Vuelta 10: TT results and more

It's like that in three weeks big Tour: many different races at once, many different goals for different racers and skills. In the peloton a few riders were looking forward to Salamanca TT, some others were just waiting for it to be over, the most probably just tired and waiting for the rest day. It has been an hard Vuelta sofar: many nasty climbs and that killing heat. Many – maybe all riders are exhausted and in two days they will face three consecutive finishes atop. All that contributed to determinate yesterday results.

Tony Martin's victory isn't a surprise, surprising instead 1. the big fail of Fabian Cancellara 2. the big exploit of Christopher Froome. Cancellara had a disappointing season so maybe that isn't surprising too. Chris Froome TT is definitely because everybody were expecting Wigging, he did an amazing race but still... had the leader jersey stolen by his team mate and helper, the young British born in Kenya. A TT is the truth race, you can't dissimulate and Froom is a super shape. We saw that in the mountain, he confirmed it in Salamanca. Bravo! Even if now they will have an honest talk at Sky...

Cancellara was disappointing but Fuglsang did well: 6^th. The Dane is ambicious, strong and serious: in another team he would be a leader already. In the Tour de France he didn't shine just because he was half sick. I wonder till when he is going to accept that subordinate role. Anyway LEOPARD TREK is now the best team, with three riders in the stage top ten (Monfort 10^th) and Fuglsang is only 12'' from Froom – EHM – in the GC. Good TT also by O'Grady (15^th).

Amongh the other main contenders for the final victory, Nibali (15^th) was the best one and not so good given that usually he can timetrial. He's 4^th in GC at 31''. Bad news for Scarponi, lost in the GC at 4'.22''. Mollema honoured his jersey: 25^th. He even passed Chavanel (disaster for the Frenchman!) and says: "It's not over!". As far as I know him, Mollema has got an high opinion of himself and never gives up: I like that guy! Allez Bauke!

Finally, Taylor Phinney: he started 3th and made the 5^th best time. Read his blog for dettails – always a great stuff – I only say he's right to be happy with his result even if he can do also better.

BDW

Rumors about a merge in 2012 between LEOPARD TREK and Radio Shack have been denyed by the team press official. The things sounded possible because in the past there was a big talking about the Schleck going to Radio Shack, Trek is a common sponsor and Becca looks unhappy with the – lack of – results of his well payed team. He isn't alone I'd say. Maybe a new team needs a longer time to get results – look to Sky. Maybe they must change something. But sofar the merge isn't confirmed. In my opinion the Gazzetta would have been better to wait a bit before to publish that story as an accomplished fact.

TT results

1 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:55:54  

2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:59  

3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:22  

4 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Leopard Trek 0:01:27  

5 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:01:33  

6 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:01:37  

7 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack 0:01:54  

8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack 0:01:56  

9 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:02  

10 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek 0:02:06  

11 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana 0:02:18  

12 Nelson Oliveira (Spa) Team RadioShack 0:02:19  

13 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC    

14 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Leopard Trek 0:02:20  

15 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:24  

16 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:02:28  

17 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team RadioShack 0:02:51  

18 Dimitri Champion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:52  

19 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Katusha Team 0:02:53  

20 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:57  

21 Bert Grabsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad 0:03:00  

22 Martin Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad 0:03:02  

23 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Geox-TMC 0:03:03  

24 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team 0:03:05  

25 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:09  

GC

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 38:09:13  

2 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:00:12  

3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:20  

4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:31  

5 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana 0:00:34  

6 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek 0:00:59  

7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:07  

8 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Geox-TMC 0:01:47  

9 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack 0:02:04  

10 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Team RadioShack 0:02:13  

11 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team 0:02:15  

12 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:02:21  

13 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC 0:02:35  

14 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 0:03:23  

15 Sergio Pardilla Belllón (Spa) Movistar Team    

16 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack 0:03:28  

17 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:47  

18 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:52  

19 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:03:59  

20 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:07  

21 Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team 0:04:18  

22 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:04:22  

Vuelta TT: start time

1º NUYENS, Nick SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:09
2º SARAMOTINS, Aleksejs COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 13:10
3º PHINNEY, Taylor BMC RACING TEAM 13:11
4º TIMMER, Albert SKIL - SHIMANO 13:12
5º KLIER, Andreas TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 13:13
6º VEELERS, Tom SKIL - SHIMANO 13:14
7º WAGNER, Robert LEOPARD TREK 13:15
8º VANMARCKE, Sep TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 13:16
9º GENIEZ, Alexandre SKIL - SHIMANO 13:17
10º LOBATO, Juan José ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 13:18

11º DOI, Yukihiro SKIL - SHIMANO 13:19
12º CHRISTENSEN, Mads SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:20
13º SUTTON, Christopher SKY PROCYCLING 13:21
14º MARYCZ, Jaroslaw SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:22
15º BRANDLE, Matthias GEOX - TMC 13:23
16º KITTEL, Marcel SKIL - SHIMANO 13:24
17º CABELLO, Antonio ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 13:25
18º MAES, Nikolas QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 13:26
19º KEIZER, Martijn VACANSOLEIL - DCM 13:27
20º CAZAUX, Pierre EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 13:28

21º DEVOLDER, Stijn VACANSOLEIL - DCM 13:29
22º CURVERS, Roy SKIL - SHIMANO 13:30
23º CARRARA, Matteo VACANSOLEIL - DCM 13:31
24º CIONI, Dario David SKY PROCYCLING 13:32
25º HAEDO, Juan Jose SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:33
26º HOWARD, Leigh HTC - HIGHROAD 13:34
27º JÖRGENSEN, Jonas Aaen SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:35
28º CATALDO, Dario QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 13:36
29º PAOLINI, Luca KATUSHA TEAM 13:37
30º TORIBIO, José Vicente ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 13:38

