The last race for me ahead of the World Championships and my chance to once more show that I deserve to be nominated. Look at me, all getting high and mighty after just three wins this season, but come on – those three wins surely were nice enough. Is there yet more to come in Britain though?
Believe it or not, but I went into the Tour of Britain with a boost of confidence and form as I was declared captain of the team. Fabio Sabatini would be the man for the sprints, while Formolo and Bennett would go for breakaway wins. Paolo Longo Borghini and Edward King would use the Tour of Britain as a late race for the legs, a bit of calm pedaling basically. The big favourite of the race was no one else than Richie Porte from Team Sky.
Stage 1 from Carlisle to Kendal offered a small, but steep hill as finish. The high pace of the peloton made it split close to the sprint, but I had a great position. Fabio and I were riding close together, each of us granting a bit of protection here and there. When the sprint came, I held onto Fabio’s wheel because I knew that he’d be a man for this stage. Adam Blythe from NTFO won the race, and I came in surprisingly 3rd ahead of Fabio. I once more thanked him for this great job and he replied, it was the least he could do after my performance at Giro del Veneto.
On the second stage, I was wearing the jerseys of the best young rider. It suited me quite well, although it was mostly just the same jersey as the regular one with some additional lines. Maybe I shouldn’t have looked at my jersey so much since I crashed! Yup, it got me once more. I was laying o the ground and the guys were riding past me. I was feeling like an animal being presented in an auction house. All those guys were looking at me and I was just trying to fix my bike and wait for the mechanic then.
He came, and I quickly got back upfront. However, on the road to our destination in Kendal, there was a small climb we had to take on. While Fabio Duarte won the stage, I had suffered quite a bit and felt my injuries. I lost around 25 seconds and came in 8th, alongside Michel Friedman, who was in the break of the day. A result I was okay with since it kept me further in the Top 10 of the classification. The peloton came in a bit behind me, led by Adam Blythe.
Next up was the 16 km long time trial around Knowsley as stage 3. If you remember Eneco Tour’s two TT you might know that I suck at time trials and I didn’t really improve since then. I lost nearly a minute onto Porte, who won the race, and as a result I dropped about one place and currently held 7th.
But you may also know that back at the Eneco Tour, I came back after the time trial and won a stage. And boy, it must be my version of the rest day, because I had great legs on the next day. My teammate Bennett was upfront throughout the stage on this hilly route. However, the pace of the stage was really high and eventually, when the attacks came, I was glad he was up there. I followed Porte and others and together with reached the break of the day, where Bennett protected me a bit from the wind, closed small gaps and that stuff. Thanks to him I may just had enough energy to make it over that steep, final climb, 10 kilometers from the finish line. I didn’t quite make it with Porte, Duarte and the others, but I was fast enough to be able to catch up to them in the downhill. That was a great feeling, and as a result of my coming back, I kept the last wheel. We entered Llanberis out of a turn with some high speed, and I had the toughest time to get through the rows of the 9 others guy around me.
While I had the legs and all, I was trapped for some time on the right side and just couldln’t get upfront. Only at 200 meters, when the pace was high enough, there were finally gaps and I slipped through one of those in some mere seconds. Though I felt immediately the wind pushing me behind, I still had enough power to push those pedals down and down. Left, right, left, right… left, right. The riders left and right from here where right on my line, when I crossed it. But I crossed it first, and was able to celebrate my fourth victory this season!
@sutty68: Hehe, "good"... yeah, that's a word to describe it so I guess you can say that.
Ian Butler wrote:
Jesus.
He's just on fire. It seems he's finally getting used to roads instead of dirt.
Yeah, he's finally making progress on the hills. Unlocking that potential step by step.
Please don't leave cyclocross !
Cyclo-Cross still fits this kind of reporting the best in my opinion.
CX, Flanders, Ardennes, Lombardia, CX... Repeat until retirement. On the downside,he won't do much stage racing and especially Grand Tours (Or at least, I'll still need to improve on that stage racing reporting formular with him )
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
From Machynlleth I departed on stage 5 with some incredible confidence after my stage win on the previous day. It was another hilly stage and two steep short climbs waited at the end, however the finale ended in a flat sprint. Claderon won from the break of the day for 4-72 – Colombia, while I struggled and lost the ground onto Porte and Zilioli (my rival for the best young rider jersey here – I’m totally pulling off that jersey!).
