The plan for today was pretty simple for me, get Froomey to the front of the race, then stay there if you can. I managed to get Froomey to the front, then as we expected he attacked, but I managed to stay with Rodriguez and then jump him for second so that was a good feeling, as I wasn't expecting to do so well, this early in the season. Adam
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Today we knew we had the strength to split he race over the first climb, so we got all the guys to the front and as soon as we hit the climb we upped the tempo, and we shredded the field to bits, but we should of been more careful about who was able to follow us and how many team mates we had left as we split the peloton to 8 of us , but we only had Voigt, Froomey, me and Simon. Although we kept the pace high and almost stayed away to the finish, but we were dead and the bunch caught us with about 1 kilometre to go, but by that time Sagan had gone and won the stage with about a minute back to the peloton. Adam
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The plan for today was to let the break go, and to try and relax and recover for tomorrow, so we put Joe (Dombrowski) in the break and just let them go, but then Ivan told us that Talansky was in the break and was only 11 minutes down with the break holding a 14 minute lead, so we started to chase and by the finish the gap was just over 5 minutes, so we are quite happy with that, the only thing is that Sagan slipped away over the top of the final climb, and gained a minute on Froomey, but he'll take it back tomorrow. Adam
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We knew today would be a hard day, and Froomey wanted to take time on Sagan before the time trial as he has been ridding well this week, so you can't bet against him. He attacked up the third climb, although it wasn't really an attack, just a slight change in ace, so that just shows what sort of form, he's in at the minute. He decided to keep it going so I tried to get across to him on the descent, which I managed to do so we worked together to get across to Kiri, who was in the break and did a monster turn on the front at an unbelievable tempo for like 40 kilometres or something ridiculous, so then I set the pace up the penultimate climb, and then Froomey went, at the top he had about 2 minutes on Quintana, but he slowed off on the descent as he knew that Sagan was way dropped, so he cruised into the finish. Adam
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Today was all about riding as hard as you can for as long as you can, and I think I did pretty well you know, I never would of expected to beat Chris the way he is riding at the minute, so I am very happy with second today, but also to get 6th overall, when I have been working for Froomey, I think is a very good performance and shows that I am among the best in the world at what I do. So I'll try to improve further so that I can be the best in the world, because I don't want to be among the best, I want to be the best and if I have to train all the time, then so be it because I want to win, as I love racing my bike and I love winning. Adam
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The Yates Twin are two of cycling's two hottest talents at the minute, with Simon recently winning the Tour Down Under, and Adam last year won the King of the Mountains at the Giro d'Italia, so I sat down with them to see how their second year as a professional is going.
Hey Simon, how's the year going for you so far?
Simon: Well it's going pretty well, I mean I never imagined I could win the Tour Down Under as I wasn't the team leader, but I just kept myself out of trouble and then gained time bonuses on the sprint stages, which I don't think any of us were expecting, for us to dominate the sprints like that. Then Oman was a great race for me as I wasn't expecting to be anywhere on GC, with a mountain top finish like that, and with the quality of riders that were there, it was amazing, I knew the stage after would suit me well, so we made a plan for me to attack the first time up the climb and then work for Adam or Richie if they came across but they didn't so I got the stage, which I am very happy about. Paris Nice was completely different for me as I was just there to ride for the team, but I was very disappointed that I didn't win the stage when my teammates had shredded the bunch, and rode like machines all day, but I'm working on that so it will be different next time.
So Adam how's your season going?
Adam:Well I think it's going well, you know I'm hitting my numbers, but my season is all about the Giro and Tour, so I'm not trying to get into the form Simon is, but I've put in some solid results, with second at the Tour Down Under, which didn't suit me really as I would of preferred to have a few more hilly stages, but I got a stage win so I think that showed I was in good form. Then Oman was a good race for me as I took the overall, and the team worked very well for me, and I'm delighted as it was my first ever GC victory in a race, and I got a stage that I wasn't expecting to win as the climbs were good for me, so I just had to defend on the difficult stages. I'm also very satisfied with my ride at the Commonwealth Games as it was a great opportunity to race for England with Simon, so I was ver happy to get two silver medals and for Simon to get two bronze, I mean later in the year I think Simon may be doing a few races on the track, while I'm at the tour, but that's not confirmed yet, so we'll have to see.
What training are you doing differently, than you were last year?
Well up until Paris Nice I was training to be more of a GC rider with a focus on the Ardennes Classic, but after Paris Nice I changed coach, and I'm now being coached by the same coach who was Peter Sagan's coach when he was at Cannondale, so I'm more focusing on the Ardennes Classic and Sprinting, as I hope to win the green jersey at the tour in the future and maybe win Flèche Wallone, so I'm not going to focus on riding for GC as it ruins my stint, as we saw in Paris Nice when Sgan smashed me in the sprint.
