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Gustav Larsson
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 26-03-2009 20:41
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Hello there, Gustav Larsson here! I've decided to start a diary of my cycling career, and I will start to introduce myself. My name is Gustav Erik Larsson and I'm born in a little town called Gemla in Småland, Sweden. I started to ride when I was 14 years old and I turned pro with Fassa Bortolo in 2003. When Fassa Bortolo shut down in 2005 I decided to move to the french team, Francaise des Jeux. But after just one year in France, I joined the Swedish registered team Unibet.Com in 2006. I had a good year even though all trouble with the team. That year I won the Swedish TT Championships and I took a podium place in Eneco Tour.
After all the trouble in 2006, Unibet decided to pull out of the world of cycling. I signed a contract with Team CSC and that's the team I'm riding for today. In 2007 I won the Swedish TT Championships again while I had my best season ever, 1st in a TT stage in Tour of Denmark, 14th overall in Giro d'Italia and my biggest result in my career was the Silver medal in the Beijing Olympics (TT).
Me at the Beijing Olympics.
As you've probably noticed by my results, my speciality is Time Trial. But I know that I can also follow strong climbers, my weaknesses is the sprint and cobbles. My goal for the coming season is a top 10 in the Giro d'Italia where I've been given the leader role! Also the team is hoping for me to win Tour of Denmark this year. Expect me to do results in the beginning of the season, while I will take a break with races in the middle and then come back to win Tour of Denmark later in the year.
My team is probably the best team in the world so a leader role in the Giro just shows that I'm a great rider. Riders like Fabian Cancellara, Stuart O'Grady, Fränk and Andy Schleck, Karsten Kroon, Jens Voigt and Matti Breschel are representing the team, and that's not a bad list of riders. I expect us to be in the top of ProTour this year and hopefully I can bring some points to the team. Presentation of the team is coming later.
This years goals is tough, but achieveable. Andy will be our leader in le Tour de France and he will probably fight for the win, Fabian and Stuey is the guys for RvV, Fränk will try to make the Amstel Gold Race goal and Chris Anker Sörensen has been given the leader role in Paris Nice while I will try to win Tour of Denmark.
Information:
DB: PCM Daily 09 DB V2.1
Difficulty: Hard
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 26-03-2009 20:47
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Team Leader
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Looks good
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 26-03-2009 20:49
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Grand Tour Champion
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yeah
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| beagle |
Posted on 26-03-2009 20:57
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Great! Good luck  |
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| stuartmcstuart |
Posted on 26-03-2009 21:12
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Sprinter
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Good luck for the Giro. What races will you be riding in preparation? |
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| chrica04 |
Posted on 26-03-2009 23:09
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Breakaway Specialist
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I love these stories!!! Cheers! |
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| t-baum |
Posted on 27-03-2009 02:59
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Small Tour Specialist
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I knew it would happen sooner or later, just knew it 
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race." |
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| dave92 |
Posted on 27-03-2009 03:18
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Classics Specialist
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looking forward to it
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| viking90 |
Posted on 27-03-2009 07:04
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great one ! good luck with this story ! |
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 12:44
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Sprinter
Posts: 1779
Joined: 25-03-2007
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Thanks guys, Gustav will race Tirreno Adriatico and probably Romandie too as pro tour race preparation.
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| Ze Duarte |
Posted on 27-03-2009 12:52
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Good Luck  |
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 13:16
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Sprinter
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Joined: 25-03-2007
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Team SaxoBank Team Presentation
Fabian is probably the best rider in the world. I don't think I have to say anything more. His seasongoals will of course be the cobbleclassics and Milan San Remo. Maybe he will give at shot at win the WC later in the season.
Andy is a great stage racer and he will be our leader in this years Tour de France. It will not be a big surprise if he stands at the podium in Paris. He will probably race in some other Pro Tour races and hopefully he can bring some points to the team through them too.
Fränk is Andys brother and he is a great puncheur with the abilities to compete with the best in hard stage races. This year he will lead our squad in the hilly classics. Maybe he will come back later in the year to lead the team in the Vuelta too.
Stuey is a great rider, he can get over the hills good plus that he can ride fast on the cobble sections and that makes him a great rider for RvV. O'Grady is also a great sprinter, and this year he will probably ride for himself in the early classics, Fabian will be the leader.
Matti Breschel is the third in our team who can do great in cobble races and he have hopes finishing top 10 in all the cobble classics. But Matti isn't just a cobble rider, he can also ride in the hills without any problems and his sprint is absolutely great.
Jens Voigt is a great team mate who maybe will be given the leader role in some smaller pro tour races. This year his main goal is to help Andy to a podium in TdF.
Karsten Kroon will together with Kolobnev be Fränks greatest team mates in the hilly classics, at the same time, Karsten is a good cobbler and he can act as a team mate in the cobble races too. He hopes for some top 10s in the hilly classics this year.
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 13:30
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Sprinter
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Tour down Under report
Hi, Stuart O'Grady here. I've promised Gustav to write a little about the first ProTour race of the season, Tour down Under.
We came to down under with two leaders, me and Matti. The first stages of the race was stages for the sprinters. So we expected some podiums by me and Breschel. Daniele Bennati started the race best and he was clearly showing form by winning stages in the beginning of the race. SaxoBank got some podiums, taken by me and when it was time for the Willunga Hill stage, I was just 5 seconds behind Bennati at the 2nd place. Matti did not have a great week down under so now I was the team leader.