31º KUSCHYNSKI, Aliaksandr KATUSHA TEAM 13:39
32º BENÍTEZ, Alberto ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 13:40
33º CANCELLARA, Fabian LEOPARD TREK 13:41
34º PALOMARES, Adrián ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 13:42
35º ALBASINI, Michael HTC - HIGHROAD 13:43
36º QUINZIATO, Manuel BMC RACING TEAM 13:44
37º VAN DE WALLE, Jurgen OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 13:45
38º STANNARD, Ian SKY PROCYCLING 13:46
39º VIGANÓ, Davide LEOPARD TREK 13:47
40º SÖRENSEN, Nicki SAXO BANK SUNGARD 13:48

41º DEGENKOLB, John HTC - HIGHROAD 13:49
42º DE MAAR, Marc QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 13:50
43º FOUCHARD, Julien COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 13:51
44º KROON, Karsten BMC RACING TEAM 13:52
45º DA DALTO, Mauro LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 13:53
46º RIGHI, Daniele LAMPRE - ISD 13:54
47º BOONEN, Tom QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 13:55
48º KOHLER, Martin BMC RACING TEAM 13:56
49º SANTOS OLIVEIRA, Nelson TEAM RADIOSHACK 13:57
50º GESCHKE, Simon SKIL - SHIMANO 13:58

51º GRABSCH, Bert HTC - HIGHROAD 13:59
52º DE WEERT, Kevin QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 14:00
53º BELLOTTI, Francesco LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 14:01
54º PAULINHO, Sergio TEAM RADIOSHACK 14:02
55º MARANGONI, Alan LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 14:03
56º VELITS, Martin HTC - HIGHROAD 14:04
57º MARTENS, Paul RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 14:05
58º TROFIMOV, Yury KATUSHA TEAM 14:06
59º BAGOT, Yohan COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 14:07
60º HOUANARD, Steve AG2R - LA MONDIALE 14:08

61º O'GRADY, Stuart LEOPARD TREK 14:09
62º MONTAGUTI, Matteo AG2R - LA MONDIALE 14:10
63º KLÖDEN, Andreas TEAM RADIOSHACK 14:11
64º MORI, Manuele LAMPRE - ISD 14:12
65º KONOVALOVAS, Ignatas MOVISTAR TEAM 14:13
66º PYDGORNYY, Ruslan VACANSOLEIL - DCM 14:14
67º SANTAROMITA, Ivan BMC RACING TEAM 14:15
68º HANSEN, Adam OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14:16
69º LEQUATRE, Geoffroy TEAM RADIOSHACK 14:17
70º VANDEWALLE, Kristof QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 14:18

71º PÉREZ, Aitor LAMPRE - ISD 14:19
72º MARTIN, Tony HTC - HIGHROAD 14:20
73º ERVITI, Imanol MOVISTAR TEAM 14:21
74º SAGAN, Peter LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 14:22
75º KASHECHKIN, Andrey PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:23
76º BENNATI, Daniele LEOPARD TREK 14:24
77º MADRAZO, Angel MOVISTAR TEAM 14:25
78º REYNES, Vicente OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14:26
79º SIJMENS, Nico COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 14:27
80º GARATE, Juan Manuel RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 14:28

81º DE KORT, Koen SKIL - SHIMANO 14:29
82º KAISEN, Olivier OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14:30
83º PETACCHI, Alessandro LAMPRE - ISD 14:31
84º FRANK, Mathias BMC RACING TEAM 14:32
85º SLAGTER, Tom Jelte RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 14:33
86º LIGTHART, Pim VACANSOLEIL - DCM 14:34
87º IRIZAR, Markel TEAM RADIOSHACK 14:35
88º AZANZA, Jorge EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 14:36
89º MONDORY, Lloyd AG2R - LA MONDIALE 14:37
90º INTXAUSTI, Beñat MOVISTAR TEAM 14:38

91º HAUSSLER, Heinrich TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 14:39
92º TAARAMAE, Rein COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 14:40
93º LÓPEZ, David MOVISTAR TEAM 14:41
94º JUFRÉ, Josep PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:42
95º ISASI, Iñaki EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 14:43
96º KOZONTCHUK, Dmitry GEOX - TMC 14:44
97º DOCKX, Gert OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14:45
98º PIEDRA, Antonio ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 14:46
99º BUSCHE, Matthew TEAM RADIOSHACK 14:47
100º ROLDÁN, José Luis ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 14:48

101º LANG, Sebastian OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14:49
102º GASPAROTTO, Enrico PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:50
103º VAN AVERMAET, Greg BMC RACING TEAM 14:51
104º DYACHENKO, Alexsandr PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:52
105º ROSENDO, Jesús ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 14:53
106º MIZUROV, Andrey PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:54
107º BERNABEU, David ANDALUCIA - CAJA GRANADA 14:55
108º AGNOLI, Valerio LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 14:56
109º KANGERT, Tanel PRO TEAM ASTANA 14:57
110º BARREDO, Carlos RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 14:58

111º BLANCO, David GEOX - TMC 14:59
112º ZANDIO, Xabier SKY PROCYCLING 15:00
113º GUSTOV, Volodymir SAXO BANK SUNGARD 15:01
114º CARUSO, Damiano LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 15:02
115º LELAY, David AG2R - LA MONDIALE 15:03
116º HORRACH, Joan KATUSHA TEAM 15:04
117º DESSEL, Cyril AG2R - LA MONDIALE 15:05
118º TALANSKY, Andrew TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 15:06
119º PETROV, Evgeny PRO TEAM ASTANA 15:07
120º GAVAZZI, Francesco LAMPRE - ISD 15:08

121º MARTÍNEZ, Egoi EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15:09
122º CHAMPION, Dimitri AG2R - LA MONDIALE 15:10
123º LÖVKVIST, Thomas SKY PROCYCLING 15:11
124º DE LA FUENTE, David GEOX - TMC 15:12
125º VAN SUMMEREN, Johan TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 15:13
126º ROHREGGER, Thomas LEOPARD TREK 15:14
127º TXURRUKA, Amets EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15:15
128º LASTRAS, Pablo MOVISTAR TEAM 15:16
129º VERDUGO, Gorka EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15:17
130º NIEMIEC, Przemyslaw LAMPRE - ISD 15:18

