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Ryder Hesjedal lost time in the finale of Sunday's stage. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com FIRENZE, Italy (VN) — For the second consecutive stage, defending champion Ryder Hesjedal lost time to the Giro d’Italia’s main GC contenders, this time on the race’s first real day of climbing, ending in the historic city of Firenze (Florence).
On a 170km route that delivered four categorized climbs through the Appennine Mountains and saw the peloton soaked by a major rainstorm, the Garmin-Sharp team leader fell into difficulty late in the race, ultimately losing more than a minute to his rivals and dropping from sixth overall to 11th, 3:11 behind race leader Vincenzo Nibali of Astana.
Much of Sunday’s hilly course followed roads that will be used for the world road race championships in Tuscany later this year. After dropping off the back and regaining contact on the day’s penultimate climb, the Cat. 3 Vetta le Croci, it was on the day’s final climb — the Fiesole climb that will be ridden 10 times on a 16.6km circuit at road worlds — that Hesjedal lost contact with the leaders.
With teammate Tom Danielson shepherding him up and over the Fiesole, Hesjedal crossed the finish line 1:06 behind a group containing Nibali, Cadel Evans (BMC), Robert Gesink (Blanco), Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and Michele Scarponi (Lampre-Merida).
That Hesjedal would lose contact with the race leaders came as a shock; an hour earlier he’d asked teammate David Millar to go to the front to help Astana drive the pace after Wiggins had lost contact on the wet descent of the Vetta le Croci. And earlier in this Giro, Hesjedal was on the attack; on the Sella di Catona on stage 3, he twice broke off the front, creating a split in an already diminished front group and causing panic among team leaders and domestiques alike.
On Sunday Hesjedal crossed the finish line pale and gaunt, turning away requests from Italian TV for post-stage interviews. Hours later, following a shower and meal, he spoke with VeloNews by phone from the Garmin team bus.
“It was a tough day, again, one day after a tough time trial,” Hesjedal said. “We’ve been getting hit with these bad conditions, and I just had a few bad moments on those last two short climbs.
“I felt fine on the longer climbs. One the last long climb (the Cat. 1 Vallombrosa) Astana was riding a hard tempo, and you could see the havoc on the descent. Then it came down to a small group, and there was interest there for people to ride, but I couldn’t get any power out of my legs on the short climbs.”
Hesjedal attributed his difficulty to a combination of factors, including the cold, and what he referred to as “TT butt.”
“The day after a time trial, your glutes and piriformis are just destroyed,” he said. “It just kind of shuts down the lower part of your body.
“When the race is on like that, on those short climbs, with the last climb being downhill to finish, it’s not ideal to have a bad patch, and I just couldn’t get that raw power into my legs. I had to do my own tempo.
“It was nice to have Tom (Danielson) there, he did a good job of helping me limit the damage, but it’s tough when you have 40 guys riding to the final, and you’re chasing for seven or eight kilometers. It’s not the end of the world, I just had a bad moment. If it had happened on a 10km climb to the finish, my Giro would be over.”
After Hesjedal lost contact and slipped further down the GC rankings, Garmin team manager Jonathan Vaughters took to Twitter, writing, “Well, on to plan B in the Giro. Rest on the rest day, then figure out how to liven up the race for the second half.”
Asked what “Plan B” might entail, Hesjedal said he wasn’t aware of a back-up plan for the team.
“You’ll have to ask [Vaughters],” he said. “I’m still less than two minutes off the podium. This is the Giro. It’s been nine brutal days. I’m here to race and give it my best. I hope we’re not forgetting who won the race last year. By no means is it an easy feat to pull that off again, but I’m here. I’m trying.
“I will try to rebound from today, and rely on the fact that I know I have my best performances in the latter part of a three-week race. There are still two weeks to race. There is plenty of opportunity to climb back.
“Certainly Nibali is showing that he has no weakness, he is in the driver’s seat, but that position also comes with responsibility, and work. The podium is not that far off. There is still a lot of racing to be done, and still opportunities for other guys to have bad days. By no means is the race over.”
