Failed Goal down in Argentinia but Dimitriou saves the day!
Unfortunately, our Top 10 goal in Tour San Luis failed. Dominik Nerz had a massive gap early on and against the competition of the likes of Sagan, Kelderman & Van Garderen, there was little our team could do in this early season shape. With another goal failed, we still are missing our first winning points. Though the team came surprisingly close in Paris-Nice, San Luis lay bare our weaknesses and how much especially Dominik still has to improve. We expected a season of learning for him, and he'll get the time and training to achieve results soon.
Goals that are remaining include the two classics at the end of the early season (Volta Limburg, GP Indurain) and the ongoing Criterium International.
On the better side, Ioannis Dimitriou once more took matters in his own hands and rode to his third stage win. Our young greek climber was active in the breakaway and secured even the King of the Mountain jersey! Dimitriou attacked then 1 kilometer out from his former breakaway companions to take an impressive stage victory uphill on the Mirador del Sol. Congratulations from the whole team to another stunning performance! With a stage win and the King of the Mountain jersey we don't leave Argentinia empty-handed thanks to Ioannis.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
My specialities are one day-races, refering doubters to Strade Bianche, but once in a while you'll have to ride a few days in a row. 8 to be precise when you're selected for Paris-Nice. There were some hilly stages, but given the strong startlist it would be difficult to take another win somewhere. For some reason I wasn't allowed to wear my Liechtenstein national jersey, which upset the Fürst so much he made an official complaint, to no avail unfortunately.
However, there was one day which was marked in my agenda. Stage 5 from somewhere inpronouncable for Germanphones to another French town. Hilly, somewhat like Strade Bianche but with a flat-ish finish. The manager and the team gave me a green light to ride myself into the break. Devenyns, Coppel, Zaugg and Hansen were my compatriots for the day.
Along the route I picked up some bonus seconds as well as mountain points, 5 to be precise, which brought me 24th in that classification. However, I could not repeat the dream that is Strade Bianche. I was caught about 10 kilometers. Devenyns won the stage. Even if I could've stuck with him I wouldn't have won, he was just so strong. My eventual GC-result was 66th
While we have a small break in Catalunya, a damn hard race by the way, I though I'd just give you my thoughts about the recent racing in De Panne.
Doing what I do best I went in the break on the very first stage.
It was cool to get to ride the cobbled sections on the front and to be honerst I didn't really mind that they were a bit shorther than in the classics.
It was pretty hard for us to establish the group. After a lot of fighting we got away in a very big group. A group that was too big for the peloton to let us go so we continued attacking in turns before the final group was finally established. We couldn't get it to last all day, but it was quite cool when I was alone out in front with Van Keirsbulck and then got joined by Van Avermaet. Not a bad couple of riders to sit with in a cobbled race I think.
Anyway I finished in teh main group and placed 6th in the GC due to bonus secodns picked up along the way. Of course with the final TT in mind there's no way it will last but it's always cool to see your name on the top 10.
Stage 2 we missed the break and I ended up getting caught behind a crack on the cobbles once again. Seems I can handle the terrain just fine, but I'm not very good at getting a decent place in the peloton heading into the cobbles. Should come with more experience I suppose...
Stage 3 was uneventful for all of us as were the ITT held on the same evening.
No points, but a nice race where I got to stretch my legs a bit realizing that I can actually handle cobbles soemwhat decently as long as I'm one of the first to enter them.
Unlike what the title should make you believe, this stage race actually contains 4 stages. 2 flat stages and the TT are not that interesting for me, but then there's a cobbles stage on the first day. Showing my skills there wouldn't be such a bad idea I guess?
Heimdal positioned himself in the break. He couldn't win, but finished in the group of big names. Greg van Avermaet won the stage solo, whereas I finished 28th in the same group as Hagg, the same group as the rest of the favourites. I'm not that bad on the cobbles after all.
A 77th and a 55th place followed in the following stages. My TT was quite decent actually, 52nd and just under a minute behind the winner. My final GC position was 41st, and 11th in the youth classification. My buddy Pennarossa, one of the first to congratulate me after my victory at Strade Bianche, finished 5th on the final stage and the GC, and second in the youth classification by a mere second.