Personally I'm doing more climb specific work to work on my accelerations when attacking on the climbs, but I've also done a lot of work on my time trial positioning as this the first opportunity, I've ever had at working in a wind tunnel, so I thought I should put it to good use, and have worked on every aspect of my Time Trial, so maybe that's why I'm doing so much better than I was last year. Although at the minute I'm trying to build up so strong form before the Giro, which is my biggest goal for the season, as I will have a very strong ten behind me.
What's different from Netapp at Cannondale?
Well for me it's just that Cannondale are a lot more organised, and have a lot more specific goals for racing, where as at Netapp we just wanted to race the best we could. Although we do get a lot more opportunities to race for ourselves at Netapp, we get a lot more chances to ride the biggest races in the world, at Cannondale, for example we have ridden the Tour down Under and Paris ice already and last year we didn't get to ride a Worldtour race before the Giro.
Personally I enjoy Cannondale more as it is a lot more structured, and I enjoy being organised and knowing what we are going to do, so we have a lot more specific tactics and plans for the race meaning that if your the leader for that race, then everyone has to ride for you, rather than what happened at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, when Eddy started riding for himself, half way through the race, although he did the right thing as we wanted to win the race.
What's it like riding with the best riders in the world, like Matt Goss and Chris Froome?
It's great because Gossy is such a down to earth guy, that he's just great to learn from as we can talk about anything, and he knows what to say to help me develop as he is such a smart guy, you know, he's very witty and knows how to lighten the mood when the team is down, but I think that's just the Australian coming through. Where as Froomey is much more Tactically aware, he knows when to attack and how to race, and I think that is a big asset to the team as he really knows what he's talking about, so it's great for us as we learn tactically from Chris as he has such an in-depth knowledge of the sport, but also sometimes he can ride like a machine as he is used to suffering for hours on end so he is a great asset to have on the team.
I love riding with Chris and Richie as it helps me to develop as a rider, as they are two riders that are on the top of the world at the minute so it's great to have the opportunity to race and train with them as I have to work harder than I ever have before, meaning I get better. So yeah, its a great honour to get to work for these greats of the sport and for them to help me to win in the smaller races. It's also great to ride with riders like Gossy as he is a great guy and it's amazing how such a great bike rider can be so down to earth, with all the media attention he gets, especially after winning Milan San Remo for the third time this year, and his second in two years. So it's great that he is still willing to help younger riders get a win like he did for Simon and Caleb Ewan at the Tour Down Under.
What are you expecting from the rest of the season
My big goal for the season is the Ardennes Classics, so I am hoping to get a top 10 in all of them and maybe a top 5 in Amstel Gold, as the final climb really suits my style of riding. Then I aim to help Adam to get a top 3 at the Giro and maybe get a stage win when we hit the higher hills but I will try to help Gossy in the sprints. Then I may ride the commonwealth games on the track, depending on my form, but then I hope to win a stage again at the Vuelta dn help Richie to win the GC and Gossy to win the points jersey, and if he's not able to then I think that I am capable of winning it.
For me I want to get a podium at the Giro, and maybe even the win because I am in great form at the minute so I think that a win is possible and I would be very disappointed if I didn't get a top 5 or a stage win as I am in perhaps the form of my life, so I hope that I can do my leadership justice. Then I will ride the tour in the service of Froomey as he tries to win his second tour, and I think the way he is riding at the moment he may be able to win 5 if not more, and I see it as an honour to help him to win the tour as it shows that I am a great rider, but I've also been offered the opportunity to ride for myself on some stages, so maybe I can get myself a stage win. Then I will try to win the Worlds as Chris has decided to sit it out for this year, as the course doesn't suit him as much as last year, so I'll be leading the team and I hope it's my opportunity to win the race.