However, I gained some time on Huzarski and Duarte, which helped me a bit and I moved forward onto 4th overall. I set my aims onto the Podium of the General Classification now.
My last chance was on the next day to achieve that little goal of mine though. Three steep climbs, the Exmouth, Morethonhampstead and the finish in Haytor proved to be quite a challenge. And yes, those names are real. There was some drama early on, when Richie Porte crashed, wearing the leader’s jersey and I think Androni increased the pace. But the Aussie got easily back in time for the finale climbs. Unfortunately my teammate Bennett fell also victim to this very rainy stage on the way to Haytor. Just in time for the finale though, the sun came out to accompany us. Good riddance, my legs felt way better than. There was a 5 men group up there, and when we accelerated onto the finale kilometers (it was a short finishing climb), I would have nearly caught Quintero. However, the man from the break managed to win the stage ahead of his teammate Duarte.
I came in 4th behind Porte and ahead of Sulzberger, and look there – there was a gap and I was on the podium apparently now. Zilioli was quite some time behind me now, while Huzarski was only 4 seconds apart from me. Whatever it was worth, I might have had a shot at the second spot on the podium as well.
Luck wasn’t on my side though on the next two, finale stages. Those were flat and many breakaway riders tried their luck. I didn’t even bother trying, but hoped for some bonus seconds or a winning late attack. None of them even came close to working.
But I was good and alright. I think I can be proud of this stage race, it’s my first podium in an overall classification and it feels great to stand up there alongside Porte and Huzarski in London. Lots of red-haired, British hipster girls like such young skinny Italian-Austrian guys, so I end up signing some autographs for the first time since Rome, and spend some days in London as well. I thought I’d have some days off, but merely days before the World Championships, well – I get a call.
So yes, I got a late night-call and it was the hoped late call to the World Championships squad. Apparently my coach has advised the national coach of Italy to sign me up. It wasn’t my first World Championships, I have participated in some road racing ones in my youth years and of course I had some experience from Cyclo-Cross, but this – this was a whole different thing.
It was huge, a gigantic circus. Crowds seemingly build up layers on each other. Every team was hectic, their chiefs and mechanics rotating around the cyclists like little helicopters. The fans and the Media, so damn excited. Kings and queens, groupies and bicycle thieves. They all were here. I spared no thought for them. I thought: I want that jersey. Some day.
WC ITT
(played as Team USA)
I had some training rides in Spain and didn’t really watch the race. I just caught some glimpses of the highlights on the television later in the night when I couldn’t find some sleep. Chris Froome won the race. Incredibly-wise, Luke Dorbridge, Michal Kwiatkowski and Bradley Wiggins all had the exact gap behind Froome. They had to take into account the split seconds there to determine the two medalists for silver and bronze. Dorbridge and Kwiatkowski got lucky then, while Bradley Wiggins lost out so unbelievably close on a medal.
If you wonder, where Tony Martin was: He’s injured, and probably would have had a great chance of getting another title. Alas, it was Froome’s title to take this year. Best American was Taylor Phinney, while Malori was the best at 10th for the Italian Team.
Time Trial World Championships Ponferrada, Results
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Chris Froome
Team Sky
1h05'02
2
Luke Durbridge
Orica GreenEdge
+ 55
3
Michał Kwiatkowski
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
4
Bradley Wiggins
Team Sky
s.t.
5
Taylor Phinney
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'18
6
Peter Velits
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'29
7
Fabian Cancellara
Trek Factory Racing
s.t.
8
Tom Dumoulin
Team Giant - Shimano
+ 1'31
9
Rohan Dennis
Garmin Sharp
s.t.
10
Adriano Malori
Movistar Team
+ 1'36
Spoiler
11
Rigoberto Urán
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
+ 1'47
12
Johan Le Bon
FDJ.fr
+ 1'48
13
Lieuwe Westra
Astana Pro Team
+ 1'54
14
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'56
15
Dario Cataldo
Team Sky
+ 1'57
16
Beñat Intxausti
Movistar Team
s.t.
