News 2008/01

6. April, Settimana Lombarda

I had a good day in todays last stage. Earlier in the day our neoprofessional Sokoll was in a breakaway to represent the colors of Team Volksbank. The race was easy until we got to the final hill in Bergamo with about 5 km to go. Elias Schäh got me in a good position at the bottom of the climb. At the top, a rider two positions in front of me let go and opend up a gap which I couldn't close anymore. So we were sprinting for the places arround 10 to 15. Now I am on my way to France to take part in the Tour de Sarthe which starts on tuesday. This will be my third tour without a break. I hope I will do well.

5. April, Settimana Lombarda

The last 20 km in todays Queensstage took us, just like last year, over the Colle Maddalena. A 6 km long trail, some of it is sealed, but there is some dirtroad as well. Very hard, with an average incline of 10%. We got to that climb in a still complete peloton. Thanks to the help of my Volksbank teammates I had an easy ride up to the deciding final climb. When the battle for the stagewin started, I found a good rythm. But it wasn't good enough to stay with the best climbers. Tomorrow we will have another nice stage with the finish in Bergamo. Identical with the former last part of the Tour de Lombardy.

4. April, Settimana Lombarda

First a crash, then a place in the top 10. In the first mountain stage we had to do 3 laps of 65 km with the Passo di Forcella. From the top to the finish we had only about 20 km to go. In the second lap, just before we got to the climb, I got involved in a crash. I actually did a summersault. I got back up to the peloton, but used up a lot of energy during the chase. Then in the last lap I was able to stay with the leaders in the climb. Di Luca won the sprint of a fairly big group. I got another top ten result for Team Volksbank.

3. April, Settimana Lombarda

A strong wind was the deciding factor in the finale of the third stage. The race was really easy until we got to the last 40 km. Then we got into a strong sidewind and all hell broke loose. The peloton broke up into several groups. I lost a bit of time and finished in the second group. As from tomorrow we will have three stages with mountains. I hope I can do well.

2. April, Settimana Lombarda

The second stage was completly flat and with an average speed of 45 km/h really fast. 2 riders escaped, but we caught them not far from the finish. The sprint of the peloton with about 200 riders was extremly nervous. There was a big crash in the last kilometers as I had expected. I was able to slow down and didn't hit the deck.

1. April, Settimana Lombarda

The Settimana Lombarda started with a 18 km long team timetrail. But we didn't ride very well. The first half we had a fairly good speed. But then we fell apart as a team. After a righthand corner we had big gaps and one of the guys even lost contact with us. A bit later another rider dropped out and there were only 5 left in our team. We didn't get up to a good pace again and lost a lot of time.

29. March, Settimana Internationale

In todays final stage I felt OK. I tried to get away with a small group several times, but we never got very far. Stalder was lucky and got into the right breakaway. But they got caught with about 10 km to go. The peloton got smaller lap by lap. I tried to help Elias Schmäh, our best man in the overall classification. We were able to defend his second place overall as a youngster. Now I can rest for 2 days, then we will take part in the Settimana Lombarda. If I can recover well, I hope to get a good result towards the end of the tour.

28. March, Settimana Internationale

The completly flat stage ended with a bunchsprint. I took it easy to save energy for the last stage.

27. March, Settimana Internationale

The 190 km long Queenstage with climbs of overall 3600 m in change of altitude was very hard. To ride in the wet and cold weather was one big torture. We had Morscher in an early breakaway, but they never made it. I dressed as warm and comfortable as I could in order not to catch a cold. When we got to the last climb with an average incline of 10% we only had about 15 km to go. But my batteries where empty. I had to let them go.

26. March, Settimana Internationale

I felt much better in todays hard second stage. During the first 2 hours we did almost 100 km! But with about 40 km to go I lost contact with the leading group in the big climbs. I finished the stage in the third group. Our Elias Schmäh had a very good day. He was able to stay in the second group and finished in 21. place. Tomorrows stage will be even harder.

