Video: Bjorn Selander’s happy to get to Milan after hard Grand Tour debut
Wearing the white jersey at the beginning is an experience the young American will never forgetBjorn Selander’s debut Grand Tour could scarcely have started any better, with the 23-year-old RadioShack rider taking the white jersey for best young rider after the opening team time trial. As the hardest edition of the Corsa Rosa for many years though, Selander, like many other riders, was just pleased to complete the 3524.5km course. “It feels great to be at the final TT in Milan, that’s for sure,” he told VeloNation as he warmed up for the race under the shade of the RadioShack team bus’ canopy. “Long Giro; hard first Grand Tour, that’s for sure!” 2011 is Selander’s second year with the RadioShack team, and he raced a number of ProTour events in his debut season. Finishing the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of Poland is however nothing like getting around the Giro [...]
Video: Johann Tschopp enjoyed the dirt roads in the Giro d'Italia
Swiss rider makes mountain biking an essential part of his trainingJohann Tschopp had another solid ride yesterday in stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia, finishing in 15th place, 8'44 behind stage winner Vasil Kiryienka. The Swiss rider especially enjoyed the unpaved part of the Colle delle Finestre, as he is an avid mountain biker. Tschopp is pleased with his solid ride up to Sestriere on the penultimate day of the 2011 Giro d'Italia. "It didn't go too bad today," he told VeloNation after the last mountain stage. The first of the final two climbs didn't start too well for Tschopp. "At the foot of the Finestre I had a bit of trouble finding a good rhythm." But further up the road he had his climbing legs back. "I finished this Giro very well. I also climbed up a few places in GC." Tschopp went from 19th to 16th [...]
Video: Lang chases prize money the hard way in Giro d'Italia
German joins break of the day in last mountain stageSebastian Lang (Omega Pharma-Lotto) opened up the Giro for breakaways with a 219-kilometer escape in stage two. In stage 20, at the very end of the Giro, he was again in the breakaway. This time it was for different reasons than just getting TV time. Lang chased the intermediate sprint points and was successful in moving up into the top three. It wasn't his only attempt to get away. "I tried the last couple of days to be in the break," he told VeloNation. "I didn't succeed, so today I was happy to be in the break." Besides the intermediate sprint classification there was also the competion for the most breakaway kilometers, but the day was less successful for Lang there. "I tried to clock up some kilometers, but unfortunately [Yaroslav] Popovych was also there. So I couldn't get the kilometers [...]
Giro d’Italia (Video): Russell Downing’s first Grand Tour completion hangs in the balance
Team Sky sprinter suffers bad crash on Macagnuga stageFor Team Sky sprinter Russell Downing, there is very little left to aim at in this year’s Giro d’Italia, except, that is, for the prospect of completing the first ever Grand Tour of his long career. At the age of 32, Downing has finally been given the opportunity to compete at the sport’s highest level and, up until today’s stage from Bergamo to Macugnaga, he has been relishing the chance. Unfortunately, on what was the first properly wet stage of the race, the former British champion was the victim of one of a number of crashes; which could see his dreams of completing the Giro d’Italia dashed. “I was pretty lucky really,” said the Yorkshireman after the stage. There was a Rabobank rider immediately before me who overshot the corner, and that meant that I was catapulted sideways. I hit the barrier [...]
An Post Rás: New Zealand’s Simpson triumphs, Bagdonas holds yellow jersey
Video: Late pursuit doesn’t prevent strong solo victoryTiming his final attack perfectly, New Zealand national team rider Myron Simpson clipped away from a fading long distance break and soloed to victory on today’s fifth stage of the An Post Rás. The 20 year old track rider jumped clear after Lachlann Norris (Drapac Professional Cycling) was reeled in by the rest of the break, making his own move three kilometres from the finish line in Blarney and reaching the line four seconds clear. Second went to breakaway companion Tobyn Horton (Team Motorpoint), who was almost overhauled in the big sprint to the line some four seconds later. He finished just ahead of Bastian Burgel (Germany Thuringer Energie) and Bernardo Riccio (Italy D’Angelo & D’Antenucci), who were at the head of a 77 man main bunch. Overnight race leader Gediminas Bagdonas finished ninth, and maintained his comfortable one minute 16 second lead [...]
Nordhaug looking forward to completing first Grand Tour
Tiring after tough raceTeam Sky’s Lars Petter Nordhaug has said that he focussed on finishing his first Grand Tour, and has put aside thoughts of getting in more breakaways. The 27 year old is feeling the effects of a tough Giro, but is motivated by the thoughts of getting to Milan. “I think I just have to take it day by day and see how the legs are,” he told VeloNation's Ben Atkins after Tuesday’s stage 16 time trial. “I paid pretty heavily for the breakaways there [earlier in the race], so I am not really tempted to try some more days.” The team has been riding for Thomas Lovkvist in the Italian Tour, and has helped him to a solid-rather-than spectacular 22nd overall. That performance has been less than it had hoped for, but for Norhaug and others on the team, it has been a valuable learning experience nonetheless. [...]