News 2005

News 2005/02

5. Mai, UNIQA Classic - Stage 3
During the last stage I had to work very hard. First I had to controll a rider who was only one second behind me in the overall classification in an intermediate sprint for a time bonus. Then exactly that rider escaped with a few others. Thanks to my teammates we managed to catch the leading group just before the next intermediate sprint. In this place I would like to thank my team, they worked very hard and I had their full support during the UNIQA.
In the last climb about 20 km from the finish there was one attack after the other. Whenever one of the riders in the topten of the overall classification attacked, I went with them. I felt great today. All the attacks and changes of rythm were no problem for me. A small group broke away near the sprint for king of the mountain. Now the team of the leader had to chase them. The speed never dropped below 50 km/h, but the gap to the leaders was reduced only very slowly. At the finish they still had 14 seconds advantage. Now two riders out of that group had the same time as myself in the final overall classification. In the end only a few hundredth of a second decided in my favour. On top of that a rider who was in front of me dropped back and I made up another place in the overall classification. So this tour ended with a big success for me......
4. Mai, UNIQA Classic - Stage 2
Another fine day today, even though the weather was not good. I placed myself well in the peleton and had exactly the legs that I needed today. We had with Kamil a man of our team in a breakaway group, wich was favourable for us. I attacked at the start of the last climb, but I couldn't get away. When I got caught another small group attacked and I tried to follow them. But the rythm was too fast, so I waited for the next group behind me. The leading group with Kamil got caught and overtaken. After the king of the mountain a few more riders managed to get in to our group from behind. Two teammates of mine worked very hard to catch the leaders. We caught them not far from the finish. In the sprint I went for it with 300 m to go on the left side of the road and got up to 3. place. A fantastic feeling!
In the overall classification I made up two places, what do I want more......
3. Mai, UNIQA Classic - Stage 1
Soon after the start there was a breakaway of two men. My roommate Florian Stalder was one of them. Already in the first climb Florian dropped the other rider. He continued solo for over 120 km, riding very strong. The team of the leader controlled the peleton. Then when all the breakaways got caught, it was clear that there was going to be a mass sprint at the finish. I didn't take part in it, because my legs did not feel good today.
I made up a place in the overall classification. Stalder has the leaders jerseys for king of the mountain and intermediate sprint. A super day for our team!
2. Mai, UNIQA Classic - Prolog
In the morning I was able to use my new timetrail-bike for the first time, and only a few hours later I rode it in a competition. We had to change the armpads on the handlebar slightly, otherwise the new bike was perfect. I had a funny feeling before the start of the race and wasn't sure whether everything was going to work out well or not.