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Today we knew would be a hard race, and we wanted to make sure that it was a hard race as we knew that if we did then Gossy would get the stage, so we tried to keep Simon, Gossy and Froomey in reserve for the finish, so we rode hard from the gun, and then Contador crashed so we upped the pace as we onew he was strong at the minute so we knew we had to take the time when we could. I rode hard on the front with Richie for the last 50 km to make sure he didn't get back and then Froomey upped the pace on the final climb and split the race to 13 riders at the front, so a lot of his rivals suffered today so that was good for us, it's a bit of a shame that me, Richie and Mikel lost time, but it doesn't matter as we're not the team leader, so we just need to do ur job to the full, and to gain 5 minutes on Contador Van den Broeck and Gesink is a great bonus for Froomey. Adam
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Today we knew would be a key stage, so we decided that we would all try to win the race as we knew that whoever won would be in a great place to go for the GC later in the week, so we all went flat out and I think that the best rider won today as Froomey rode a great time trail, but I'm delighted for Simon as he did great to get second in a race that featured some of the best time trailers in the world, so he's in brat shape which is good news for him. Adam
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Today was a good stage for us as we controlled the race all day, and we worked very well as the team, meaning we will be very strong at the Tour as we will have a very strong team to support Chris in the mountains. We knew we had to control the race today, so we made sure we set a very fast pace to shred the bunch which we managed and by the time Froomey hit the final climb, he still had Richie with Contador and Moreno with him, but they weren't able to stay with them, so Richie paced Froome all the way to the line where he gave him the victory, which was great as he knew it was down to his team that he seems almost certain to win the race, with Richie in second and 3rd place over 5 minutes down. Adam
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Today we knew that Chris wanted to attack, but with 30 kilometres from the summit of the final climb, we didn't think that he'd be able to make it stick, so when we saw him attack and we didn't catch him it was a surprise to all of us as we were sure it was going to be for Gossy today. It just shows how strong he is as he is dominating this race so we should be happy with the way the team is ridge as we were the only team with all 9 riders at the front of the race today, so we all rode incredibly well. Adam
Stage 5 - Flat Road Race.
It's always great to be able to finish off a victory when you're team mates have worked so hard for you all day, so I'm really happy with today as the team were so strong today and we showed it as we were able to hold off the pack, and then I could come through to finish it off, so yeah i'm very happy to finish off the team's handwork because I'm just the guy who goes for it at the finish but these guys have to work hard all day everyday to get me into the position to win. Yeah I'm disappointed for Matt as he punctured in the last few kilometres and I didn't realise until 2 km to go when I heard Ivan telling Gossy to sit up and wait for the bunch as he wasn't going to get back to us.
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Today was a horrible stage as all this climb just made it a hell on wheels, I mean I think everyone was dead by the end, and I think the toughest rider won as Richie is a real fighter, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, so he deserves to win today. I think I've secured the KoM Jersey so that's good, but it just shows how strong Froomey is when he can manage without any teammates, and then just sit up on the final climb and cruise in behind everyone, as he's on superb form and I think everyone can see that. Adam
Stage 7 - Flat Road Race.
The team plan for today is to just relax and enjoy Froomey's win and if it comes down to a sprint then so be it, we'll try and put Gossy in a position to win and then see what happens, but we aren't to fussed about winning today. The stage was really strange to start off with Uran (4th on GC) tried to go in the break, but we weren't to fussed as he was 15 minutes down, so we sat up and then Lampre came to the front and chased trying to work it for Degenkolb, but we just didn't want to chase so we didn't, I think it was just a last ditch attempt to win the race, but a move like that would never work so Froomey told us to just sit back and see what happens for now. I had a bit of a go to just pick up a few KoM points, but the bunch sat up behind so I kept going and managed to get across to the breakaway, which contained Bardet (Lotto), Monfort (Rapha), Vaugrenard (FDJ), Cobo (Euskaltel), Wegemann (Radioshack) and Geschke of Argos, so it was a pretty strong group of riders so we worked hard to gain a gap. We got about 8 minutes, and I just realised I could be moving up to a top 5 on GC, so I started working harder as that would be great for me. We had that much of a lead that we lapped the bunch on the finishing circuit, so that was great as it motivated us to gain more time. With about 10 kilometres to go, I saw the break ease a bit so I put in a dig, and when I saw I got a gap, I put my head down and just went for it, it feels great to finish the week off with a stage win and the KoM Jersey, when I was just here as a teammate. Adam
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Wow, I'm so happy with that as I never expected to win the race, as I knew it suited me but I thought that I wouldn't have the experience to win it. When I realised Valverde had gone, I thought my chance of the win was over, but my teammates worked really well for me and when I saw him up the road, I was amazed that we had been able to close down on him, so I sprinted across in case he accelerated again, but he didn't so Gossy came across to me and started to work on the front, which was great as he could of won in that situation. Then when we hit the fink climb I just drove as hard as I could and when I looked back he'd blown so I kept going and I didn't think I'd win it until I crossed the line. We made sure we put Jens in the breaks we knew that would be a good guy to have there for later in case the race blew apart, but it didn't really react the way we thought it would, but it actually made it better for us as our team is super strong and the victory just showed what a great team effort we'd put in because this race wasn't won today, it was won at our training camp in January when we started to plan for this, so we deserve this win, and I'm going to enjoy it while I can. Simon
