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. [...]
Stage win number two for An Post Rás race leader Bagdonas
Video: Lithuanian strong in defense of jerseyTwo stage wins in three days, the yellow jersey and leadership of the points classification; it’s been a fine haul for the Lithuanian rider Gedeminas Bagdonas thus far in the An Post Rás. Competing in a race backed by the chief sponsor of the An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly squad, the 25 year old won a 36 man sprint into Castletownbere to take stage four of the event. He beat Shane Archbold (New Zealand National Team) and Stuart Shaw (Drapac Professional) plus the others to the line. The result followed on from his stage win into Kilrush on Monday. “It was a nice race again. I like the rain; it’s my type of weather,” he said after the finish. “Today I had good luck, I tried my hardest in the sprint and I won. We will see what happens tomorrow.” The [...]
Video: Peter Kennaugh looking forward to completing his first Grand Tour
Team Sky’s 21-year-old Manxman talks breakaways as the Giro d’Italia heads towards MilanPeter Kennaugh (Team Sky) is on course to finish his first ever Grand Tour as the Giro d’Italia heads towards its Milan finish on Sunday. The 21-year-old Manxman, who is very much the British team’s youngest rider at the race, is far from looking at just hiding in the peloton for the final week, though. VeloNation caught up with Kennaugh shortly after he finished Tuesday’s mountain time trial between Belluno an Nevegal, and asked him about his condition in the last few tough stages and his plans for the race’s final week. “I think my legs are improving, to be honest,” he told VeloNation’s Ben Atkins at the finish. “On that 230 kilometre day, the day before the rest day, they felt the best they did out of the three [consecutive climbing] days. I went on the attack [...]
Video: Peter Kennaugh looking forward to completing his first Grand Tour
Team Sky’s 21-year-old Manxman talks breakaways as the Giro d’Italia heads towards MilanPeter Kennaugh (Team Sky) is on course to finish his first ever Grand Tour as the Giro d’Italia heads towards its Milan finish on Sunday. The 21-year-old Manxman, who is very much the British team’s youngest rider at the race, is far from looking at just hiding in the peloton for the final week, though. VeloNation caught up with Kennaugh shortly after he finished Tuesday’s mountain time trial between Belluno an Nevegal, and asked him about his condition in the last few tough stages and his plans for the race’s final week. “I think my legs are improving, to be honest,” he told VeloNation’s Ben Atkins at the finish. “On that 230 kilometre day, the day before the rest day, they felt the best they did out of the three [consecutive climbing] days. I went on the attack [...]
Video: Giro d’Italia’s umbrella girls add style
Two speak about their roles on the raceIt’s not all sweat and suffering at the Giro d’Italia; there’s room for some glamour, too, and in Italy above all places that is a very important factor. Each morning’s stage start sees the classification leaders pose for photographs with girls wearing correspondingly-coloured outfits; pink for the Maglia Rosa, green for the mountains jersey, red for the sprints jersey and white for the best young rider. It’s essentially a photo opportunity, with these women holding sun umbrellas being photographed and filmed and broadcast around the world; it’s also something to add a little more style to the visual experience for those who are at the race. Their presence is a little distraction for the riders in advance of some very tough hours in the saddle each day. VeloNation spoke to two of those women prior to the start of a stage. Both spoke [...]
Video: Giro d’Italia’s umbrella girls add style
Two speak about their roles on the raceIt’s not all sweat and suffering at the Giro d’Italia; there’s room for some glamour, too, and in Italy above all places that is a very important factor. Each morning’s stage start sees the classification leaders pose for photographs with girls wearing correspondingly-coloured outfits; pink for the Maglia Rosa, green for the mountains jersey, red for the sprints jersey and white for the best young rider. It’s essentially a photo opportunity, with these women holding sun umbrellas being photographed and filmed and broadcast around the world; it’s also something to add a little more style to the visual experience for those who are at the race. Their presence is a little distraction for the riders in advance of some very tough hours in the saddle each day. VeloNation spoke to two of those women prior to the start of a stage. Both spoke [...]