News 2008/02

1. June, Tour of Bavaria

My dream has burst like a bubble! The whole team worked so hard for me all day, but I didn't get a good result in the end. As usual in Gippingen, there were lots of attacks. I got into breakaway groups several times, but we never got very far. When the deciding group went with 2 laps to go, I had a bit of a crisis for a moment and couldn't go with them. About 10 riders got away. We chased hard, but couldn't catch them anymore. I had a go by myself in the climb up to Strickhöhe, but couldn't bridge the gap to the leaders. Today things just didn't work out for me, I had a bad day. In cycling you can't force anything. I will soon get chances to do better in the Tour de Suisse.

1. June, Tour of Bavaria

Wow, what a thriller with tension right to the end! There was pure hectic right from the start. Because Team Milram had 1. and 3. place in the overall classification, they were able to play two cards and one or the other rider kept attacking. We had to go after them every time. We, that means the strong Team Volksbank of this Tour of Bavaria. Morscher,  Glomser, Musiol, Pollack, Korff and Stalder, they worked their butts off and gave everything they had to help me. Thanks a lot guys! Then at last, 5 riders without anyone from Milram, got away. But Grabsch was with them. We had to keep an eye on him, because he was only about 1 minute behind me in the GC. So we made the pace of the peloton together with Milram, to keep the gap as small as possible. In the last 40 km we had 3 climbs. I still had Florian with me and knew that I can count on him. So I was able to take a risk and tried to get away several times when riders attacked. The leader was in trouble more then once, but his teammates were there to help and clear the situation. I prepared for the sprint and took a few deep breaths. I knew I still had a chance. The 3. place would give me a time bonus and I could still win the GC. I had a fast wheel and went at the 300 m mark, on the right hand side of the road, and made up a lot of ground. Only a few competitors where left in front of me. One two three, then myself in forth place. Almost, I nearly made it!! But we are happy with a stage win and 2. place in GC. We can't really believe it yet. Now I will focus on next sundays GP of Kanton Aargau. Gippingen is one of the highlights of the season. I am looking forward to it, my form is OK ;-)

31. Mai, Tour of Bavaria

A good performance in the timetrail, but I missed the leaders jersey by a small margin! Dark clouds in the sky, and wind which was getting stronger made me nervous before the start. But then everything worked out just fine. I started fast and was catching the rider who started in front of me. In the climb, about halfway, I tried to remain calm. Then after the descent I passed the rider I was chasing. My Corratec-Timetrailbike cut through the air like a jetairliner ;-) With about 3 km to go I had a small crisis, but I wasn't going to end up getting 11. place again. So with 5. place I got a top result! But more importent is the overall classification, where I am in 2. place. I will have to ride with full concentration in the last stage tomorrow, because I would like to finish on the podium.

30. Mai, Tour of Bavaria

First during the night in a steaming hot hotelroom, then during stage 3 I had sweat running down my face. The first part was super fast, then things slowed down a bit. It was very importent to eat and drink as much as possible in the hot weather with over 30 degrees. During the last 40 km we had to ride over 3 climbs. Stalder and myself stayed right up with the frontrunners all the time. I wanted to do well in the sprint today. But on the descent from the last mountain I was a bit too carefull. I lost a few positions and before we knew it we got to the last km. Stalder tried to take me up to the front, but it was too late, the positions were already taken. The tour will be decided tomorrow with a timetrail. I will go flat out, my form is OK, I should get a good result ;-)

29. Mai, Tour of Bavaria

The first victory this year for Team Volksbank! After 220 km in hot weather we had a mass sprint, as expected. Daniel Musiol and Andre Korff worked hard to take our sprintrocket Pollack in to a perfect position for the final dash to the line. Then Olaf showed us his great class. Everybody in our team is thrilled, now we have tasted success. We all feel like getting more ;-)

28. Mai, Tour of Bavaria

After almost a whole month of training, at last, I am racing again! The first stage of the Tour of Bavaria was really quiet. The race ended with a mountaintop finish, a climb of 500 m of change in altitude. Team Volksbank rode well as a unit today. Our sprinters got points in the intermediate sprint competition. I got the green light to concentrate for the final climb. The incline wasn't very steep, which was good for me. I used a small gear for as long as I could. Florian and myself were able to counter all attacks. But I didn't have enough stregth to have a go myself. So I ended up getting 10. place. I still have a good chance to get a good place in the overall classification. This result is proof that the training I did has improved my condition. Tomorrows stage is with 220 km the longest of the tour.

18. Mai, Säntis

During the past few days I trained with Florian Stalder in the hilly Appenzellerland. We also had a look at the course of some stages of this years Tour de Suisse. I am really looking forward to stage 3 on 16 June. We will pass through my hometown Aadorf on the way to the end of the stage in Gossau. We are spending the nights on top of Mount Säntis at 2500 m above sealevel, which should improve our performance further. On Thursday I will return home to get used to staying at low altitude again and to recover and gather strengh for the hard races coming up in June.

4. Mai, Frauenfeld

For the last race of my first series this season, I started in Frauenfeld, not far from my hometown in front of my fans. The support I got was really motivating. I am counting on you again in Gippingen und during the Tour de Suisse. During the race, my team mate Schmäh and myself had everything under controll. Elias Schmäh was always there by my side to help whenever I needed it. During the last 2 of 9 laps I just kept attacking. But I never got away very far from the leading group of 11 riders. When we got to 1 km to go, I tried again. 2 riders went with me, but they just sat on my wheel, and the rest caught up with us again. I just wasn't fresh enough anymore in the sprint and only got 4. place. Now I will take a break until the Tour of Bayern at the end of May. I will sleep up on top of Mount Säntis to further improve my form.

