First Edition Cycling News for May 16, 2005Edited by Jeff Jones & Hedwig Kröner CSC as strong as ever
Whatever critics have been saying in the past, Bjarne Riis' team CSC continues to perform at its best in this second part of the 2005 road calendar, the Grand Tour season. Two riders of the Danish team placed first and second of today's first time trial of the Giro d'Italia: David Zabriskie and Ivan Basso, who also moved up to second overall. The Italian team leader and GC contender therefore gained valuable time on the other overall favourites, Lampre's Gilberto Simoni and Damiano Cunego. Danilo Di Luca rode well to finish 10th, finishing 1'35 behind the winner Zabriskie, and kept his maglia rosa. "I'm very happy with my victory," said winner Zabriskie. "I started early, so it was quite nerve wracking to watch the other guys on TV. On the last part of the course we had headwinds, and I knew that would be to my advantage because of my position on the bike. I'm a time trial specialist, and this is definitely a victory I've dreamed about for a long time. I was allowed to take it easy in yesterday's stage, so I was able to aim for something big today." Ivan Basso said that, "Today's stage was very important, and I was fully aware of what I had to do. It's fantastic to be able to make a result like this, which is what Bjarne and I had hoped for. We've been working for a long time with this time trial, and I believe, I've done the route about 20 times. I've been training a lot in order to be able to make a difference in this discipline. Yesterday's time loss was just another motivation factor for me, and I was very determined to retaliate. I owe Bjarne a special thanks, cause he is also a big part of this triumph. We still have a lot of tough stages ahead of us, but today we took a giant leap forward." CSC's team manager Bjarne Riis was justly proud with the way his boys rode. "It was a fantastic day for us," he said. "David showed his huge potential and Ivan did the time trial of his life. We couldn't expect more than this. Our preparations have paid off, and Ivan confirmed yesterday's time loss wasn't due to lack of strength. Our team is here to win the Giro with Ivan, and today we showed, that we mean business," said Bjarne Riis.
Stage 8 Full results
& report Post stage commentsBy John Trevorrow in Firenze
Brett Lancaster (Panaria, 26th at 3'02) "Yeah it was alright. I knew the course well. Didn't feel too bad, just not fast enough. I knew it was going to hurt. I think it'll hurt tomorrow." We mentioned to Lancaster that Zabriskie had ridden three minutes quicker: "Woah! Gee. I felt I could have pulled out a lot more out of mine, but I dunno about 58'30. That's seriously fast."
Bradley Wiggins (Credit Agricole, 34th at 3'17) "It was quite hard actually. I think I did a 1:01 [1:01:48 - ed.]. I was happy with the effort, even though I was a bit off the pace. I went well up the climb which surprised me. I thought I would have stopped. I felt good, kept it steady, so I'm pleased with how I felt considering we're one week into it."
Rory Sutherland (Rabobank, 35th at 3'18) "Ooooh. That hurt a lot. I felt good. I'm surprised actually. It suits me better, this type of time trial, up and down. The last 3 k was hell, a really strong headwind. Since the National's [where he was second - ed.], I've felt more confident in time trials. I feel better on the bike, I feel like the bike's fitted more to me. I got my three minute man right before the top of the climb. It's a grand tour and I've got no expectations. It's all about the future."
Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel, 37th at 3'19) "I took it easy because my knee was on fire," said a pained Danielson at the finish. "It's much worse today - I couldn't pedal, my knee is in so much pain. It's starting to hurt in my back because I'm trying to compensate for my knee. I don't know what's going on with it but we'll see."
Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis, 50th at 4'06 "I got going. I thought I'd get it over with as quick as I could. It's pretty hard, like every day really. I wasn't really going to really have a go today, but I can't help myself, I'm a bike racer. It doesn't make much difference how hard you do it. People say you should do it at 80 percent, and you do it at 90. It's just as hard at 80 percent, so you may as well have a bash. "It's a course with a bit of everything. Technical on the descent, plenty of flat sections to go fast. An all-round time trial specialist should win today. I'll bet on Gonchar." That's what Matt White said. "Only 'cos I told him that this morning."