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Today was another great day for me as we all rode brilliantly as a team. We put Moreno into the break, so that he would be there for Froomey as we planned for him to attack the first time up the Huy, and if nobody reacted then great he would get the win, but then if they did later in the race then I would follow and I'd have two teammates at the front of the race. When I saw nobody follow Froome, I knew that it would be a fast finish, as riders like Valverde are bound to attack towards the finish so when they did I was able to follow, and then Froomey did some great work for me to get us a lead into the bottom of the climb, and from then on I knew I would be capable of winning the race, and I did so I am very happy and the team rode tactically and read the race perfectly today, so yeah I'm very happy to win two of my target race in the space of a few days. Simon
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I'm satisfied with today's race as we rode really well as a team, it was just my performance that was a bit disappointing. We put Ian into the break so we could sit back, but in hindsight that was a mistake as it left us with not as may riders than I would of hoped for. On the final climb, I should of waited until the final kilometre as the climb was a lot harder than I was expecting so I wasn't able to attack from the bottom like in Amstel and Flèche, but I've got to be happy as we rode well as a team and I have come away with two wins that I wasn't expecting, so I think I've got to be positive because you can't win everything. Simon
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I'm very happy with my ride today as the Time Trial was a bit short for me, so my aim was to just limit the gap to the better time trailers, so I'm delighted to finish in the top 10. I'm happy for Pete as he did a great ride to win today, and he may be able to hold onto that for a few days, but I don;t think he'd be expecting to win the race overall, but maybe he is, I think the field is very strong so I don't think I will win the race but you never know really. Adam
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Today we knew that we just had to stay out of trouble so we gave the guys free reign, but me, Mikel and Teo were to stay in the bunch, so that we were fresh for the more difficult stages to come, so I'm happy to just stay in the bunch, we tested a few legs by accelerating on the climb, in the hope that we could drop the sprinters, but we weren't able to as there were a lot of fresh legs in the group, so we backed off and regrouped. Adam
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Today the team rode very well for me, with Teo doing a super ride in the break to show how strong we all know he is at the moment. I'm happy with my performance as I finished in the front group, so I'm still high on GC before we hit the high mountains, and Mikel and Joe are still up there so it shows we have a lot of strength in depth. I'm happy for Pete as we do a lot of training together when we are in the UK, so it's great to see him getting some great performances, and I think the future is looking good for British Cycling as we have a lot of young guys winning on the world stage. Adam
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Today I just wanted to not lose any time, and if possible, get myself some time back on the leader, so that I don't have as big a gap in the mountains, when the race will suit me a lot more, but I think that we should of brought a more hilly classic specialist like Simon or Gossy, so that we could get some wins so that I have less pressure in the mountains, but we have bigger goals for the season so I think that any result will be good for us as we admit thart our team isn't the strongest we could of fielded but we have a lot of experience in our team, so it should benefit us. Adam
Stage 4 - Mountainous Road Race.
Today we knew we had to make our move if we wanted to win the GC, so we decided that we would try to make it hard over the climbs, to drop any of the riders in the top few that aren't feeling good, or are hilly classic specialist. We knew that I would be best placed on the GC, so Mikel said that he would help me on the climbs, meaning that he was very well suited to put some hurt on the other riders. We put Canuti and King on the front until we hit the climb and then we got De Marchi to ride as hard as he could for as long as he could, and then get out the way so that Teo could increase it if he could, so then the bunch would be shredded to pieces. We made sure that we had Caruso and Mikel for the last two climbs, as we knew that we could rely on them to make it hard for everyone, so we used the other guys to control the race. I was really surprised that Caruso managed to keep going onto the final climb, but that really suited us as it was a very long climb. Then Mikely hit it and I think we should of got him to ease off a bit as he split the group to 5, but I didn't make it so he sat up and waited, so I'm happy as I moved up a place on GC and there are still some interesting days to come, so I'm looking forward to the days ahead as my legs are quite good, I'll have to be careful that i don't use all my legs before the Giro. Adam
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I knew that I may suffer today as when we tested the course it was a lot flatter than I was expecting so it really didn't suit me, and I'm absolutely gutted as I dropped two places on GC, luckily the Giro doesn't have any pan flat time trials, so the route suits me a lot more or I would be starting to worry. I think i have showed I can be consistent so I'm looking forward to the Giro, but I'll have to try and use my energy wisely. Adam
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