1. Mai, Rund um den Henninger Turm

A good performance was not rewarded. In my first highlight of the season I did almost everything right. With about 50 km to go, when the deciding break went off the front, I was there. But then a lefthandcorner changed everything. There was a trafficisland in the middle off the road just after the corner, which made the road very narrow. Because there was a lot of sand on the road, I wasn't able to lean into the corner as much as I should have. My frontwheel slipped, and down I went. I got back up, but couldn't catch the leading group anymore. I am very frustrated and disappointed!

25. April, Giro del Trentino

The break went away without me, right after the start in a decend. I didn't want to take any risks arround those dangerous corners going downhill. Up the first mountain, with about a 1000 m climb, Team Navigare set a very fast pace. For a short while I lost contact with the frontgroup, which by that time had only about 20 riders left. But as we got to the top I closed the gap and rejoined them. On the decend the group kept getting bigger again. But Stalder and myself remained the only two members of our team in it. I rode for Stalder until the final climb up to the finish. Then the race was over for me. The Henninger Turm in Frankfurt on 1. Mai will be the first highlight of the season for team Volksbank. We would like to get a good result there. The race will be live on TV.

24. April, Giro del Trentino

The first real mountain stage was tough. I had ago and escaped with a few others in the first big climb with a change in altitude of 1000 m. But we didn't get very far, we got caught again. The race with all those climbs was very selectiv. Towards the end, I realized that I didn't have enough strengh left to keep up with the best. So I rode for Stalder and stayed with him as long as possible. He got a very fine 9. place in the stage. The last stage tomorrow will end with a mountaintop finish at 1400 m above sealevel. I would like to ride well, maybe get into a breakaway.

23. April, Giro del Trentino

Another good performance, but still without a top result. The 'easiest' stage was quiet until we got to the final 2 laps, each 25 km long with a 7 km climb. Early in the race 3 riders escaped, but we caught them before we went on to the circuit. Over the mountains, the peloton broke apart, but a fairly big group remaind at the front. Stalder and myself were in that bunch. When we got to the sprint, I was in a perfect 10. position with about 500 m to go. At the 300 m mark we had to turn left into a very narrow road. There was not enough space for us to sprint. I was boxed in between the fence and a rider, and went over the line freewheeling. What a shame!

22. April, Giro del Trentino

I am not satisfied with the way the Trentino began for me. The almost 10 km long timetrail took us in a southerly direction from point A to B. During the afternoon the sky opend up and the weather got better. But with that a strong headwind began to blow. I went into the race as the last competitor of our team and felt good in the timetrail. But I didn't get a fast time, just like all the other guys who went off the starting ramp late. The stage tomorrow should suit me and the wind will blow in the same direction for everybody ;-)

20. April, Giro d'Oro

Another good result, but I feel it's time to take a step forward and get a top place. There were lots of attacks right from the start, and the peloton kept breaking apart into different groups. But most of the riders managed to get back up to the main bunch again. But at about the halfwaymark 3 riders escaped. Amongst them Di Luca and Stalder, who had a very good day. In the climb up the last mountain I attacked and got away from the peloton. At the top, a few riders made it to get to the leading group. But I wasn't able to go with them. So in the end there was a sprint of 5 for the race. I stuffed up the sprint for place 6 and ended up getting place 11, just like in my last race.

11. April, Tour de Sarthe

The last stage was by far the hardest. In the last 25 km we had to do 4 laps on a circuit with a nasty 300 m long climb with an average incline of 18%. My team did a fantastic job for me today. Specialy Ludescher was near me all day to help and protect me from the strong sidewind. Because of that I was still feeling fresh when we went into the final laps towards the end. In the second lap a small group got away. I attacked just after the climb. Stalder came from behind and we closed the gap to the leading group. But then the rest of the peloton bridged the gap as well. I had a go and risked everything in the last lap with about 3 km to go. I attacked solo and was away for about 1.5 km. But the pace in the chasing group was very fast and I got caught again. So we had a sprint of a large group. It would have been nice if I could have gained another place in the overall classification. Now I am on my way home. Since Eastermonday we were on the road. 3 Tours with 15 days of racing in less then 3 weeks. A tough program.

10. April, Tour de Sarthe

The third stage was very hilly, up and down all day. The first 60 km were very fast. Even though we were racing at arround 50 km/h, several riders kept attacking. Then 4 of them got away and things settled down in the peloton. The support from my Volksbank Team was perfect. The final kilometers on narrow undulating roads were harder then expected. I hope that I will be classified with the same time as the winner.

9. April, Tour de Sarthe

The stage in the morning was very much a tactical race like yesterday. This time 3 riders broke away and they made it to the finish just in front of the peloton. I had a lot of respect of the wet roads and was thinking about the timetrail in the afternoon already. My first impression of the timetrail bike was very positive, and I felt good on it straight away. After the start I immediately found a good rythm and was able to go full power all the way. At the finish I had the fastest time, but at that stage only 7 riders had completed the timetrail.

8. April, Tour de Sarthe

The start of the Tour de Sarthe was very hectic. As there are only 16 teams of 6 riders each in the race, it would have been possible for a big group to get an early deciding break. But in the end only two riders got away. Everybody in the peloton got ready for a bunch sprint. We supported Rene. I took over the pace at the front of the peloton with about 800 m to go and gave all I had left. We could see the two leaders just in front of us. With about 300 m to go I had it and moved accross. The 2 riders in the break got to the finish only 6 seconds in front of us. Rene got fourth of the bunch sprint. I had some problems with the temperature. In Italy we rode in comfortable 20 degrees every day. Today we had barely 10!