131º NERZ, Dominik LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 15:19
132º POSSONI, Morris SKY PROCYCLING 15:20
133º SPEZIALETTI, Alessandro LAMPRE - ISD 15:21
134º ANZA, Santo VACANSOLEIL - DCM 15:22
135º MARZANO, Marco LAMPRE - ISD 15:23
136º OROZ, Juan José EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15:24
137º MALACARNE, Davide QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 15:25
138º FRÖHLINGER, Johannes SKIL - SHIMANO 15:26
139º DE GREEF, Francis OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 15:27
140º MATE, Luis Ángel COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 15:28

141º VORGANOV, Eduard KATUSHA TEAM 15:29
142º ZAUGG, Oliver LEOPARD TREK 15:30
143º KARPETS, Vladimir KATUSHA TEAM 15:31
144º MAJKA, Rafal SAXO BANK SUNGARD 15:32
145º SANTAMBROGIO, Mauro BMC RACING TEAM 15:33
146º LOSADA, Alberto KATUSHA TEAM 15:34
147º SIVTSOV, Kanstantsin HTC - HIGHROAD 15:35
148º SÁNCHEZ, Luis León RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 15:36
149º CHAVANEL, Sylvain QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 15:37
150º LE MEVEL, Christophe TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 15:38

151º PERGET, Mathieu AG2R - LA MONDIALE 15:39
152º BAKELANDTS, Jan OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 15:40
153º BONNAFOND, Guillaume AG2R - LA MONDIALE 15:41
154º KISERLOVSKI, Robert PRO TEAM ASTANA 15:42
155º SASTRE, Carlos GEOX - TMC 15:43
156º ANTON, Igor EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 15:44
157º LAGUTIN, Sergey VACANSOLEIL - DCM 15:46
158º DUARTE, Fabio Andrés GEOX - TMC 15:48
159º MACHADO, Tiago TEAM RADIOSHACK 15:50
160º CAPECCHI, Eros LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 15:52

161º MONCOUTIE, David COFIDIS, LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 15:54
162º KRUIJSWIJK, Steven RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 15:56
163º SÖRENSEN, Chris SAXO BANK SUNGARD 15:58
164º POELS, Wouter VACANSOLEIL - DCM 16:00
165º MENCHOV, Denis GEOX - TMC 16:02
166º BRAJKOVIC, Janez TEAM RADIOSHACK 16:04
167º ROCHE, Nicolas AG2R - LA MONDIALE 16:06
168º SCARPONI, Michele LAMPRE - ISD 16:08
169º PARDILLA, Sergio MOVISTAR TEAM 16:10
170º NIEVE, Mikel EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 16:12

171º BRUSEGHIN, Marzio MOVISTAR TEAM 16:14
172º FROOME, Christopher SKY PROCYCLING 16:16
173º MARTIN, Daniel TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 16:18
174º WIGGINS, Bradley SKY PROCYCLING 16:20
175º MONFORT, Maxime LEOPARD TREK 16:22
176º COBO, Juan José GEOX - TMC 16:24
177º ZUBELDIA, Haimar TEAM RADIOSHACK 16:26
178º SEELDRAYERS, Kevin QUICKSTEP CYCLING TEAM 16:28
179º FUGLSANG, Jakob LEOPARD TREK 16:30
180º MORENO, Daniel KATUSHA TEAM 16:32

181º VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 16:34
182º KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik PRO TEAM ASTANA 16:36
183º NIBALI, Vincenzo LIQUIGAS - CANNONDALE 16:38
184º RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin KATUSHA TEAM 16:40
185º MOLLEMA, Bauke RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 16:42

USPro final stage and results

Liquigas again and again and AGAIN! this time by Daniel Oss: great! I don't see the reason to put such an hard climb so early in a stage but ok: USPro is over and we also enjoyed a last attack by Andy Schleck in the most combactive rider jersey. Useless but always nice. Leipheimer secured his yellow and Van Garderen his 'white' - even if it isn't white...

BDW Can we suggest a one dress code for races? The leader jersey should be different for each race but the others could be the same everywhere.

It's interesting to see that all American top 5 - and consider that many good American racers are in Spain. It gives an idea of the amazing improvement of USA cycling movement. USA races are also improving their UCI status. I liked more Tour of California - but prefered it earlier in the season – while USA Pro etc must still grow up a bit and find a balance in stages itinerary. Chapeau to The Shack streming.

Chapeau also to Rafael Infantino, 6^th in the final GC and very often attacking. I know almost nothing about him so add nothing, but what I saw was great. Great also Bruno Pires, the true leader of LEOPARD TREK, if a leader is a racer committed with continuity to the GC. Not so Frank Schleck: his USPro was decent and he ends in a decent 12^th place but we never saw him really. A pity because last year he was a serious contender in the Vuelta in spite his crash in the Tour and now, with a 2^nd in France, he wasn't able to get a stage victory nor a top ten place. Cadel Evans instead was amazing: the more I watch him the more I like. He arrived late to the USA after some busy traveling post Tour weeks, absolutely unsure about his shape he went on in the race day by day but always honouring it: riding in the front and being active in every stages.

I already wrote about Andy Schleck. In my opinion – not so popular I see – he kinda saved his USAPro in the Swan Mountain stage. He didn't win and didn't improve that much his GC, but got the most combactive racer jersey (sad to say orange doesn't suit him). He said the altitude and the heat made the race hard. Of course, but for everybody. Now, simple and plain: he knows his limits (as a racer) and his faults (as a man), just must work on them and his DS are supposed to help him. In my opinion – again – he needs a stronger lead to become the leader he was born to be. If not, ok: nobody can force him to be a top racer and in life there is more then cycling. However he LOVES cycling so... it's on him.

Finally two words for team Liquigas: Viviani and Oss. That's all. They really achieved all they could. Italian cycling movement passed through a bad crisis, dued to doping, to the general economics troubles and to the dominance of football amongh the youth sports. In Italy it's hard to run a cycling team for children and kids, there is no public support and no link to the schools. If a child decides to start racing it's probably because his/her parents have got a true passion for cycling. Guys like Viviani, Oss but also Guardini, Modolo, Belletti and many others show something is changing. That's why I don't like the old-glories-comingbacks: let room to the youg guns please, given that we have them again.

