Jurgen Van Goolen (Discovery Channel) (Image credit: Sirotti)
By Shane Stokes
Discovery Channel's Jurgen Van Goolen went close to taking his first pro win in yesterday's fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, yet came up against another talented rider chasing the same objective. He did what he could, but in the end Steve Morabito proved the stronger of the two, winning in Leukerbad.
Van Goolen's body language and facial expressions showed he was very disappointed to miss out. However, after a couple of minutes to recover from his effort, he told Cyclingnews about the finish.
"We were in a very long break," he stated at the top of the first category climb. "It was very hot today, I think 35 degrees, so it was a tough race. At the beginning of the climb I attacked and only one guy could follow [Morabito]. Maybe I should have tried to attack a little bit earlier. I think it is only my ninth race of the year - I had an injury and didn't race for three months. Now I am coming back. Maybe I don't have enough faith in myself."
Van Goolen missed out on competition time due to a crash in the Volta ao Algarve earlier this year, which left him with a broken hip. He's pleased to be back racing, but wants to get a victory under his belt as soon as possible. "Of course I am happy with my form, given that I've had that time off. But just now I am disappointed. I think it is the fifth time in my career I have taken second - I have not won yet. I hope that changes soon."
Amongst those runner-up placings is his second in the 2003 Tour of Denmark and Belgian road race championships.
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