’s breakaway, but the sprinters’ teams controlled perfectly, and on the last five-kilometer finish circuit in Vienna the peloton was in one big group heading towards the line.

The only tricky element was the rain. A thunderstorm moved in and the skies opened, forcing the organization to neutralize the final lap for the general classification. The times were taken on the line the penultimate time across the finish line, allowing the top GC riders to sit out the risky finale. 

Trek Factory Racing did not bring a sprinter to Austria, so the nod, once again, was given to the fast legs of neo-pro Fabio Silvestre. In his first opportunity on stage two Silvestre sprinted to a disappointing 19th; today he was motivated to do much better, which he accomplished with a creditable 6th place.

Marco Haller (Katusha) won the sprint, beating Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana) into second and Raymond Kreder (Garmin-Sharp) into third. Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) successfully defended his lead, and won the overall. Riccardo Zoidl retained fifth place.

Sport director Dirk Demol summed up a prosperousTour of Austria for Trek Factory Racing:

“In the final 20 kilometers it was a downpour. Our young guy, Fabio Silvestre made 6th place, which was good. The race went like we expected, a break went and it was controlled by the sprinter teams, Cannondale and Katusha, and we were riding for Fabio in the sprint. His result was not bad.

“For the last five days we were a presence everyday. The first day was a bit of a disappointment, to have the defending champion here, and the national champion of Austria, but he did what he could – he just did not have the legs. But he never lost the morale and motivation, and the team, too, rallied together to get two stage wins, Riccardo had a fourth, Felline a fourth, and today sixth. We go back home with a good feeling, good results, and the boys this week really came together and are much stronger - that’s promising for the next races.”