I'm sorry Silvio, but you can't say you've won a international race
Dominik Nerz did it. After failing big time in San Luis, missing out narrowly in Paris-Nice and nonsense in Criterium International and some other unfortunate attempts, NetApp Endura has finally managed to secure the first goal of the season. And look at that, it was a hard UCI goal. You would argue that was pure luck? Well, almost.
Nerz coulnd't go with Valverde and Henao in the finish though. The two puncheurs were superior to him, however Nerz did well in letting Ion Izagirre work in his home race and had enough energy left, to outsprint the basque all-round rider.
It's our first completed goal of the season. With the Volta Limburg still coming, hopes are it won't be the only one.
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Alejandro Valverde
Movistar Team
4h42'44
2
Sergio Henao
Sky Procycling
+ 14
3
Dominik Nerz
Team NetApp - Endura
+ 47
4
Ion Izagirre
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
5
Tom Slagter
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'26
6
Richard Plant
Lampre - Merida
+ 1'34
7
Julian Arredondo
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
+ 2'15
8
Rajesh Kakhi
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
+ 3'24
9
Marc De Maar
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
+ 4'06
10
Delfi Cervero
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
+ 4'20
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Young wonderkid Thomas Schwabe has confirmed today that he will leave the EPIC problem at the end of the season.
Official reason is a "stupid " (O-Ton Schwabe) section in the rules of the program. The program commit themselves to keep a certain average age in the program but not enough young cyclists signed up recently so they had to cut one of the older, more promising riders to get back into the accepted rules.
Why it is him to suffer from this rule is unknown but Schwabe is sure to know the reason: " The UCI and with it it's EPIC program is corrupt. People there have too good connection to some of the teams and nobody will deny that UCI-near guys like Willy Vermaelen fear that I'll be a difficult rival for guys like Kelderman or Herklotz who are believed to be the "next big thing" ".
Whether he will carry on his professional cycling career without the help of the EPIC program to fight against the system or stop his career now is unknown so far.
The last 2 races of my first season part at NetApp-Endura both took place in Spain. First, it was a seven-day stage race in Catalunya, followed by the GP Indurain, where the team had a hard podium goal.
But first, Catalunya. I was given startnumber 221 for some reason, perhaps due to my victory in Italy? The race itself was quite an anonymous one for me. The startlist was too strong for me to show myself in the hilly stages.
Then, on to Indurain. Nerz had very strong legs today, and mine were rather average. The team couldn't get a man in the break and try a 'Triesenberg', a victory from the break. I guess we had to do it the hard way then. Nerz followed attacks, and in the end finished...third! That's a podium! That's a goal succeeded! Oh, and I finished 54th, but of course I'm happy after today.
Congratulations to the team, and Dominik of course.
Time for another blog, even though there's not much to tell this time around...
Volta a Catalonya was not a good experience for the team in general. Verona got in the break on the first stage but after that we we simply outclassed.
On a personal level I think I did okay even though I didn't manage to get in a break. Most days I finished as one of the best NetApp riders, but as the result list shows that is not really something to brag about.
The trip to Catalunya proves that my decision to stay on a CT team was the right one…
In Volta Limburg Classic I once again wasn't able to get in the break, so I got the job of trying to look out for Zabel a bit. Sadly we were caught behind when the peloton cracked and no one felt like helping me get the peloton back together. I finished first in my group, which I assume is something but I'm disappointed to not have played a bigger role.
Now I have my eyes set on teh continental championships where I hope to help make the jersey show even though I doubt we can win the race.
With the latest season break, NetApp Endura has massively invested in its line-up of youngsters. Ian Boswell, Rick Zabel and Nikias Arndt received some major training lesson in the training camp, but no expenses were saved when it came down to Mathieu Van der Poel, who is set to quickly grow into a team captain for the team in this season.
Our EPIC youngsters have also made some vital progress, which we welcome very much due to some great activity in our HQ. A round of applause for you guys and we hope we'll all stay similiar active in season part numero two.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
Mathias von Triesenberg