Final GC

1	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack	20:00:24
2	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:11
3	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad	0:00:17
4	Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:21
5	George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:53
6	Rafael Infantino Abreu (Col) EPM - UNE	0:01:14
7	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team	0:01:18
8	Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:42
9	Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek	0:01:49
10	Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:01:50
11	Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team RadioShack	0:02:07
12	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek	0:02:17

..................

33	Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek	0:06:55
34	Laurent Didier (Lux) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:07:34
35	Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
36	Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:07:36

Points

1	Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	50	pts
2	Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	25
3	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad

Mountain
1 Rafael Montiel (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
Best young
1 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad
Best team
1 Team Garmin - Cerveloff

Green Edge jersey (probably)

Perfect day - and La Vuelta

Ah yes: I woke up late! And smiling. The sun shining on the roof out my window in this perfect blue sky. When I bring my son to train we have to wake up early in these hot days but yesterday he had his race, ended 21^th in a peloton of 37, quite a good result for him after almost two months of holydays, so we could sleep. I went to bed late to watch Andy racing and after it took a while to fall asleep: I was too happy.

I was also completely alone today because my son went to spend the day with his dad. Not a problem for me, I like to be alone in the country: that's a big house surrounded by gardens and woods. You can sit outside and just listen to the sound of nature. You can go for a walk in the wood. I like that.

In the afternoon I studied a bit: I'm reading "Marges" by Derrida, one of my favourite philosophers, because am working on an essay about his interpretation of Hegel. Nice hard stuff, you see. And then... La Vuelta!

My streaming was a pity so I got the idea the finish was a mess. A great one! The two men break was caught – bravo Sebastian Lang who tried to resist – and the attacks begane. I had a jumping-on-the- sofa moment when I saw Daniel Martin AND Nicolas Roche leading the race a few meters ahead. As an old Stephen Roche fan that was so cool to me! I guess he also jumped on the sofa, the old Roche. But my streaming was cuting the action in a series of messy pictures and I wondered if Nibali now was together with Martin in a break or together with him back to the peloton and then if Wiggins was pulling to chass or to attack and where in the earth Scarponi was given that I was sure I saw him somewhere. The only thing I was sure was that Bauke Mollema was in a very good place and that was cool too: he is doing an amazing Vuelta and deserved a good result.

Well, Mollema now is 1^st in the GC. When I saw that in the fixed image of my dead streaming I thought I was dreaming. Not beacuse I don't belive in Mollema but just because... could I be even happier then that? It seems I can: Daniel Martin won the stage – don't ask me how SOB – and Bauke Mollema got the leader jersey. The old Roche MUST have been jumping on the sofa. I take that as a matter of fact.

USPro 5: Moien!

Good morning! Buon giorno! Andy Schleck is back and THAT is the Andy I love.

Since the start he tryed to break away and finally managed to join the right move, by Ten Dam – what a season for the Dutch! Chapeau. In the original group there was also a GC contender, Acevedo, but got a providencial flat and the peloton let them go.

It was a perfect break: Andy Schleck and Basso, great climbers aeger to win the stage and show their power on Swan Mountain, Ten Dam, strong all-around used to pull, and the young American Thomas Peterson, ready to give all to stay in such a stellar company till the end. They were in a quite right number and worked well together.

Behinde and for a long time nobody really started chassing. RadioShack of the leader Leipheimer was absolutely happy with the breack: no risks for the GC, no way for the main contenders Vande Velde and Van Garderen to gain seconds on him. Garmin was in a difficult situation: his leaders in the peloton couldn't pull because there was their team mate Peterson in the breack. To be honest normally the SD would have stoped Peterson: to give a gap to Leipheimer was enough to win the GC, that's true, but the break avoided his team to work all day and at the finish they were too fresh to not respond to Vande Velde or Van Garderen last try. Liquigas had just won a stage by Viviani and in the breack had his leader Basso still without a personal victory: no reason to pull for them.

In fact the break easily got 4 minutes. I must say Basso was the most generous, Ten Dam worked hard too and Peterson had to fight to keep their wheels. Of course I was watching Andy attentively: a few times I doubted about his shape because it seemed to me he was often in the last position but it was clear as well that he cared about the break because when the pace slowed down he went in front pulling really hard. He was wisely managing himself, saving something for the last effort. He wanted to win the stage, nothing else. When Andy is serious you see that.

They passed together on the first KOM, Rabbit Ears, and went together in the hurting flat. Swan Mountain was in sight when Andy had a short talk with Kim Andersen: behinde some big teams was finally chassing, BMC was in front and the gap was going down. I thought: if Andy had a team mate now he asked him to set a different pace to prepare his attack. But he was alone and must do by himself. The others knew what was going to happen but to stay away they still was forced to collaborate. At the sprint in that small group Andy was beated.

I didn't see when he start: the mountain was madly crowded and many funny people were in the midle of the road supporting the riders and running beside them. Usually Andy likes them and often smiles turning to watch. Now he was wildly concentrated. He emerged from the crowd solo. A little gap, few meters. He passed solo the KOM and stormed down the descent. I thought: ok, that is a good large descent. Anyway that is the way to take it not... No matter!

The camera was filming his face: I liked it. He reached the flat. His ex break mates were already close, the peloton ful gaz. Andy was suffering, you could see that by the nasty pleat of his open mouth, by the dark light in his eyes. He wanted to win, he really was giving all and also more. He was at his limit. Kim Andersen came to him and told something by the team car window. 8 km to go, few seconds. It couldn't be enough moreover because that fucking flat was too long for him, too long... damn. He let them come back but now the break was brocken and suspicious: Ten Dam tryed several time to go and a wonderful Andy Schleck was still able to respond first. Behinde the attacks had already started. Cadel Evans went in person to contrast. Game over: few meters from the line the sprinters claimed their stage and Liquigas took another great result. 1^st Viviani (again) 3th Oss.