As I left the startingramp I immediatly found a good rythm. All the uncertainties were gone. I had memorized the 8 km circuit in my head and fought for every second. At the turningpoint halfway I knew I was going to have a fast time, because I got closer to the riders that started in front of me. So I gave everything I had. At the finish it was 8. place, but there were still a few more riders on the road. At the end of the race I had 10. place. My first topten result as a pro! I am very happy and I am looking forward to the next stages.......
24. April, Giro del Appennino
Today nothing went right. I still felt the Giro del Trentino right down to my bones. I felt bad, and on top of that the wet and cold weather. Then on the decend of the first mountain I had a crash. It just wasn't my day.
In a right hand corner, a rider who was behind me got on to the brakes too late. He lost it, and had nowhere to go but crash in to me. His bike hit mine, and I fell on top of his handlebar........
I had some abrasion on my right hand, and the right elbow hurt. But lucky, nothing serious. I told the crash pilot what I thought of him on got back on my bike. A bit later I even got back in to the peleton. But my "moral" was gone. At the feeding station I abandoned the race.
Now I need to rest and recover, then I will concentrate and prepare for the next competitions. Mai could be a successful month, because there are a few races who suit me very well.
22. April, Giro del Trentino - Stage 4
The pace was not fast right from the start of the stage as it has been in the past few days. Lucky, because my body has not recovered well. The leaders team controlled the race, so nobody could get away and riders who got dropped were able to get back in to the peleton. So at the finish of the stage there was a bunch sprint. I was able to get in to a good position. Also the crash that usually happens in a mass sprint was behind me. During the last few hundred meters I sprinted past a few opponents and ended up in 14. place. This result has given me a lot of selfconfidence. Now I know, in a stage like this, anything is possible.......
I don't have to ride the criterium tomorrow. Only three riders per team can start. I will use the race free day to recharge my batteries. They are empty now!
21. April, Giro del Trentino - Stage 3
In todays stage things didn't work out the way I wanted. The pace was very fast right from the start. It was impossible for anybody to break away. Because of this fast rythm the peleton was split up into small groups in the first climb. I couldn't settle in to the pace of the leaders and ended up in the second group. To my surprise we closed the gap to the leaders just before the last climb of the stage, after chasing them for about 100 km. I didn't feel too bad over that mountain, but up there at the front, it is very though.
If I feel good tomorrow I would like to try once more.
20. April, Giro del Trentino - Stage 2
The most difficult stage is behind me. Now I have about 3000 of climbed altitude meters in my legs. They do not feel very good at the moment.
I am satisfied with my performance today. I felt better in today's stage then yesterday. It will be interesting to see what I have left tomorrow. If I recover well, I will try to get in to a breakaway.
19. April, Giro del Trentino - Stage 1
The first stage was not tailor made for me. It ended with a 11 km climb to a mountaintop finish. As I have no ambitions in the overall classification, I tried to finish the stage riding economicaly and preserve as much energy as possible.
Tomorrow I will ride over a big mountain pass in a race for the first time. There will be two 1000 m climbs in the very difficult profile of tomorrows stage.
17. April, Giro d'Oro
My form has improved further. The course of the race was up and down all day. The climbs were not very steep, wich was favourable for me as a "roller type". We had with Pache a rider in a 3 man breakaway, wich was in front for about 100 km. This was tactically good for our team.
The peleton was getting smaller and smaller. I was able to stay with the front group until the last climb, about 15 km from the finish. There were about 35 riders in that bunch. When the "mountain goats" attacked, I couldn't follow anymore......
After the races in the north it was easier for me to stay at the front of the peleton. The fighting for positions is not so extrem in Italy as it is in Holland and Belgium.
9. April, Ronde van Drenthe
I never took part in a race like this before! Roads too narrow for a car, corner after corner and dirtroads with cobblestones. All the riders were hypernervous already in the neutralized zone, then during the race there were lot's of crashes. I went in to this competition without any ambitions and rode near the back of the peleton. After a big crash I ended up in a group wich was far behind the leaders. The feeding station was the end of the race for me, after all I didn't want to miss my flight back home.
7. April, GP Pino Cerami
A very strong wind during the first 100 km was the most difficult part of this race. It was a constant fight for frontpositions in the bunch. Near the end we had to do 5 laps on a circuit with two short but very steep climbs. The peleton got smaller and smaller and divided in to small groups.
I got through the race well, had a lot of strength to pedal. To recover at home for a few days was very good for me. I don't even know exactly in wich place I finished the race. Importend was for me to get there at all.
2. April, Hel van het Mergelland
Today I took part in a race in Holland. It was on short notice and not part of my raceprogramm. My race was over at the feeding station after about 100 km. Up until then I had to suffer once more. My legs are not good anymore. I still feel weakend from de Panne.
After two weeks of race after race I now need to recover at home and then prepare for the next races.
31. March, 3 Days of de Panne
Unfortunately I was not able to have a good rest last night. I could hardly sleep and had to vomit three times. After a discussion with the manager I decided not to race today. We thought it may have been the food at the hotel, as two of my teammates had the same symtoms. But at the start of the stage there were not so many riders anymore. So the dirty "cowtracks" we passed on yesterdays stage didn't go down to well with a lot of riders.
30. March, 3 Days of de Panne - Stage 2
I am dead. 230 km with rain! Towards the end I couldn't even keep up with the peleton. The next stage will be early tomorrow morning. So then. good night.......
29. March, 3 Days of de Panne - Stage 1
Belgium is a different cycling world compared with Italy. The races are extremly nervous. Lots of changing of directions, bad roads, wind and as we had today rain now and then. During the whole race you have to fight for a frontposition in the peleton.
When we got to the first cobbles after about 90 km there was a group of about 30 riders with an advantage of about 30 secs. Behind them in the peleton it was chaos! Just before we reached the cobbles there was a big crash. About 20 riders on a heap, and the road was blocked. I had to walk around them on the left side of the road, but the gap to the front was already too big. About 20 riders managed to close the gap to the leading group wich now had about 50 men, and in our group it was the end of the race. Every team had at least one rider in the front, except us. There was nothing we could do anymore.
My legs felt better today, but I still havn't got over the Settimana Internationale yet.