Willunga Hill stage
The stage started as all of the other stages, attacks and attacks. A breakaway group got created, with no threatening riders. In the pack I had a great ride with Domenik Klemme protecting me. The break got caught just before the hill and right at the start of the climb, the attacks started. I tried to follow!
Me trying to get away from the pack at the Willunga Hill.
But I didn't have the legs today, instead I choosed to wait for the downhill. A group of some great riders got away, but none of them was Bennati. I decided to bridge the gap and attacked on the downhill section. I almost caught the group in front but when the sprint started my legs were totally blown away. But I did stop the front group from winning more than the bonification seconds. The peleton came just behind me and unfortunately I hadn't created a big enough gap.
The last stage of the race was as any other sprinter stage, Bennati won and I just held on to my podium spot. A good race by the team and now we've got a great start in the ProTour.
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 27-03-2009 15:40
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Go Gustav!
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 15:46
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Sprinter
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Gustavs Diary - 23th of February
Finally! The pre season training is over and I will soon make my season debut. Bjarne Riis told me a couple of days ago that my first race of the season will be MTN Giro del Capo, and we will send a good team to South Africa. So tomorrow I'm off to Africa and the first stage is on the day after tomorrow, a sprinters stage.
The team has competed in Amgen Tour of California and Fabian got 2 stage wins and O'Grady one. But overall Cancellar was the best placed at 17th.
I'll be back with the writing after stage 1 of Giro del Capo.
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 16:02
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Sprinter
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MTN Giro del Capo
Stage 1
Team: G.Larsson, A. Schleck, A.Lund, K.Klostergaard, F.Höj and K-A.Arvesen
It's finally here, my season debut. My legs are feeling pretty okay and this race will be a perfect preparation race before Tirreno Adriatico. Our team here is good, Andy is here to prepare before Paris Nice and I will try to help him as much as possible this week. Kurt are here for the sprints and as preparation before the classics.
When we stood at the line, I was pretty nervous actually. My legs were shaking a bit, and I think Bjarne noticed this, I could here in my ear:
- Don't be nervous, you're a great rider and you know it. Let's get this started so we can crush them!
Just those small words helped me, I got my confidence back and I was feeling better than ever.
Me, at the line with Chaabane next to me.
The race started pretty slow and I had an easy day in the saddle. A break of 9 riders got away, I didn't know really who they were, but none of them was a threat.
My legs was feeling pretty well and I just stayed with the pack easiely through the whole race. When the sprint started in front, I noticed that Kurt was there, and then I directly felt that he was going to make a great result today.
I lost some spots in the pack and also lost the eyecontact of Arvesen, so here's just some pictures I've found from the race camera.
1km to go!
Kurt was in front! But Tombak is coming fast now, will the Estonian sprinter win today?
Yes, Arvesen didn't have that last speed today, but a great 2nd.
I crossed the line safely in the middle of the pack.
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 27-03-2009 16:05
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GOod start |
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| Silence |
Posted on 27-03-2009 18:26
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This is excellent! Really great 
Le'Sheep: If life's a bitch use a knife to get over it.
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| G_Larsson |
Posted on 27-03-2009 20:02
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Sprinter
Posts: 1779
Joined: 25-03-2007
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MTN Giro del Capo
Stage 2
After yesterdays stage I'm feeling pretty well and the team has got a lot of confidence after Kurts 2nd yesterday. Todays stage is a stage that suits us well, Andy will be our leader and my job is to help him if he needs my help.
Todays break consisted of 7 riders. Nothing threatening.
Suddenly I noticed that the breakaway group was caught and with 53 km to go, Cyril Dessel attacked.
Cyril is of course a good rider, but we decided to stay cool and don't try to catch him. But as we thought, other teams worked hard in the pack and after about 20kms Dessel was caught. We stayed cool all day and waited to the last climb before we started our attacks, and I think that everyone got chocked when me, Andy and Kurt attacked at the same time!
My legs were feeling great and I told Andy that I wanted to try to follow him today, and he didn't complain. Maybe then I could help him to the win.
But Laverde showed great power together with Rujano, they just kept attacking!
We started to ride with a great pace and me and Kurt helped Andy back to the front. On the downhill between the two hills, Andy attacked!
Then I just felt that I actually had the legs for a second attack to, same as Kurt. Andy rode past Rujano while me and Kurt was just behind the Venuezuelan climber.
I saw the last climb before the finish and then I decided to just it all!
But Rujano was strong and it was really hard to catch him! Andy is near the win now..
and Andy Schleck takes the stage win today! When Andy crossed the line I got loads of confidence, I had helped my leader to the win, amazing! This gave me an extra kick in the butt and I just gave it all I had the last metres.
At the line it was really, really close, and I didn't know which of us who had taken the 2nd spot.
I hugged Andy and congratulated him, he was so happy, a win in the season debut is great. Just after that I was told that I had taken the 2nd place, awesome! It was just great. Unfortunately, Arvesen couldn't pass Rujano.
GC:
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| Deadpool |
Posted on 27-03-2009 20:18
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Nice win + 2, 4 |
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