I didn't see Andy's face after the finish but just his back: he was still on his bike giving an interview, Frank standing next to him. I think he can be happy even if the victory eluded again his effort. When he passed the top of Swan Mountain solo, there he won his stage, responding all criticisms as he always does – showing his class. The problem with this stage was the finish wasn't atop there and the climb was too short to allow him to get a big advantage. In spite of that he was right and brave to attack. I don't think at all he regrets his move: waiting would have meaned to go – maybe - for the podium, because at the sprint almost everybody is faster then him. He improved also in that, but still he couldn't compete. When Basso, Ten Dam and Peterson – droped in the end – came back to him they should have been more disciplinated. But was that possible? I am not sure. Ten Dam was right to try to go beacuse he was the only one who could. At that moment Andy could have given up but he didn't: he kept working to bring the group together to the line. And after he had no reason to insist: he simply let the sprint pass.

Great race. I'm proud. As I wrote some days ago: I apreciated. 
BDW
I just read that Andy got the most combactive jersey: OF COURSE!! 

A great lesson by Taylor Phinney's blog

I like Taylor Phinney and expect a lot by him. He is having an hard time in the Vuelta sofar but see what he says. I think we have something to learn here:

http://taylorphinney.com/2011/08/27/limits/#comment-189

".... But really, what would life be without pain and suffering? Where would be if we never pushed ourselves? Surely, you could sit on a porch swing your whole life, rocking back and forth enjoying the view… While that actually sounds like heaven to me now, I know that I could never be satisfied in life if I didn’t PURSUE something. Everyday here at the Vuelta I have to remind myself that what I am doing, while very unnatural, is something I would be going through no matter who I was or what I was pursuing. In life you have to fight and you have to push yourself. To better yourself you must first find your limits. And then you have to conquer those limits to set new limits…and so on and so forth."

Yes, it's like that. When you stop pushing you lose the respect of yourself. It isn't a matter of  success but of dignity. When you did your best, gave all to be yourself at the top of your possibilities, then you are happy in spite of the results and people understand you are a man (or a woman of course) not a child. A great lesson, lets try to learn!

Vuelta 6: yes we like... Martin Kohler!

I have been more busy with my son's cycling then with pro cycling in the last two days but am glad to post this press release by BMC. You know Martin Kohler is one of my favourite racers and I interviewed him before he got some popularity wearing the green jersey in the Giro. He's doing well also in Spain :)

BDW

My son arrived  3th in a sprints race yesterday. Very proud.

Córdoba, Espagne

Vuelta, 6eme Étape: Kohler le plus combatif

Martin Kohler de l'équipe BMC Racing Team a été désigné coureur le plus combatif Jeudi lors de la sixième étape du Tour d'Espagne. Son coéquipier Mathias Frank est sorti indemne d'une chute alors que Johann Tschopp a du abandonner pour cause de fatigue.

Kohler:"Je recommencerai"

Kohler s'est échappé avec trois autres coureurs et ont compté jusqu'à huit minutes au plus fort de leur avance. Lorsque l'écart est tombé à une minute sous la charge du peloton Kohler a insisté en solitaire. Le coureur BMC Racing Team s'est finalement fait reprendre à 5km de l'arrivée d'une étape qui en comptait 193,4km."Toute la journée j'ai essayé de me glisser dans une échappée malheureusement nous n'étions que quatre et pas forcement les plus forts du peloton. La Vuelta dure trois semaines,  il y aura d'autres opportunités. Je  recommencerai!" C'est une moto officielle qui afait chuter Frank après 70 kilomètres de course le motard ayant malnégocié un virage serré sur la droite." Je suis tombé sur ma hanche et mon coude et me suis fait très mal mais au fil des kilomètres la douleur s'est estompée" expliquait Frank. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) remporte l'étape. Sylvain Chavanel (Quickstep) conserve la tête du classement général.

La Vuelta 5 & USPro 3

Drunk without I drank: I feel like that, as if I got a bad hangover. And I didn't. I used to drink more when I was younger, now a beer is enough. I prefer to stay sober or maybe don't need alchol to get that exciting good feeling. Once in Mexico we decided to have a tequila boom boom: we went to a supermarket in Mexico City, bought a bottle of tequila and some sparkling water. It was our last day there, in the evening we had dinner in a restaurant on the Zocalo – the main square – unusually expensive for us. We were siting outside, out legs under the white dressed table covered in plates and glasses, our backpacks ready for a long night trip by Grayhund to the south, and somebody – not me – made a glass disapear. Nobody noticed it, nor the waiter, nor the rest of us. Life music was still on when we left, we could hear the traditional Ispanic band playing Celito Lindo for tourists. We thought we were voyagers walking bravely in the night looking eagerly to the poor children asleep on the ground outside the closed entrances of the underground where they work during the day selling packet of one ciclas – chewing gum – and private guards with the hand on their gun defending food shops.

Our bus left around midnight. Buses stations are the typical places in Mexico where people meet whitout really meeting: you sit there for hours amongh suitcases keep together with robes, family and gray faces workers used to wake up early and go home when it's dark. Maybe you know: there isn't a sunset there. Suddenly the sun is off, lost, hiden into the earth. And the night is cold even if the day was hot, on the highlands especially, like in Chiapas. Anyway in was freezing cool into the bus because rich people in poor countries belove airconditionated. "No guns on board" was written on the bus door. A few people gave some revolvers to the driver who was supposed to keep them during the trip. That was a long distance bus, confortable and expensive: the alternative to the plane. Nothing to do with the old pictoresque buses we shared with the population of Central America in the next 25 days... but that is another story.

I wanted to tell you about that tequila boom boom we had in a desolate buses station at 5 am the next morning, already Chiapas not day yet, beacuse it was fucking dark and fucking cold, time table said "arrive at 7 o'clock" but for the first and last time in that travel we were funcking early. The Grayhund was already a small yellow light far away, no sign of the town – later we got used: villages and also small cities just apear in the daylight and always 'round the corner' because buses stop at the edge of them – scaring shadows was moving around and we were siting in a row on the low sidewalk each one on his/her backpack. Even like that we had a camera stolen, don't ask me how. And it wasn't the mine.

