Owww! I took yet another tumble this season in Hainan. I'll add it to my growing collection of falls which is mounting up now. I can down hard with several other riders as the pace was winding up. I was in the most dangerous area at the time when perhaps i shouldn't have been.
I don't remember what happened just that i cam down hard on my knee for the thrid time. It is still a bit swollen and very painful. I am trying to finish the race, hoping it will ease in time for me to contend another stage. So far it's not happening and i'm way down on power which is why i hvn't been challenging in the finales since.
I'm not going to put blame on Sky for what happened, but with a proper lead-out i wouldn't have been in that dangerous positions. Yes i could have moved myself around but it's my first season and i'm still learning. Would be nice if the GC guys helped me some more. It's what i'm moving.
Still, i've still got Beijing i can fight for and the Worlds. Apparently some people are saying i could win the U23 RR. Personally i think that's a bit far and am thinking more of a Top10-20 position. The Elite RR is harder to predict. The competition is vastly superior but i'm still one of the strongest in the team. I'll just take it as it comes and any result is a good one.
My first WC event was pretty great. Ultimately i missed the podium finishing 4th, but i was only aiming at challenging for a Top10 position. The GB team was really good and gave me some great support and protection for the majority of the race. In the finale it was up to me and i decided to counter some moves but save energy incase of a sprint finish from a small group.
I could match most of the accelerations until the final lap when the better punchers attacked away and just managed to snap the elastic. The leading trio got a gap to battle for the podium places but i was comfortable with my 4th place.
An amazing learning experience and hopefull i've saved enough energy for the Elite race. I'm still just going to take that race as it comes and see what happens. I'm looking forward to concluding an incredible debut season!
Mark down number 9 everyone. Just one win short of doube digits now following my victory on Stage 4 of the Tour of Beijing. The team moved me up nicely as the pace rose and dropped me onto Stombergs wheel. Having been beaten late on the previous stages of Hainan and Beijing i delayed my sprint as long as i dared before swinging around to take my first ever World Tour level victory!
This is big moment in my season netting that World Tour win. I've proved myself against the biggest riders out there at the top level. A dream scenario would be to win Stage 5 and pass Uran for the Points Jersey as well. I would very happily take either win, i just want that 10 so badly right now.
The season is finished! The final stage of Beijing went to the break and i couldn't overturn the poinst deficit to Uran. This leaves me with 9 wins from the season. I really wanted to get up to 10 but 9 wins as a neo-pro is incredubly impressive. I got my first WT win, a selection of jerseys and other stage and classic wins. Next year i'll hoping to add my first GC win.
It has been a magnificent season. I proved myself with Top10's in huge races like Milan-San Remo. I wore the Pink Jersey at the Giro d'Italia and finished as the best sprinter in the Points Competiton there. The run of form and results since August has been amazing and i have to give huge thanks to the team and especially Eisel. Bernhard has been an amazing teammate and mentor to me and i will miss him more than anyone else on the squad.
Thank you so much to Team Sky for giving me the opportunities this season. They took a risk in signing me and i hope i made it worth while. So i'm moving on to a new team with BMC but i'd like to think i will remain friends with many of the riders and staff at Team Sky. We won the Rankings together and had a great season, thank you yet again.
Shindigs out!
Froome tells you: I want full leadership in the Tour de France
Management: Sure, you can have it. We send you there to defend your title.
Uran tells you: I want to lead the team in a GT this year
Management: Dear Rigoberto, when last time we talked you wanted to train your punchy skills for the hilly classics. We tought this is a good ideea and we planned full leadership for LBL, AMstel and Fleche Wallon with your fellow colombian comrade and friend, Heano as your helper . But if you didnt change your mind and you want a GT so badly after the hard days on the hills, we cand send you to the Vuelta where you can use your experience from last year. There you can co-operate with a former GT winner, from who you can learn a lot and cooperating with him one of you can win. We dream a double podium. Good luck.
Porte tells you: I want leadership in the Giro or Vuelta
Management : We send you to the Giro. Last year was a good experiment there, this year will be even better.
Wiggins tells you: I want to lead a GT again
Sir Bradley, we are just shocked. You told us and even for the public on the pages of The Guardian, that you doesnt want to ride a GT anymore. But nevermind. YOu served the team so much time so well that you can merit the chance. Remember the good old days with Froome in LA Vuelta ? We send you to the Vuelta again. You have the supremacy against the clock to made a big difference there. After that its up to you. If you can stick with the other guys in the mountain, you are the winner. We send with you Mr. Rigoberto Uran to help each other, he can use your experience and can learn from you in the TT, and you can use his great climbing skills. You can do it together, good luck.
Luis Leon Sanchez wrote:
Lol, Uran and Wiggins to la Vuelta. Neither get their GT lead.
Both get his GT lead. Its a lot of example for this in history. Most recent the Wiggo/Frrome pair, but if you remember Ullrich and Bjarne Riis do the same in the 90s
Shindigs
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
