Wonderful presentation, but I spotted something interesting at Flecha. Do you really believe you can win the Vuelta GC with him! I'm sure it's a typo. Anywy, GL with the story, and the presentation is just incredible!
fernando97 wrote:
Wonderful presentation, but I spotted something interesting at Flecha. Do you really believe you can win the Vuelta GC with him! I'm sure it's a typo. Anywy, GL with the story, and the presentation is just incredible!
fernando97 wrote:
Wonderful presentation, but I spotted something interesting at Flecha. Do you really believe you can win the Vuelta GC with him! I'm sure it's a typo. Anywy, GL with the story, and the presentation is just incredible!
Of course i'll try to win the GC with Flecha ... or maybe not
I've just corrected it, saying that the Vuelta is a race where the TEAM will be aiming for the win Anyway, thanks for telling me, and thank you for your great comments
January was a month with only a few races for Team Sky.
I haven't been out on the roads fighting for the team myself yet, but i have certainly done all i could to prepare myself for the kickoff of my professional career.
Our four Australians kicked of the season fabulous in the national Australian Championships. At the road race Michael Rogers took the victory with an astonishing soloeffort, with Sutton coming in at 5th.
And also at the time trial, the higly experrienced Michael Rogers, once again showed he has been during a great effort in the winter training, by taking 2nd, only beaten by youngster Luke Durbrigde.
Going on to the first Pro Tour race of the season, the team started of with a strong team at Santos Tour Down Under, with Australian champion Rogers on the startingline. The guys had some great podium spots, but couldn't take any victory home along, even though the team were so close to do it. But Rogers once again made a great job and finished 2nd overall. A great start of the season for Team Sky.
In the Pro-Tour rankings, Michael Rogers and co. drove the team into overall second place at the team rankings, which settles the top where we want to be at the end of the season.
In the individual rankings, best Sky rider is of course Rogers himself, also in 2nd, after winner of Santos Tour Down Under, Amador.
For me, this month hasn't been near the euphoria the team has gone through the first month of the season. I'm still waiting for my first race with the team to come in late february, which means training, training, training.
Unfortunately there have been some darker sides in my waiting for late Fabruary. At mid January i got infected by a cold. It was a heavy one which caused me to go for consultation with our team doctor. There was nothing to worry about, but this interuption has taken about 1 week training from my program. Not the best start of the season...
But beside that, i am doing all right now and is excited for the time to come. I'm looking forward for February. Our team is going to participate in a lot of prestigious races, and by the 26th of February, i'll get to ride the Gp di Lugano, as my first professional race ever!
In this section i'll point out a specific team-mate, who i think deserves a special appreciation. It could be a hidden personal highlight or a great sense of team spirit.
My choice of this January month is Michael Barry. The Canadian was an amazing help for Rogers in STDU, and never withdrew from his side. Actually he completed his role as domestique so well that he drove himself into 11th in the overall classification.
The Team
We're competing with a quite strong team for this brilliant Swiss classic. Some of the guys are already in fabulous great shape, so i'll probably have a difficult time following them. We'll presumably ride for Urán, since he's great at riding these kinds of classics.
Favorites
D. Moreno
D. Pietropolli, J. Fuglsang
F. Failli, D. Menchov, R. Urán
The day started with a group of 4 riders slipping away from the pack. Me and Luke Rowe were quickly send to the front to control the pace.
Mid stage a big group with some prominent names tried to break away. There was too many and too good riders within the break, so me and Rowe struggled a lot to catch them in again. But we did. I got through it, even though Rowe was a lot stronger than me, it was certain that i wasn't in the shape of his.
When the breakaway was droven in, the Columbian Rubiano made a soloattack none could follow, but this got him stuck alone in front with 70km left.
With 40 km to go, Urán was feeling great, and we all paced up the pack to catch Rubiano, i couldn't sit up in front anymore, and decided to go down and get some waterbottles for the guys, so that i could call my day done.
After the last paramount climb, the pack was torn into so many pieces that in front with 12 km left, there was only 25 riders left, including Uran, Nordhaug and Barry.
Barry did a magnificent job placing Uran in the final, and Uran didn't seem to want to let barry down. Uran was in front with 1 km to go, and it all looked great. But the fast Daniel Moreno, who's in a great shape overtook him on the last metres.
A shame, but a deserved victory for Moreno.
After delivering the waterbottles, i just tried to follow as well as i could. I landed up in a small group with Dowsett and some very prominent names, such as Di Luca, Menchov and Fuglsang.
What a place to be in my first race. And the greatest part of it all, was that i oversprinted them all except Di Luca when crossing the finish line. 46th in my first race. That is really great for me i think.
More success came in the flatlands of Qatar. With our biggest star Mark Cavendish on the starting line, and a great team build up around him, the expectations were high. Cavendish won a stage and took the overall 2nd place. But the greatest part of the race was the TTT win at stage 2. Also our northern classics hope, Flecha, came of well in his first race, by winning the Italian classic Trofeo Laigueglia.
There were no changes for us in the team-rankings. There wasn't any Pro Tour races this month and on the CQ-ranking, the team still occupies the 2nd spot after Movistar like in January.
But on the individual rankings, Michael Rogers overtook Santos Tour down Under winner, Amador, in the CQ-Rankings, and is now placed in 1st spot.
I felt well through February, and have done a lot of training without unexpected interuptions like last month. Therefore i came in fine shape to my first ever professional race, GP di Lugano. But what i came to watch, was that every other rider in our lineup was in a lot better shape than me.
I worked very hard for the team, but couldn't follow my team-mates when the pace was really pushed up. A shame it was i think.
But what i have to think about, is that every rider in our lineup already had started riding a few races before me. And therefore naturally was in better shape than me.
I'm looking so much forward to March. It's going to be a very busy month, and i'm going to ride my first Pro-Tour race! It's completely unrealistic to think about.
This months team-mate is a young English guy, which i endure very much. His name is Luke rowe and is a bright talent. Together with me, Rowe helped Uran towards his 2nd place Lugano, and similar efforts Rowe also did through whole of the month in our other races.
He has been a huge help for the team this month, and he is in the shape of his life already. Look out for him!
Ian Butler wrote:
Said it before but I'll say it again: very enjoyable to read when the lay-out is so nice :-)
It's always nice to be acknowledged for the work you do, and saying that to me again, just makes me feel even better knowing that what i'm doing is working well
I'm sure it's a typo. Anywy, GL with the story, and the presentation is just incredible!
... or maybe not 
Anyway, thanks for telling me, and thank you for your great comments 