"Come on fella! It's a damned cool spot! Lets have a drink and celebrate!" I don't remember who said that: we were nine and scarcely knew each others. A female hand put a one glass on the sidewalk, we mixed tequila and spaklingwater, we beated the glass on the ground and repeated all nine times. You had to drink it all at once, aware that sixteen eyes were staring at you in the dark. It was a blast, my first tequila boom boom, and I wasn't feel cold anymore. Not drunk really, just unmotivately happy we watched the sun suddenly intense and white on the orizon of white colonial houses. It was going to be hot and wet again. It was going to be great.

A bad hangover instead is when you can't move a step away from a confuse past you don't remember. You know you drank, your head is empty, you just want to keep sleeping and to not think about that think you don't remember exactly but that makes you sad. I didn't drank but feel like that.

Last Vuelta stage was a good hangover: pure cycling. Not a second I felt bored. The road was hard, brutally climbing. However the speed was high in the peloton, Kathusa making a killing pace. It was a nervous stage and many teams were trying to do something of it. No pity for sprinters, no rest for riders in a badtimed bad day. Then Moncoutier opened the bottle: it must be champagne because he just flashed away from the peloton passing an Astana racer - few meters ahead – who looked drunk: didn't try to follow, ubi major minor cessat, Moncoutier was from another movie.

What a way he has to pedale! Long gears, he look still on his bike but you see the gap increasing and understand he's pulling hard. Open jersey against the heat, eyes to the – yet - invisible finish, he climbed the mountain and passed the top. The peloton still draged by Kathusa, then Liquigas took the lead and they faced the descent as wild wolfs behinde an horse. I expected an attack there by Vincenzo Nibali, but he just kept the race under control. All the best dancers where in the first group ready for the last party: Nibali, Rodriguez, Moreno, Fuglsang... The one color head of the sneak – green Liquigas, purple Kathusa - was now confused in a multiface butterfly.

Moncoutier suddenly entered the town narrow street, the barriers, the crowd. He looked solo, a wheel from the victory. He turned behinde and they were on him, summerged him as a wave on the last short climb. Rodriguez droped everybody and made his team mates work perfect. Poels (Vacansoleil) 2nd. Moreno – yesterday winner - on the podium again. Very nice to see Mollema 4th, even if he deserves much because is doing a great Vuelta. Nibali couldn't follw in the end but maybe he didn't care: la Vuelta is still long. 

GC

1	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team	18:02:34
2	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team	0:00:09
3	Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team	0:00:23
4	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek	0:00:25
5	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:33
6	Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana	0:00:35
7	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek	0:00:38
8	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	0:00:43
9	Sergio Pardilla Belllón (Spa) Movistar Team
10	Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team	0:00:52
11	Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:00:53
12	Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Team RadioShack	0:00:54
13	Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:00:55

I watched the last hour of USA Pro last night it was good, but I got a bad hangover and still have it. It was kinda flattering to see the racers I picked up as favourites fighting for the stage victory and already in the top five. When Van Gardener attacked seriously I was really pleased. But Big George – Hincapie – made a big sprint. Not my type but still one of the sexyest men in the peloton.Danielson 3th. Tejay can confort himself adding the leader jersey to his Best Young one. Vande Velde was there too, finally back to his level after some years of bad luck. Leipheimer arrived in the chassing group, just behinde, with Evans and Frank Schleck (19th). Surprise: the best Leopards was the Portugues Pires, 6th at the sprint.

I saw Andy Schleck confortablely infront on the last climb, just before Van Gardener's move. He looked well. In the decisive phase of the race however he got droped. Last time I saw him he still was in the front group: he turned behinde, probably looking for Frank. That was few kms to the top of the second and last mountain of the day. In the descent the speaker said he wasn't there anymore. I saw him again after the finish. I waited on purpose to watch his face crossing the line. It was a cool, indifferent face. He lost 3 minutes yesterday. He made me drunk without I drank and with a bad hangover. 

GC

1	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad	10:04:08
2	George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:16
3	Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:22
4	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack	0:00:34
5	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:45
6	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team	0:00:51
7	Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia	0:00:52
8	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:04
9	Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek	0:01:08
10	Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:01:09
11	Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:01:15
12	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek	0:01:16

Vuelta 4, USA Pro 2

Sierra Nevada, four km to go, suddenly a curve and there is just the sun, like a nebulous white star in a white empty sky. The climb is nasty, the landscape great. They passed a lake, down amongh the trees, and there is that silence, that lonliness tipical of high mountain stages. They are only three at that moment, the youngest looks the freshest: he's Thomas Rohregger(LEOPARD TREK) at his first big Tour. They are the masters of the race, kings of Spain for a whole long hot day. So hot that Cavendish has been forced to retire 45 km to go: "I just want to sleep" he said collapsing into his team car. Sad. And worring: World Championships are behinde the corner.

Behinde the corner for the break-away there is the climb again and still. A cruel sun but at the back is worse: Fabian Cancellara throws a whole water bottle on his head and keeps pedaling in the gruppetto. In the midle of the peloton Nibali, Scarponi and Wiggins look well, not so Anton and Kloden who can't keep the wheels. The Spanish tv pityless shows many riders droped and suffering, the leader Lastras included. 

Last km: the finish is after the top, there is a bit of wind there, campers, a few people with Spanish flags: "Arriba arriba!" Tattical attacks at the front of the peloton, to test legs and heads. Suddenly CA Soresen flashes like an arrow, Moreno passively on his wheel. The silence is brocken, the breack is caught, another story begins. Daily heros forgoten, Moreno wins at the sprint. CA obviously not happy. Dan Martin 3th in the bunch sprint.

"I leaded the Vuelta for a long while" Rohregger writes on his fb "They caught us but it was great". It was. And it was amazing the coolness and authority of this young rider in managing the break. Bravo! New leader is S.Chavanel, all day in the wind: well deserved. LEOPARD TREK put 2 men in top 5: Fuglsang 3th and Monfort 4th. I think the Dane has good cards in this Vuelta.