Bradley Wiggins had some difficulties on stage 9, but his teammates soon set him right. Photo: Graham Watson | www.grahamwatson.com FLORENCE, Italy (VN) — Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) appears more and more capable of winning his national tour, the Giro d’Italia. On Sunday’s rain-lashed ninth leg, he and his team — with an assist from a couple of other interested parties — put pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins (Sky) into a spot of bother.
“We were pulling on the Vallombrosa descent. … Our team car was at the very back of the line, so we didn’t know what was going on with Wiggins, who was at the back of the group,” Nibali said at the post-race press conference. “I realized it only when BMC Racing and Vini Fantini started to came to the front and began ramping up the pace.”
Once Astana took note, Wiggins found himself down nearly a minute to Nibali and the other GC contenders. But his Sky mates led a mad chase, and he rejoined the shreds of the peloton before the finish. He remains fourth overall at 1:16.
“The Giro is long, we all know that, and any of us can suffer a bad day,” Nibali said. “Wiggins suffered in the stage to Pescara, but yesterday he went strongly and almost won the stage. So he’s still there. Ryder Hesjedal, however, though, looks to be suffering.”
He left the chapel, stepped into the team car and went to meet his team. They transferred to Cordenons in Italy’s northeast for Monday’s rest day via helicopter, while most other teams, including Sky, were to make the four-hour journey by car.
Earlier in the day, team manager Giuseppe Martinelli said that he was proud to have the maglia rosa in-house but remained aware of the work ahead.
“We took the jersey, but we know the race is still long,” he said, leaning against the bus where fans circled three deep. “It’s never too early to take the jersey, but we’re realistic.”
After the rest day, he said, the race only becomes harder with the high-mountain passes that form a natural border in Italy’s north.
The fact that Wiggins is still in the game, he said, however, is a good thing for Astana.
“We are happy Wiggins is still okay, he’s more of an ally for us. If he was further back, I’d be more worried, to tell you the truth,” Martinelli said. “The team might start to play with Sergio Henao and Rigoberto Urán. Instead, Wiggins is still the leader and there’s more tranquility.
“We have the same goals; we want to make the same race. If Wiggins was at four minutes, the race tactics would change.”
On Monday’s rest day, Martinelli and Nibali will study footage of the Altopiano del Montasio and recon the final pitches.
For the first time the 10.4km Friulano climb will make an appearance in the Giro. It rises above Sella Nevea, which sits at 1143 meters, and continues until 1502 meters, featuring a section of 20 percent. Tuesday’s ride to Serra San Bruno will feel like an aperitivo in comparison.
Wiggins already inspected it after the Giro del Trentino, which may give him an advantage — and a chance to challenge Nibali’s narrow lead.
- I see there are a lot of photos of every category except cat 5. We like to see racing photos too! I sense we're liked as much as tax day. Where's the cat 5 love?
- I planned to get into time trialing this year, however broke my collar bone again for the fourth time and my racing days are over. This bike is new. I bought the bike late last year and it's never been on the road.
2013 TREK speed concept 9 series (small)
Sram Force 53/39 - 11/26
Rolf Prima TDF8 Tubular wheels
I paid $8,200 for this bike and am selling it for $6,500. See photos below. You can get on Trek's web site and check this bike out as well.
Robbie
r.trapp@tacony.com
314 578 7209Attached Thumbnails
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- Here is a link to pictures we took. There are mostly Marathon, Cat C, & Juniors. Got busy with our kids after their races and didn't get any shots of the rest. Sorry.
http://stlouisbiking.shutterfly.com/pictures/2090
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- 700c Spinegry carbon tubular wheel set. Is 9/10 speed Shimano compatible. Like new tires. $575 Would consider trade for clinchers of equal value.
Results justify team's invitation, says Merckx
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Englishman dropped on descent of Vallombrosa