17
Luis León Sánchez
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
+ 1'58
18
Michael Rogers
Tinkoff - Saxo
s.t.
19
Simon Spilak
Team Katusha
+ 2'04
20
Alex Dowsett
Movistar Team
+ 2'07
21
Svein Tuft
Orica GreenEdge
+ 2'10
22
Alberto Contador
Tinkoff - Saxo
+ 2'12
23
Dmitriy Gruzdev
Astana Pro Team
+ 2'16
24
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Team Sky
+ 2'17
25
Maciej Bodnar
Cannondale
+ 2'19
26
Jan Barta
Team NetApp - Endura
+ 2'23
27
Roman Kreuziger
Tinkoff - Saxo
+ 2'25
28
Patrick Gretsch
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 2'26
29
Mikhail Ignatiev
Team Katusha
+ 2'27
30
Robert Gesink
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
31
Jérémy Roy
FDJ.fr
+ 2'31
32
Bob Jungels
Trek Factory Racing
+ 2'34
33
Damien Howson
Orica GreenEdge
+ 2'36
34
Julien Vermote
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
+ 2'37
35
Jonathan Castroviejo
Movistar Team
+ 2'38
36
Rasmus Quaade
Team TreFor - Blue Water
+ 2'40
37
Stef Clement
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 2'41
38
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin Sharp
+ 2'44
39
Janez Brajkovič
Astana Pro Team
+ 2'46
40
Peter Sagan
Cannondale
+ 2'47
41
Nelson Oliveira
Lampre - Merida
+ 2'49
42
Yoann Paillot
Team La Pomme Marseille
s.t.
43
Gustav Erik Larsson
IAM Cycling
+ 2'50
44
Leopold König
Team NetApp - Endura
s.t.
45
Kristof Vandewalle
Trek Factory Racing
+ 2'51
46
Jakob Fuglsang
Astana Pro Team
+ 3'01
47
Daryl Impey
Orica GreenEdge
+ 3'02
48
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Astana Pro Team
+ 3'03
49
Michael Albasini
Orica GreenEdge
+ 3'07
50
Carlos Betancur
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 3'08
51
Manuele Boaro
Tinkoff - Saxo
+ 3'11
52
Moreno Moser
Cannondale
+ 3'14
53
Jens Voigt
Trek Factory Racing
+ 3'15
54
Sergio Henao
Team Sky
+ 3'17
55
Christophe Kern
Team Europcar
+ 3'22
56
Riccardo Zoidl
Trek Factory Racing
+ 3'25
57
Kristjan Koren
Cannondale
+ 3'30
58
Martin Velits
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
+ 3'34
59
José Gonçalves
Team La Pomme Marseille
+ 3'37
60
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
+ 3'46
61
Vladimir Isaychev
Team Katusha
+ 3'47
62
Matthias Brändle
IAM Cycling
+ 3'50
63
Lawson Craddock
Team Giant - Shimano
+ 3'52
64
Martin Elmiger
IAM Cycling
+ 3'58
65
Christian Meier
Orica GreenEdge
+ 3'59
66
Daniel Martin
Garmin Sharp
+ 4'04
67
Andreas Hofer
Team Vorarlberg
+ 4'08
68
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 4'12
69
Alexey Lutsenko
Astana Pro Team
+ 4'14
70
Mateusz Taciak
CCC Polsat Polkowice
+ 4'15
71
Marcel Wyss
IAM Cycling
+ 4'16
72
Michael Hutchinson
-
+ 4'26
73
Ivan Casas
-
+ 4'27
74
Marcus Christie
An Post - Chain Reaction
+ 4'36
75
Mateusz Nowak
CCC Polsat Polkowice
+ 4'37
76
Fränk Schleck
Trek Factory Racing
+ 4'42
77
Jacobus Venter
MTN - Qhubeka
+ 4'43
Road Race
(played as Team USA)
Presumably a perfect course for the Italian squad. We stood at the frontlines right where the Spanish armada blew to the full-on attack. Surprisingly, Joaquim Rodriguez wasn’t selected, whom I consider, after some encounters on the roads, a real favourite for the race. Instead Spain went with Double winner Valverde.