1	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team	4:51:53
2	Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:03
3	Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:11
4	Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team
5	Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - ISD
6	Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
8	Wout Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
9	Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
10	Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
11	Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC-Highroad
12	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale

GC

1	Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quickstep Cycling Team	13:19:09
2	Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team	0:00:43
3	Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek	0:00:49
4	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek
5	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:53
6	Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) HTC-Highroad	0:00:58
7	Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Pro Team Astana	0:00:59
8	Sergio Pardilla Belllón (Spa) Movistar Team	0:01:03
9	Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team
10	Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quickstep Cycling Team	0:01:04
11	Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:01:06

Colorado: I must confess I went to sleep 15 km to go. It was awfully boring and when I saw the long straight sweetly climbing road to the finish my motivation went down to zero. I left them with a two men breack-away and a lazy peloton watching around in amazement. The show of the nature was breathtaking but the show of the race honestly a drag. The USA tv tried to fill the lack of action by close imagines of the 'main characters': Van Garderen, Evans, the Schleck(s). I begin to understand what Andy means with "In the USA people respect me more": his Prologue was a pity but The Shack picked up a picture of him in the TT suit to open its streaming. Very cute picture, no doubt. 

PS

I know all happened on the last short climb. It was expected to. But can you stand a two hours streming waiting for that? personally I can't. I just see that Frank Schleck is in a decent place now.

Stage

1	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack	4:29:22
2	Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia	0:00:04
3	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek	0:00:07
4	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
5	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
6	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad
7	Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia	0:00:10
8	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team

............

43	Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad	0:01:00
44	Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
45	Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek

GC

1	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack	4:37:47
2	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:11
3	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad	0:00:17
4	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
5	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:00:30
6	Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:34
7	Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:35
8	George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:37
9	Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
10	Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:41
11	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek	0:00:42

...

44

Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek

0:01:38

La Vuelta 3: an hell of heat

Alto de la Santa: the peloton goes to pieces. No way to keep it one, no way to keep the number one jersey in spite all the hard and good job the Leopards did. Bennati is more then 3 minutes down now, 46^th . Fuglsang is 5^th but at almost 2'. In a madly hot day while evrybody is madly suffering – and sprinters especially: Cav and Kittel in the back probably swearing - some mad guys brings the breack away to the finish. The madest is Lastras (Movistar) who brings himself to the top step of two podiums: stage and jersey. "Least you can say is that Lastras made a complicated victory sign there...#vuelta " Renaat Schotte tweets. It seems that was for Xavier Tondo. For sure a well deserved victory. 2^nd Chavanel 3th Irizar. Matti Breschel is back and you can see it: 6^th. Vincenzo Nibali is back too but in a different meaning: he won last Vuelta and is here do do it again. 7^th in GC sofar, yesterday on the climb he looked well.

Also Spain looks well. It looks hot, white and dusty. It looks poor in its mountain village and easygoing in its sea towns, with people in flip flops watching the race from the beach. It looks large. That was my main impression when I croosed it by camper. Large and beautiful, all in large stretches: bald mountains, vinegards, fields. And rich of cities and shadows and narrow streets where to walk and wander, old misterious palaces with closed windows and open bloosoming gardens. I loved it.

Lets watch today stage: Sierra Nevada! Many memories also there, of paths and dirty roads climbing till the sky and the Alhambra fountains like a piece of Heaven in a hell of heat.

Usa Pro Cycling Challenge TT: Super Jensi rocks America

It sounds like a super heros strip title but Jens Voight IS a super hero – isn't he? - and also a bit a strip character. I like the fact he is older then me and still racing, no! Still kicking asses! You can say what you want but last night – it was night here – I was jumping and yalling and each TT star who finished BEHINDE the Jensi YEAH! He didn't win. Just because you could misunderstand my enthusiasm. But was he supposed to win? Moreover: was he supposed to get a top 5 place?

The Prologue was short and hot, few people watching on the roads regarding to European standards but not so few according to the USAPro speackers. BDW: what a great streaming by The Shack! After years of low depressing definition almost pirate streamings – and god bless them – I was simply amazed. Jensi started early, before the 'bad' wind, like all the top-fivers: Gretsch, Vande Velde (nice!), Bookwalter, Forster. Voight seemed to be fighting agaist his bike, a big wild animal. So funny when you know what a good guy and dad he is! That no-wind helped but Jensi made a fatastic race.

The later-started in the top ten made the effective better times: Hincapie, Leipheimer, Van Gardener (best young), Evans had the wind blowing against their faces, a warm strong wind as an hot breath from those red rocky mountains oddly shapened in the ages. Danny Pate, l'enfant du village and midle-started, was welcomed by claps and roars. He really made a good times and deserved more then the 11^th place. 1^st in the Most agressive racer classification.

But a TT is a blind race: wind, rain, pigeons (Nibali in Rotterdam), infinite casual elements can determinate an advantage or a disavantage. If you looks at it by that side, a TT is an unfair race: the clock is absolutely exact and the same for everybody, bikes must respect strict rules about weight and design. BUT on the road you never know what each rider will find. Lady Luck is Cycling godness always, even in a TT where to meet her could look surprising.

Disappointing Zabriskie – just because I love him expected more. Very disappointing Peter Velits. Interesting Stetina (27th): a young primising guy I suggest you to follow because is going to show something. He already did in the previous cathegories.

Andy (57^th ) and Frank Schleck (60^th) made almost the same – high – times in spite the first one started the last. Basso did worse: 97^th. His excusation can be he arrived to the USA just few days ago. No excusations for Andy who is there since many weeks. He looked well at the start signing for children and girls. Ok: he rarely doesn't.

I don't put him amongh the favourites for the final victory – Leipheimer is the number one, Van Garderen would be nice, Vande Velde why not? And Evans also could be, in spite he says no. But I expect fireworks on some good mountain stages by Andy and Frank Schleck. Frank risked to win last year Vuelta – with the help of a complete team maybe he should EHM - had a very good season and his best Tour de France ever: a stage victory in USAPro would give a sense to his taking part.