25. March, Settimana Internationale

The weather was an important factor on the first day. The stage in the morning ended with a mass sprint. I didn't feel very good, but finished in the peloton. Training during the past two weeks wasn't easy because of the cold temperatures at home. We rode well as a team in the timetrail, but couldn't get a top place.

16. March, Giro del Mendrisiotto

This year I rode in Mendrisio with the national team,but the icing on the cake was missing. I wasn't able to repeat last years victory. Already in the second of 15 laps a group of 15 riders went off the front, but I missed it. But we had with Stalder, Schmäh and Hungerbühler 3 riders from my team in it. The pace in the peloton was hot and with every lap the group got smaller. With 2 laps to go I bridged the gap to the leaders alone in the climb. By that time I had with Florian only one teammate left. He worked really hard, and nobody was able to get away. I messed up the sprint, attacked too early in a gear which was too big. Never really got going fast enough, and three riders passed me. That left me with fourth place. After last years victory another good result. This race seems to suit me.

2. March, GP di Lugano

The new course took us 5 times over the Monte Bre, then directly 5 km down to the finishline. Much harder then in the past years. The pace was on right from the start. I was able to stay in the leading group until we got to the last climb up to Monte Bre. The battle for the race started and the peloton broke up into small groups. I didn't have enough power yet to stay right at the front. But overall I feel that I am in better shape compared to the same time last year.

17. February, Giro della Provincia di Grosseto

A strong wind made the last stage very difficult. Glomser got into an early breakaway. He had a good day and got the king of the mountain jersey for our team. Riding in the peleton was very hectic because of the strong sidewind. The bunch split up a few times but always got together again. So in the end we had a mass sprint. Today I felt better then yesterday. But I am glad I can go home and let my wounds heal.

16. February, Giro della Provincia di Grosseto

I have never seen anything like that! After passing the finish for the second time on the additional laps, all the riders in the bunch unanimously decided not to have a final sprint because the last kilometer was far too dangerous. At about 400 m to go there was a righthand corner with a lot of dirt on the road, followed by a sharp lefthand turn after which the road narrowed down to only 2 m. The complete peloton rode past the finishline without competing and there was no classification for the second stage. I wasn't too unhappy about that because I was still hurting from yesterdays crash.

15. February, Giro della Provincia di Grosseto

Happiness turned into frustration. The trainingcamp ends with the Giro di Grosseto until Sunday. The race wasn't too hard until we got to the last mountain with about 40 km to go to the finish. After the climb about 40 riders remained in the leading group, with Florian, Pascal and myself in it. So it looked very good for us for the finale. Florian and Pascal worked very hard for me and made a lot of pace. I was able to concentrate for the final sprint. With 2 km to go the bunch kept racing from one side of the road to the other. The rider in front of me crashed into my frontwheel, and down I went. I am very sorry! My teammates worked so hard for me and in the end we got nothing. At least I didn't get hurt badly. My form is OK!

9. February, GP Costa degli Etruschi

The complete Team Volksbank has been training in the Toscana for a week already. We had time to get to know each other better and also do the eagerly awaited photoshoot for the teamposters and individuel autograph cards. The GP Etruschi was the start of the season 2008. The race fitted with nearly 200 almost flat kilometers perfect into the trainingprogramm. The pace wasn't too fast until the chase for the escaped rider began. When we were racing in a strong sidewind I had to go flat out to the limit a few times. It ended with a big mass sprint in which I didn't risk anything.

31. January, The first Trainingcamp

The first trainingcamp is behind me already. I trained from 07.- 25. January with the bankers Florian Stalder and Philipp Ludescher on the Costa Blanca in Spain. But it didn't start very well. On the same day I flew to Spain, both of my teammates had a bad crash. The next day, on my first ride, I had a crash with a car driven by a woman. I was lucky and didn,t hit the ground. But my backwheel was badly damaged. Then the remaining days of the camp went by without any incidents. The weather was perfect, sunny with 20 degrees. So we were able to train well and improve our condition. The next camp will start on the 1. February. This time with the whole Volksbank Team in Follonica in the Toscana. The first race of the season will be there on 9. February. I can,t wait to wear a number on my back again;-)