Michael Barry (Discovery Channel, 97th at 5'43) "It's not bad, but it's pretty windy out there, very gusty and quite dangerous on the corners. It's a technical course with a bit of everything for us. It's a good course. Paolo [Savoldelli] was great on the downhill."
Charles Wegelius (Liquigas, 104th at 6'03) " I went hard on the hill and took it easy on the rest of the course. It was tough out there, very windy. I think it'll make a big selection on the GC."
Jason McCartney (Discovery Channel, 113th at 6'18) "I took it nice and easy. I nearly lost it on one corner on the descent. Zabriskie was going! He passed me and he was flying!"
Russell Van Hout (Colombia-Selle Italia, 125th at 6'44) "My legs were blown," said a disappointed Van Hout after the stage. "I was really working on the descent. It really pissed off that I didn't go over in the car a few times. I needed some course knowledge, but that's how it goes."
Nick Gates (Davitamon-Lotto, 160th at 7'48) "Yeah it's a tough course, harder than the time trial last year. Henk was two minutes after me. I just rode to beat Henk," joked the Australian.
Matt White (Cofidis, 161st at 7'52) "It wasn't my job today. It was just to get in comfortably and save it for the next few days. It's a pretty hard time trial. Our guy for the general classification checked out the course this morning. It's very technical. I reckon it's a race for Gonchar or Cioni. Gonchar will get that big gear going on the downhill." We mentioned Henk Vogels' crash, and Matt replied, "I had a front wheel slide on that corner on the descent as well."
Trent Wilson (Colombia-Selle Italia, 167th at 8'06) How was it? "Yeah alright. The first 20 kilometres were easy. Once I got over the hill, I just stuck it in 53x11 for the rest of the way."
Henk Vogels (Davitamon-Lotto, 177th at 8'40) Vogels actually crashed on the first part of the descent, and he was not too happy. "No not really. I'm meant to be saving my energy for Robbie for the coming days. But you know me: full gas. I'm pissed off. I didn't really want to ride around with scars."
Antonio Cruz (Discovery Channel, 182nd at 9'06) "It was twisty and hard to find a rhythm. There was quite a bit of climbing before the main climb, a bunch of rollers one after the other. I was cruising. I made it through and I'll be good for the next few days." Fothen tops for GerolsteinerYoung talent Markus Fothen continues to shine for the Gerolsteiner, finishing seventh in the time trial at 1'15 from Zabriskie, and moving to ninth overall at 2'10 from Di Luca. "Markus is very satisfied and would have happily ridden for a bit longer," said Gerolsteiner's DS Christian Henn. "He had the feeling that he was improving in the final kilometres. He has got back some of the time he lost in Saturday's stage." Henn noted that Fothen was still ahead of Gilberto Simoni on GC. "It's going very well. We can be satisfied. Monty [Seven Montgomery, 23rd overall] has remained within the range of possibility." Finally, Sven Krauss kept his blue Intergiro jersey, that he won in the first stage. Hruska the best for Liberty
Czech time trial specialist Jan Hruska finished ninth in stage 8, 1'34 behind winner Zabriskie, and was the best of the Liberty Seguros-Würth crew. But Hruska wanted more. "The parcours was not adapted to my abilities, because it had many changes of pace on the climb," he said. "Initially I was a bit uneven, with heavy legs, but then I managed to get into it. I believe that I could have gone slightly quicker on the climb and the descent, but it was better not to risk anything than to win seconds." Team leader Michele Scarponi didn't perform as well as he would have liked, as he took some time to get going, struggling on the climb. "I had blocked legs and there I lost more time than I expected," said Scarponi. Team manger Manolo Saiz expressed the same opinion, but he maintained a positive outlook on the race. "To have lost time in yesterday's stage and at least one more minute of what was expected today, Scarponi exits the Giro's first week, which was very dangerous for our interests, very well." Saiz pointed out that Scarponi is only a minute from top favourite Cunego, and almost the same time as Simoni, although he realised that there is a lot of racing to come. " We still have all the mountains and there we are going to see many things. It will be necessary to wait until the second rest day to do the next assessment, when very important stages have already passed." Joseba Beloki did not ride a good time trial today either, finishing 151st at 7'25. "No, I did not dispute it," he said, "Although before the beginning the Giro, I was thinking that I might do it. It was