I hope to keep up my good racing today in La Fleche Wallonne, the shortest, but not necessarily the easiest, of the classics. It starts in Charleroi, and finish at the top of the steep climb of Mur de Huy. Let’s hope Davide does better than in Amstel Gold Race.
Compared to the cold and rainy weather in Holland last week, there’s sunny here in Belgium!
The race started as usual with a break trying to go. We sent Maté, but they were ridden in by Lampre. Later it was formed a break, but without any of our riders.
We’re hitting Mur de Huy, maybe the toughest well-known hill in Belgium. Lampre immediately starts to pull. Some of the riders got dropped, but I’m fine. But look at the crowd! In Belgium, cycling is the second to most popular sport and it shows!
Thomas Dekker has a puncture! Silence doesn’t send back anyone. Strange. Maybe Gilbert will be their leader today?
We’re onto Mur de Huy for the second time, and now we’re acting! I went to the front with Moser, Maté and Serpa, trying to shake of some riders. It worked; some got dropped but no big names.
With 30 km to go, Carlos Sastre pulls the trigger, and he’s gone. Could this be a serious move? I don’t think Sastre is strong enough in the hills to keep the lead, but he certainly rides on a tough pace!
With just 10 km left on the last climb before Mur de Huy, Cunego goes! This is a move we need to counter, as Valverde goes too. I didn’t have enough left in my legs to help Davide, so he’s on his own.
Several attacks went, and at the end, Schleck and Rebellin were the leading duo. Rebellin will normally take him in a sprint, but since it’s an uphill finish he won’t have a big advantage.
Only 300 m to go, and look at this! Cunego is coming with an incredible rush from behind, and has reached Davide and Schleck!
Cunego is having strong legs, and is just flying past Rebellin, who’s jumping onto his wheel. Who will win?
Cunego wins! Damn, unlucky for Rebellin, who didn’t even manage to pass Schleck. At least it’s a podium place, though.
I finished in the bunch, after having worked for Davide the whole day.
Results:
1 Damiano Cunego Lampre - N.G.C 4h55'08
2 Fränk Schleck Team Saxo Bank + 9 3 Davide Rebellin Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
4 Kim Kirchen Team Columbia - High Road + 23
5 Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
6 Yaroslav Popovych Astana Cycling Team s.t.
7 Thomas Dekker Silence - Lotto + 44
8 Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 59
9 Sergei Ivanov Team Katusha s.t.
10 Juanjo Cobo Fuji - Servetto s.t.
... 34 Francesco Ginanni Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 4'52
Davide Rebellin was today arrested for using performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympics last year. I was shocked. Davide had been my idol and my tutor, and today he was arrested for using EPO. I really hate him right now. He was kicked out of the team immediately of course, and we weren't allowed to start Liege-Bastogne-Liege, all thanks to this jerk. Luckily, the Giro d'Italia boss told us that we were allowed to ride the Giro.
Instead of L-B-L, I will use GP Industria & Artigianato and Giro di Toscana as my last preparation before the Giro. I have agreed with Savio that I will abandon the race about halfway through, so I'm just hoping to pick up a stage win before that.
As usual, it was a boring start of the race, where a breakaway attacked and got a gap. They had nine minutes at the most, but nothing serious.
Barloworld worked very hard at the front. With 78 km to go, they took control over the pack and minimized the gap up to the escapees.
Last time up the climb, and Scarponi counter Pozzovivo’s attack!
1 km later, and I’m attacking too!
Scarponi got up to a group, and I was in no-man’s-land. I didn’t have enough energy to bridge the gap up to Scarponi’s group, so instead I let myself down to Astarloa and Gerrans, and together we tried to work down the gap.
Up in the front again, Scarponi started the sprint in the worst possibly position, at the front, and didn’t have much energy to sprint with. He was doomed even before the sprint started. But he did manage a 6. place, which is a respectable place.
I won the sprint in my group, and finished as number 25.
There’s been more than four months since the season started, and yet I still haven’t got a win! I need to do something about that today, and I will be the leader of the team.
Always smart to have a rider in the break, so we sent our usual breakaway man, Maté.
Soon Maté and his breakaway companions had formed a big group, with some average riders. They held a quite good lead, and were working well together. I was sitting in the pack, wondering which of the two last hills I should use to attack.
The break had now got more than ten minutes, and Barloworld were chasing like maniacs! I felt the pace, but didn’t suffer much from it.
Some guys that did suffer were Lampre’s Gavazzi, two Acqua & Sapone riders and our own Carlos Ochoa. They had all suffered a fall caused by a Ceramica Flaminia rider. Gavazzi had so terrible pains that he abandoned the race.
At the top of the first climb, Bosisio tried his luck. With Maté having a comfortable lead, I was starting to think that the break would last. I didn’t counter, because that would raise the pace in the peloton, and Maté would have a smaller chance to succeed.
But on the second climb, I couldn’t keep myself from attacking anymore, so I went. Maté still had a good lead, along with other three riders that had got over the hilltop.
With 5 km to go, Maté started the mind game. He took the wheel of Agosta, who should be the best sprinter in the group, and was deeply focused. I was in one of the groups behind.
But as the sprint started, Maté hadn’t chosen the right wheel. Canuti had more speed than Agosta, who looked like he was exhausted. Maté desperately jumped onto Canuti’s wheel, and started to pass him with only 50 m left. Could he do it?
Yes! He won, while I’m fighting for a decent result further down the road.
