Video: Bennett grabs important stage win on third day of An Post Rás, Bialoblocki new race leader
Aggressive days’ stage concludes in large group gallopIt’s been a long period of time without a win for Sam Bennett but the An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly rider ended the drought on Tuesday when he finished over a length clear of the next rider in the tailwind-boosted sprint into Listowel. The victory was the second An Post Rás stage win for Bennett, who previously landed a stage victory as a first year senior in 2009. Since then he has finished second twice and third once on stages of the race, but Tuesday’s performance saw him go a level better and scoop an important result. “I am pretty happy – it is a long time since I got a win, I think over a year and a half. So it is a relief, also,” he said afterwards. The victory was a welcome outcome after Bennett sacrificed his chances yesterday to help [...]
Video: Archbold grabs stage win as Hawkins takes over yellow jersey in An Post Rás
Kiwi first to line, Belfast rider moves to the top of general classification Benefiting from work by his An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly team-mate Sam Bennett, Shane Archbold was quickest of a ten man break which fought it out for stage victory on day two of the An Post Rás yesterday. The New Zealand rider beat Marcin Bialoblocki (Britain UK Youth Pro Cycling), Jasper De Buyst (Belgium National Team), Peter Hawkins (Britain Team Ig - Sigma Sport), former HTC Highroad pro Rasmus Guldhammer (Denmark Blue Water Cycling) and the other riders in the move to the line in Nenagh. “I’m thrilled with the win. I was injured at the start of the year and haven’t had too much racing with the way the injury fell, but my form has come good,” he said. “I spent the last three weeks in Holland getting into good shape so it seems to have [...]
Dan Martin video interview: Next target Tour de France, but I won’t make predictions
Irishman takes ‘wait and see approach’ after Liège success, admits his confidence is growingSuccessful this year in the Volta a Catalunya and in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Dan Martin is looking towards his second Tour de France with increasing confidence and relishes the chance of seeing what he can do in the event. The Garmin-Sharp rider is making continuous progression as he ages. Now 26 years of age, he has proved he can take on and beat the biggest riders in world cycling, and he hopes to further advance his career in July. However he won’t make any big predictions about the Tour, even if he is starting to believe that he could become a Grand Tour contender. “I am not going to set any ambitions. It is still only my second participation and we have got an incredibly strong team with a lot of cards to play,” he told VeloNation in a [...]
Kelly video assessment of Wiggins vs Froome: ‘I would not like to be the director of Sky’
‘It is going to be difficult to control Froome if he sees again that he is in a position where he could win the Tour’Having competed during the era when Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault had their infamous tussle over leadership in the 1986 Tour de France, Sean Kelly knows a possible repeat of that battle is brewing in advance of the Tour de France. Defending champion Bradley Wiggins and last year’s runner-up Chris Froome have been making tense statements about leadership via the press and it seems that no love is lost between the two. Kelly believes that there could be a real headache for the team in July, with two ambitious leaders looking destined to clash over who gets to go for the yellow jersey. “It is going to be an interesting one because last year within Sky, building up to the Tour, the months previous, it was [...]
Video: Pozzato psyched for good Giro, believes form is on the up
Strong at the start of the season, disappointing in the Classics but appearing to be in better condition in the Presidential Tour of Turkey, Filippo Pozzato began his Giro d’Italia campaign today determined to chase a stage victory or two. The Lampre-Merida rider sounded optimistic when he spoke to VeloNation in a video interview conducted on the final stage in Turkey, where he was fourth on stage four and almost won the following day with a strong solo attack. He said that he was motivated for the Giro. “I feel good because before the Turkey Tour, it was difficult for me. Now my feelings are good and I hope that the Giro is very good. “There are three or four stages that are good for me. I will try for the win and after I will be working for Scarponi because he is the leader of the team for the [...]
Video: Chris Juul Jensen stepping things up in year two in professional ranks, hopes for Vuelta ride
Danish rider building experience and strength Chris Juul Jensen has expressed satisfaction with his season thus far, saying that he is encouraged by his second year as a pro with the Team Saxo Tinkoff squad. The 23 year old has been riding a higher standard of races than in his debut season, and returned to the Presidential Tour of Turkey in an aggressive frame of mind. He was part of a long breakaway on stage five to Turgutreis, although dropped back to the peloton when he suffered a nosebleed. The Danish rider then went on the attack again on Saturday’s penultimate stage, with this move being snuffed out only six kilometres from the finish. Learning all the time and also developing physically, the Danish rider said that he is motivated with how 2013 has been going. “It has been great, it has been really good. It has been a great [...]