a complicated and demanding parcours, it was necessary to be very focused into race if you wanted to do it well. I preferred going calmer, but after this week I feel well enough, and I expect to be able to do something from here to the end, because I have good sensations." Disaster for RujanoColombia-Selle Italia's pocket climber Jose Rujano wasn't expected to shine in the time trial, and his 77th position at 5'04 behind the winner was not too surprising. However, things could have been much better for him had he not had to change his bike three(!) times on the descent, due to mechanical problems. Up until that point, he was only trailing Basso by 43 seconds at the top of the climb. Team manager Gianni Savio estimated that the mechanicals cost Rujano two minutes, not counting his loss of rhythm. Rasmussen: "Finishes totally nuts"Rabobank's Michael Rasmussen has joined the ranks of this year's Giro d'Italia riders complaining about the parcours of the race's stage finishes. In his diary on feltet.dk/michaelrasmussen, the Rabobank rider wrote, "There might be somebody who calls [the finishes] spectacular, but we call it totally insane," especially referring to the final part of stage two where the peloton had to pass a narrow bridge. "At that point it was totally nuts. There was a low stone fence of 20 cm and 15 m to fall. In Wednesday's stage there were eight hairpin turns within the last kilometres. It doesn't make much sense that we are not allowed to take off our helmets on the last climb on our way up to the finishing line because they think it is too dangerous, but it is possible to make that kind of stage finishes. To me it seems a bit contradictory." Rasmussen also thinks that the racing has become harder because of the ProTour. "It has started to remind me a little of Tour de France," he said. "That is also the impression I get when I speak to the Italians that have done the Giro many times. They say that it is by far the hardest and best Giro for many years." Lopez De Munain back in SpainEuskaltel's Alberto Lopez De Munain, who suffered a terrible crash in stage two of the Giro d'Italia, was flown back to Spain in a medically equipped aircraft yesterday. He was transferred to La Esperanza hospital in Vitoria. Lopez De Munain was diagnosed with a hydropneumothorax caused by nine broken ribs, a broken left collar bone, a broken shoulder blade and damage to the left shoulder. Nevertheless, he is conscious and in a stable condition. Ullrich separates from girlfriendT-Mobile star Jan Ullrich has separated from his girlfriend Gaby Weis and mother of their daughter Sarah. Ullrich confirmed the news on his website, janullrich.de, saying that, "We have found a fair solution for all sides, especially of course for our daughter Sarah. This decision is difficult enough, and we don't want to make any additional comment. I am sure that you will understand that this is our private affair and we want to keep it that way." According to an article published in Germany's tabloid Bild am Sonntag, the couple gradually grew away from each other over the years. Ullrich, who had been with Gaby Weis for 11 years, was away from home for extended periods, including Christmas last year. However, the T-Mobile rider will continue to live in Scherzingen, Switzerland, where the couple moved two years ago. Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer VDB breaks forearmFrank Vandenbroucke crashed in the first stage of the French Tour de Picardie and broke the radius bone of his left forearm. The MrBookmaker rider was riding beside his team car during the race and bumped into it in a when he moved to the right. The Belgian, whose left knee was also damaged in the fall, will have his arm plastered for about two or three weeks. He will not be able to participate in the Tour of Belgium, as well as in the Tour of Luxembourg, and is unsure for the National Championships. Meanwhile, Janek Tombak (Cofidis) has won the race. Quick.Step to CatalunyaThe Belgian Quick.Step team has announced its line-up for the Volta a Catalunya. The following riders will participate: Wilfried Cretskens, Marc Lotz, Juan Miguel Mercado, José Antonio Pecharroman, Michael Rogers, Bram Tankink, Jurgen Van Goolen and Rik Verbrugghe. UK Youth & Junior Track Nationals at Newportagiskoviner.com, in conjunction with Prime Coaching, have booked a preparation session at Newport Velodrome for Youths and Juniors prior to their UK National Championships at Newport in August. Categories are U12, U14, U16 and Juniors. The preparation will take place on July 20, the cost is £10. More information on www.agiskoviner.com
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