With my teammate ahead, I couldn’t take any relays, so we were almost eaten up by the pack. I’m very glad for Maté, but I screw my chance to get my first victory, and that on my home field, Tuscany.
I’m ready to take on my first Grand Tour, Giro d’Italia. My target is to get a stage win, and do whatever I can to help Simoni to a win. Fortunately for us, the Giro lacks of the great Italian riders like Basso, Di Luca, Cunego and Petacchi. But that doesn’t mean there are no favourites here. Leipheimer, Soler, Bruseghin, Valverde, Samuel Sanchez, F. Schleck, V. Efimkin and Kirchen are just a few of them. Hopefully, Simoni will make it to the podium.
About me, I’m stronger than ever. I just hoped my form would be better, but it’s still improving.
Our team. It’s mostly climbers, but Loddo and Rigotto were selected too, since they promised to sacrifice themselves for Simoni in the mountain stages.
I woke up this morning, aware of the fact that I would very soon ride my first Grand Tour ever in my life. This is huge. Today I will just to all I can to help Simoni to not lose very much time to his competitors. Let's see how it plays out:
With our very lame time trial team, we didn’t stand much a chance against the other teams, so our objective was just don’t lose time to the others.
On the checkpoint, we were dead last. Simoni screamed that we needed to pick up the pace. I did everything I could, but still it wasn’t enough. I was starting get tired, so Simoni went to the front himself, and was going all-in.
Soon the gap to the other teams started to decrease. I stopped taking relays because I was so tired, but I didn’t drop.
Simoni led our team into a very bad time. We were last here too, with almost two minutes up to Team Columbia. I felt bad, because I thought we had ruined Gibo’s chance for a podium place in this year’s Giro. Luckily there’s still lots of stages to come.
Results:
1 Kim Kirchen Team Columbia - High Road 24'45
2 Maxime Monfort Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
3 Tony Martin Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
4 Marcel Sieberg Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
5 Bert Grabsch Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
6 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
7 Kanstantsin Siutsou Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
8 Gustav Larsson Team Saxo Bank + 7
9 Karsten Kroon Team Saxo Bank s.t.
10 Fränk Schleck Team Saxo Bank s.t.
... 194 Francesco Ginanni Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
Second stage and an opportunity for me! Loddo will probably not be able to get over the hills, so I will be our sprinter.
As normally, a break went and got a good lead. Terpstra, Minard and Roelandts is there, and Boom is two minutes ahead of them.
And now some action! Brajkovic goes with 40 km left. It’s just madness, and no one counters. He’s flying past the three-man group, and is coming up to Boom. He managed to come up to him, but with 25 km left and a gap of 32 seconds, they realize that they can’t win.
Second hill, and Scarponi is going for climbing points. His target in this Giro is to take Maglia Verde and help Simoni to a victory. Unfortunately, he attacked too late and Kolobnev was first over the climb, with Scarponi second.
The sprint starts with Mori doing a great lead-out for Ballan, but Kirchen is on his wheel. You can’t see me in the picture, but I’m coming from behind.
Kirchen takes the win ahead of Ballan! Strong sprint by both of them. A bit weird to not see Cav and Benna up here.
I did a great performance, and finished 6. This is just my second GT stage, so I’m very happy with my result. I hope to perform well tomorrow too.
There were some time losses today, and some of the big names got dropped! Cancellara, McEwen and not to mention Vladimir Efimkin lost all more three minutes today! Efimkin is out of the competition for Maglia Rosa now.
Results:
1 Kim Kirchen Team Columbia - High Road 3h22'25
2 Alessandro Ballan Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
3 Fränk Schleck Team Saxo Bank s.t.
4 Franco Pellizotti Liquigas s.t.
5 Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t. 6 Francesco Ginanni Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
7 Luca Paolini Acqua & Sapone - Caffé Mokambo s.t.
8 Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
9 Matti Breschel Team Saxo Bank s.t.
10 Manuele Mori Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
Well, this stage doesn't have many hills towards the end, but I think I can do well in the sprint anyway.
Liquigas tried to use the wind to split the pack. It worked, and that’s great news for Gibo, who’s sitting there. I was in the pack.
But they were brought together only moments later, so this will come down to a sprint for the victory.
And look who’s dropped! Efimkin once again, this time with 60 km left and no teammates with him. What’s wrong with him? Well, tomorrow it’s the mountains, so we’ll see how he’ll do then.
Scarponi tried to get some climbing points, but once again he wasn’t first man over. But despite that, he got Maglia Verde!
The sprint starts, and I’m on a good train. I’m on the wheel of Rast, and ahead of him is Ballan in his point jersey.
PCM0211
Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep riding in that train, and I lost lot’s of energy trying to hang on. Ballan has gone past Elmiger, and is on his way to victory. Will he make it?
Yes, he will! Just ahead of Paolini who came with enormous speed in the last meters. Rast was third. Damn, if I only had enough energy to be on Rast’s will, I’m sure I would’ve got a top-three spot.
Results:
1 Alessandro Ballan Lampre - N.G.C 4h35'40
2 Luca Paolini Acqua & Sapone - Caffé Mokambo s.t.
3 Grégory Rast Astana Cycling Team s.t.
4 Allan Davis Quick·Step s.t.
5 Gert Steegmans Team Katusha s.t.
6 Kim Kirchen Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
7 Daniele Bennati Liquigas s.t.
8 Koldo Fernández de Larrea Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
9 Nicolas Roche AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
10 Mark Cavendish Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
... 24 Francesco Ginanni Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