About Andy, it's a different story: his season was a very poor one. He lost the Tour de France again and won nothing else. For a Tour obsessed that isn't so bad: he was second again, not 5 or 10 or 20. Moreover he was on the podium in Paris with his bro – and soul mate as he wrote – and that's great: the first time in cycling history. A 'normal' Tours contender would have gone to the Vuelta in order to take advantage of his TdF super shape. Moreover given that Contador and Evans aren't there. BDW where is Contador? But Andy is a 'special' one: Tour de France or nothing. And after the Tour de France it's often 'nothing'. I respect his way of cycling – that is also a way of live – and lernt in last years that some beautiful results by him come from the amusement. Some others come from the rage. Amusement is better: on a nice cool mountain, in a nice right day, just for fun Andy could give us the gift of a cool nice stage victory. I would apreciate.

1	Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad	0:08:28
2	Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:02
3	Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:04
4	Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:05
5	Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek	0:00:07
6	George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
7	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack	0:00:08
8	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad
9	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
10	Ryan Roth (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10	0:00:10
11	Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad	0:00:11
12	Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
13	Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (Col) Team Exergy	0:00:13
14	Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:14
15	Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:15
16	David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
17	Benjamin King (USA) Team RadioShack	0:00:16
18	Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
19	Francois Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10	0:00:17
20	Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
21	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:00:18
22	Ben Hermans (Bel) Team RadioShack	0:00:20
23	Scott Zwizanski (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
24	Gustav Larsson (Swe) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:21
25	Daniel Summerhill (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
26	Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team RadioShack	0:00:22
27	Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
28	Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:23
29	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo
30	Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling	0:00:24
31	Frank Kevin Pipp (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:26
32	Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
33	David Boily (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
34	Rob Britton (Can) Bissell Cycling
35	Andrew Randell (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10	0:00:27
36	Carlos Alberto Ospina Hernandes (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia	0:00:28
37	Lachlan Norris (Aus) HTC-Highroad	0:00:29
38	Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad	0:00:30
39	Michael Mørkøv (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:31
40	Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
41	Sander Oostlander (Ned) Skil - Shimano	0:00:32
42	Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Spa) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
43	Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Cycling
44	Giovanni Manuel Baez Alvarez (Col) EPM - UNE	0:00:33
45	Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek
46	Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE
47	Chris Barton (USA) BMC Racing Team
48	Martin Mortensen (Den) Leopard Trek
49	Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
50	Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi	0:00:34
51	Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Team RadioShack
52	William Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda	0:00:35
53	Nic Hamilton (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
54	Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
55	Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:36
56	Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy
57	Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
58	Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:37
59	Philip Deignan (Irl) Team RadioShack
60	Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
61	Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
62	Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad	0:00:38
63	George Bennett (NZl) Team RadioShack
64	Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
65	Sam Johnson (USA) Team Exergy
66	Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
67	Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo
68	Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:39
69	Alastair Loutit (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
70	Rafael Infantino Abreu (Col) EPM - UNE	0:00:40
71	Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:41
72	Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
73	Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
74	Jason McCartney (USA) Team RadioShack
75	Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:42
76	Matt Cooke (USA) Team Exergy
77	Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
78	Laurent Didier (Lux) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:43
79	Bruno Langlois (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
80	Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:44
81	Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
82	Alex Hagman (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
83	Andrès Miguel Diaz Corrales (Col) Team Exergy	0:00:45
84	Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
85	Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:47
86	Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
87	Anders Lund (Den) Leopard Trek	0:00:48
88	Carlos Fernando Piamonte Rodriguez (Col) EPM - UNE	0:00:49
89	Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
90	Kai Applequist (USA) Team Exergy	0:00:50
91	Craig Lewis (USA) HTC-Highroad
92	André Steensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard	0:00:51
93	Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC-Highroad
94	Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
95	Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:00:52
96	Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team
97	Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
98	Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
99	Lucas Euser (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10	0:00:53
100	Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek	0:00:54
101	Jaime Alberto Castaneda Ortega (Col) EPM - UNE
102	Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi	0:00:55
103	Chris Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team
104	William Dugan (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi	0:00:56
105	Ken Hanson (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
106	Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Skil - Shimano	0:00:57
107	Eduard Alexander Beltran Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE	0:00:58
108	Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
109	Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:59
110	Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Col) EPM - UNE
111	Flavio De Luna (Mex) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
112	Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Skil - Shimano	0:01:01
113	Sergio Hernandez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
114	Oscar Alvarez (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
115	Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
116	Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
117	Rafael Montiel (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia	0:01:02
118	Sebastien Salas (Can) Team Exergy	0:01:03
119	Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:01:04
120	Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil - Shimano	0:01:08
121	Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:10
122	Philipp Ries (Ger) Skil - Shimano	0:01:13
123	Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy	0:01:14
124	Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Col) EPM - UNE	0:01:15
125	Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team	0:01:19
126	Alejandro Ramirez Calderon (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia
127	Daniele Callegarin (Ita) Team Type 1 - Sanofi	0:01:20
128	Cristhian Montoya Giraldo (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia	0:01:24
129	Martin Reimer (Ger) Skil - Shimano	0:01:28
130	Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Skil - Shimano	0:02:04

Young rider

		Result
1	Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad	0:08:35
2	Benjamin King (USA) Team RadioShack	0:00:08
3	Daniel Summerhill (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo	0:00:13
4	David Boily (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10	0:00:18
5	Chris Barton (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:25
6	Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:27
7	Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale	0:00:29
8	George Bennett (NZl) Team RadioShack	0:00:30
9	Alastair Loutit (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda	0:00:31
10	Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team	0:00:44
11	Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
12	Chris Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team	0:00:47
13	Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Skil - Shimano	0:00:49
14	Eduard Alexander Beltran Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE	0:00:50
15	Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling	0:00:51
16	Flavio De Luna (Mex) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
17	Philipp Ries (Ger) Skil - Shimano	0:01:05
18	Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy	0:01:06
19	Cristhian Montoya Giraldo (Col) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antioquia	0:01:16
20	Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Skil - Shimano	0:01:56