Yes, that's mean: #99.
I kept myself hidden mostly in the race, although I was occasionally ordered to get bottles and work a bit. Moser, Ulissi and Giovanni Visconti were our guys for the race, while I had simpler duties. Now and then I had to take the turns in the front of the bunch, when the gap got a bit too big. While there were largely class-A riders featured in the break of the day, one name still stood out: Mark Cavendish. Yes, The Manx Missile apparently really wanted to show himself and since working for Froome may not have been an option, he just went into the attack.
The race started to get serious only in the last few laps. At 28 kilometers remaining, Ryder Hesjedal showed his Canadian jersey and went on to lead the former break of the day. Sagan and Kwiatkowski tried their luck too, however weren’t so lucky. Eventually most of the break gets caught though, but this just means new room for attacks: This time it was World Champion defender Rui Costa alongside Slagter at the 15 kilometer left mark. Both were followed by Zdenek Stybar. Ridiculously though, he suffered a puncture immediately after he broke out of the peloton…
Just as Cavendish gets reeled in, Kwiatkowski makes another move
When we hit the 10 kilometers the last rider of the break, Mark Cavendish, got reeled in. Wow, he nearly would have made it. He received deservedly a lot of claps on his back, but a world class man like him might not care too much for that? Kwiatkowski was the first to push again hard. Quintana, Daniel Martin and Nicholas Roche tried to follow. Sagan and Valverde meant to react but us Italians were hard chasing at that point, and they couldn’t get away. With attacks by Van Avermaet and Betancur we lost control over the peloton though. I was upfront and I felt how nervous the peloton was. Many riders dropped as the attacks continued. The next time it was Contador again and again, followed by Gilbert. Sagan tried it once more. It was pure hectic. I didn’t see much most of the time, but word was passing through the peloton. In the downhill, the attacks didn’t stop but eventually Contador and Sagan broke free for good after trying it so furiously. It had been chaos, and it’d only stop in one way: When the race finished…
I later learned that Kwiatkowski got caught by Quintana and Martin. Nicholas Roche didn’t manage to catch up, otherwise Ireland would have had a perfect stage for a victory. Still Daniel Martin had the legs today, as he attacked with two kilometers left and he succeeded in keeping Quintana and Kwiatkowski at bay. He crossed the line in solo-manner and Ireland could celebrate another legend yet, the nephew of Stephen Roche. Truly a great win for the Irishman. He only was able to celebrate two wins this season, but since those were Fleche Wallone and the World Championships… well, the season surely was a success for him. Quintana outsprinted Kwiatkowski in the finale, the polish rider took thereby his second bronze medal here in Ponferrada.
I arrive in the peloton and do some sprinting. Surprisingly I wasn’t that tired or exhausted, and I think there could have been way much more possible. The itlaian team really disappointed here and we hoped for much more. I’m placed 31st at the end of the day. An angry team coach welcomes me back at the finish line.
I saw Giovanni Visconti on 5th and started celebrating already, but then I read "Movistar Team" and I was totally disappointed.
All in all a good race for Raphael, considering he finished in the group of Sagan. It was just sprint which decided at the end. Not bad result at all for the first time in WCs, as you really need some experience to get a good result there! (Quintana, Kwiat, Sagan and Moser are wonderkids, they do not count).
admirschleck wrote:
I saw Giovanni Visconti on 5th and started celebrating already, but then I read "Movistar Team" and I was totally disappointed.
I actually think about changing his name because it annoys me too. Initially I didn't think of Giovanni Visconti when coming up with the name, since it's based on a story I once wrote. Thinking something along the lines of Medici or so, to keep in line with the "Italian Aristocracy". Edited by Shonak on 18-04-2014 11:21
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
On the downside,he won't do much stage racing and especially Grand Tours (Or at least, I'll still need to improve on that stage racing reporting formular with him 
)
